[POLL] 0N3 C0MM0N 14N9U493

[Toxicity]

"One common language" for those not clever enough to decode. :P

And now for more poll goodness!

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?
2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?
3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?
4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?
5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?
6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?

My answers:
1. Simple American English. Although if dialects counted, I'd be bilingual because my dad still speaks in Ebonics a little too much for his own good.

2. I have learned quite a few:
French - high school foreign language
Spanish - learned a little more than basic, courtesy high school Biology
Korean - few words that I forgot, mostly numbers; Taekwondo did it for me
Japanese - started learning earlier than others for the basic purpose of understanding anime in its native language; currently attempting to re-learn
Abbreviations and 13375P34K - who doesn't in some way or another? :P

3. I use English every day, and at this time I only use that and Japanese in every day situations. As much as I love sticking to my roots, I prefer Japanese because I've actually found a little easier on my voice when sick, plus amongst the friends I have that do understand it, we can communicate out loud when we don't want anybody else to understand us.

4. I think my vocabulary level is fairly normal for anybody with my amount of education, although people have said it's pretty high. As for words I use regularly, I really haven't paid attention to myself when I talk, partially due to the fact I'm not always big on speaking.

5. My handwriting is rather small and clean, and compared to others a little dark and hard to erase. At least it's legible.

6. I'm pretty lenient about grammar usage; unless somebody asks me to read and correct their essays, I've never been harsh on people. Although my love for writing does give me wing to chuckle at the occasional typo in a published book.

[Inferno_Dragon]

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?

English (American) is the language that I speak. And I don't think I was raised in a bilingual household.

2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?

Spanish (Learned it in junior high and kept on learning it until college ... can say a few words and phrases but haven't used it much.)

3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?

I use English most commonly and I prefer English.

4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?

I think it is basic. Something I do use big words but I don't like to overcomplicate things.

5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?

It isn't that bad and it isn't that good. It has come a long way from when I was younger.

6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?

I don't correct people ... well I think I don't correct people ... I am not quite certain. (Yes, people do use incorrect grammar from time to times but I think it is a little rude to correct them. Maybe send them a hint but I am might be still wrong. Like I said I am not 100 percent certain. Last, I am at fault of using bad grammar but people rarely notice.

I was not clever to notice that your title of the post meant One Common Language. But that's okay with me.

[Dark-San]

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?

Yes, I was unfortunate to be bred in a household that emphasizes a lot on dual languages. My first language was English (British) and my brother speaks to me a lot using English (British). My mother tongue is Mandarin or Chinese language and my parents speaks to me using it.

If dialects would to be counted in, I would have known at least two other 'languages'. They include in Cantonese (Guangzhou originated dialect) and Hokkien (Taiwan originated dialect). I understand both 'languages' quite fluently since I listen to them quite frequently. My maternal parentage came from Hong Kong and my paternal parentage came from Fujian province.


2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?

Mandarin (Chinese Language) - I started learning it since five years old when I enter in formal education in Kindergarten. Since I am a Chinese, it is only natural that I have to learn my native tongue.

Japanese - I almost took up the idea of learning it through formal education but financial constraint and parents' objection forced me to put the plan aside for now. Besides Kanji (which had some similarities with some Mandarin characters), all the Japanese characters that I known off were self- taught unfortunately. It all started since I started watching anime regularly for the past seven years.


3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?

For spoken and written, I am quite fluent with both Chinese and English (British) languages. However if you asked me about typing Chinese characters using a computer, you would have to forget about that idea since I would be struggling to type those silly 'hanyu pinyu' into Microsoft language bar.


4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?

I am a business undergraduate so it would be expected that my vocabulary would be average. I am unlike my brother, who is an English (British) Literature major.

The most complex word? Meh, I have not put some thinking into that yet. But for the most frequently used these days, the phrase would be 'deemed irrelevant'. The reason being that if I had used the word 'reject', any people would find it offensive.


5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?

I have people complaining to me that my notes written were like chicken scratches. Well, they are right since my notes were written rather hasty so there would not be enough time to consider on the neatness.

But if it is a handwritten report or an examination, you couldd bet for sure that I would put in all my effort into the handwriting.


6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?

A definite nope. I would be damned to hell if I started being one in front of my friends unlike Brian of course. The other reason being that it would be retard to think me as a Grammar Nazi since my level of grammar is not that great.

[mr_pikachu]

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?

English. Specifically, the southwestern American dialect.


2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?

I have exceedingly little experience with Spanish, and even less with Japanese (although I hope to learn more).


3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?

English for both answers. The first is because pretty much everyone I know speaks English primarily; the second is simply due to my own familiarity with it.


4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?

It's stronger than most; however, I can always stand to learn more. I tend to use a lot of complicated words... off the top of my head, some of my favorites would be "exponentially," "vigorous," "aberration," "detriment," "apocalyptic," and "zugzwang." Brownie points to anyone who can give the meaning of the last term as well as its typical context.


5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?

My handwriting is terrible. It's not surprising, since I taught myself to hold a pencil and write when I was two... funny how something like that can be detrimental later in life.


6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?

I dislike this question and therefore refuse to answer. >_>

[Lady Vulpix]

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?
Spanish, and yes, both my parents spoke English too (they spoke it when they wanted to discuss things they didn't want me and my brother to hear, but stopped when I started understanding them).

2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?
English, obviously (otherwise I wouldn't be posting this). I'd like to learn more, but for now that's the only other language I speak fluently. I started learning it at school, then took private lessons for about 11 years, and I'm still learning more by talking to English-speaking people, reading books in English, doing things online and watching movies, TV, etc.

3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?
I use Spanish most frequently in my everyday life, and English online. I like Spanish better, but English has good things too, and I'll use the language that helps me communicate with my interlocutor, whichever it is.

4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?
I think it's quite good in Spanish, and decent in English. I'm still missing some everyday terms and expressions. I don't know what the most complex word I use on a regular basis is, maybe 'paradigms' or something computer-related. Yesterday I caught someone off-guard with the word 'heuristically', he had to look it up.

5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?
It's clear and legible, provided you have good eyesight. It's neat, but tiny.

6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?
I make an effort to hold myself when I think my remarks about grammar are likely to hurt another person's sensitivity. I don't always manage it, but I can stop myself a lot more often than, say, when I was 12. Does that answer the question? In any case, I wouldn't want the word Nazi to be associated with me in any way.

[Jeff]

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?
English, and no I wasn't raised in a bilingual household.

2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?
Spanish to the point where I can form complete sentences, but I'm not very good beyond that. I learned from high school and college, but only took enough semesters to meet the requirements.

3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?
English, I am able to understand some things when I hear other people speaking Spanish, but I usually don't speak it myself.

4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?
I have an OK vocabulary level. I can't think of a "most complex word" that I use on a daily basis, probably something related to computers and programming them.

5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?
I always type everything on the computer and there's a very good reason for that :P

6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?
When I see someone else make a mistake I always find it annoying, but I try to restrain myself. The single most annoying thing that I find is when people use apostrophes in non-possessive plural words. That probably goes back to high school when our mascot was the Buccaneers, or "Bucs" for short, and at the games they sold foam swords that said "Go Buc's" on them. I felt like finding whoever was responsible for that blatant mistake and whacking them in the head with one of them.

[Magmar]

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?
Italian and yes!

2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?
Italian, Spanish, some Japanese, and obviously English. And starting to pick up on some Portuguese.

3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?
English, but Spanish is my preferred.

4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?
I'm confident in my vocabs but my most complex word is "Antidifferentiation" probably.

5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?
I write very neatly.

6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?
I don't care about grammar unless it's in the newspaper I work for. Then I'm Hitler but I don't judge others for poor grammar... only for DREADFUL grammar!

[Blademaster]

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?
If cursing is a language, then definitely bilingual. If not, then my home has one language, which is my native one: American.

...In America!

2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?
I had to learn Spanish in high school. Never used it for anything since then.

3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?
American. I live in the United States, so I speak United Statese. And if you live in this country, you better speak it too you damn immigrant! :swear:

4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?
My vocabulary sucks. I have to look up four-letter words sometimes.

The most complex word I use regularly is probably 'antimatter.'

5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?
It's legible, but it's a bit big.

6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?
http://english.ytmnd.com/

[midnightangel]

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?
My native tongue is English, and no unfortunately I was raised in a one-language household

2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?
Italian but not fluently. My father was in the military and we went to Italy for 3 years, and as it was part of the school curriculum we learned it. However I do READ Italian (via Yahoo Italy) and can understand the basic context that's in the article.

3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?
English--that's really all I know and remember the most

4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?
It's fair to good. I'm always asked to define something at work or spell it. I'm like work's walking dictionary/thesaurus hehehe :P
I use simple words--get's the point across just as well as complex ones *shrugs*

5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?
I have what is known as 'backhand writing'--everything leans to the left. But sometimes when I'm in a hurry I can be pretty sloppy :P

6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?
I won't go shouting "Look--You Made A Grammar or Spelling Error!! OMG You Are Stoopid!!"
I couldn't care less about someone's grammar. As long as the point is there I can understand it I'm fine with it.

[Cheesey]

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?
English, and no, I didn't grow up with that advantage. I would've loved it though. I'm always fascinated when a friend of mine who can speak German speaks to her mother over the phone and switches to English at the drop of a hat once she's off the phone.

2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?
I know scrapings of German... I did it for 4 years at high school, and other than the basics like saying what my name is and how old I am, the only full sentence I can remember is "ich möchte meine Essgewohnheiten erklären" which is a terribly useful phrase translating into "I would like to explain my eating habits" :|

3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?
English given that it's the only one I can speak, but I'd love to be able to speak other languages. It's just the learning process that I have to go through... I get quite impatient.

4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?
I don't think there are any particularly complex words which I use daily. There are words which aren't even very complicated that I've said and people have joked about them being confusing e.g. "pedantic" or "reiterate" :/

5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?
I really like my handwriting. Which sounds really sad, but I think it's good. It's legible anyway, unless you're one of the pedantic (hah) ones who has to nitpick at each separate letter to work out what the word is rather than working out the word by the context that it's used in, annoys me to high heaven when people do that to me, haha.

6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?
I don't really care about the grammar of others to be honest, because I don't think it's really that important a thing to focus on... in day to day life, that is. Like, if you're not struggling to understand what they mean, then imperfect grammar is a pretty minor thing. I don't try to be completely grammatically correct, I don't see why other people should have to as long as they can get their point across...

[kalad1]

1. English

2.I know bits and pieces of German, but no solid foundation.

3.English

4. fairly advanced in comparison to my compatriots, I would believe.

5. My handwriting is atrocious, mostly due to spacing issues and letter size issues when I don't have lines to write in.

6. I don't mind grammar problems unless they make a person sound stupid, and I am a die-hard opponent to Ebonics.

[CuteLassJigglypuff]

1. My native tongue is English. I was not raised in a bilingual household.

2. I know a little Japanese and Spanish.

3. I use English because everyone I know speaks it and I prefer English because I’m more familiar with it.

4. My vocabulary level is about average. I think the most complex word I use is consistent.

5. My handwriting is a little big but it’s neat.

6. I don’t really care about other people’s grammar as long as I can understand what they mean.

[Zak]

I make an effort to hold myself when I think my remarks about grammar are likely to hurt another person's sensitivity. I don't always manage it, but I can stop myself a lot more often than, say, when I was 12. Does that answer the question? In any case, I wouldn't want the word Nazi to be associated with me in any way.

If you mean here, it's not that people get offended when you correct their grammar, they just think it's ridiculous and laughable that you consider grammar a big deal on the internet. I can understand putting your foot down on a bunch of incoherently typing 12-year-olds but in ummmm and on this board is a whole different level.
Also "grammar nazi" is a common modern-day English figure of speech, get over it. And you are one.

(no hard feelings, of course).

Anyway...


1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?

Well, I was born in the states so I would say English, but I do live in a bilingual household because when I was two we moved to Israel for six years, so everyone in my family picked up Hebrew fast and are fluent. My dad was Israeli so there were few times we spoke Hebrew at home, but now we pretty much always speak English.

2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?

World languages? Just English and Hebrew. For those see above. Other "languages" I know include Pig Latin, Ubbi Dubbi, and Al Bhed (lol).

3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?

I use English the most but I was just in Israel for a whole year last year so I kinda got back into using Hebrew as default.

4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?

I don't bother trying to impress people with big words.

5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?

Shitty, only legible to myself.

6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?

I'm mostly lenient, but if you see above the only cases in which I would call someone on it would be if:
-They were an incoherent 12 year old that constantly talked like a prep.
-What they had actually has a funny different meaning than what they meant.
-They were a foriegner that actually said something comical like the kind of stuff you find on Engrish.com.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?

Finnish. In the west coast, there are lots of Finnish-Swedish families, though.

2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?

The foreign languages I have studied, in chronological order:

English
Swedish
German
Japanese
French
Chinese
Russian
Spanish

English - I think here in Finland we start learning it mostly at the age of 9 at school. Of course I learn plenty of words by playing video games, watching movies and TV programs, listening to music, and reading manga in English. And perhaps most importantly, via TPM.

Swedish - I don't know about the latest turns of events, but here in Finland most of us have had 'pakkoruotsi' i.e. oblicatory Swedish. We have to start it mostly at the age of 13. Me too. And then we watch Sailor Moon in Swedish. And Pokémon's Orange Islands League!!

German - I studied this optional language at school for two years, when I was 14-15 years old. Now it has had a renaissance because I listen to German Sailor Moon music.

Japanese - never had this one at school. Learned through books, anime, movies, internet, videogames and manga. Plus I'll have to teach it next week!!!!!

French - On 2001, when I was 16, I entered lukio (somehow equivalent to High School). Began to study this instead of German. I wanted to keep studying German, too, but the headmaster of Haapaveden lukio said I would have too much courses.

Chinese - I became interested in this language when at lukio. It wasn't until 2006 I had a chance to study it at a school named Ylivieskan kansalaisopisto.

Russian - only one course at lukio. Don't remember a thing.

Spanish - started last year at kansalaisopisto.

To summarize, from my best to my worst, like this:

Finnish (my mother tongue, if you didn't read answer 1)
English
Japanese
Swedish
French
Chinese
German
Spanish
Russian

3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?

Finnish and English. I do enjoy speaking other languages, too, so I comment on things sometimes in Japanese, for example.

4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?

I use a lot of fancy words when I speak Finnish but what comes to other languages, I even had to check some words for this post. 'Mielenterveyskuntoutuja' is the most complex word, and don't ask what it's in English!!

5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?

If I don't pay attention all the time, it becomes very obscure.

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3987/img283rz2.jpg

6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?

I'm sometimes angry when people let English affect their Finnish, but come to think of it, I myself let Finnish affect my English.

[Drago]

Consarnit, a poll was here for five days without me noticing? That's not good enough, nosirree...

1. What language is your native tongue, and were you lucky to be raised in a bilingual household?
English. Thoroughly English, and a lot of nothing else.

2. What other languages do you know other than your first language? If you care to explain, when and why did you learn them?
Nothing. I'm not going to lie and list a whole lot of languages that I know random phrases in, if I can't hold a conversation, I can't speak it.
I have to admit though, I'm one of these people who tried to learn Japanese because I'm lame and want to be cool like every other nerd back in late '05, and I was actually doing really well. It was like the only thing I've worked hard on in recent memory, I was using programs, going to council lessons when available, making honest to god flash cards, studying a little booklet when I was out and watching the Japanese news three times a day, and from what I've been told, I knew about as much in three months as most people learnt in a year. It was so hard for me to learn hiragana however, and when I finally had it all down, I was downright frustrated by the idea that I'd have to learn it all over again in katakana (and the less said about kanji, the better). As a result, one day I just stopped. Like that. And today, it's pretty much all gone. Though as I fancy myself as an actor, I remember the phrases themselves (word for word, as required when learning lines), the meanings all gone. I can say 'douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu' fluently, but whatever it means, not a clue.

3. Which language do you use most frequently, and which language do you prefer the most?
English, seeing how it's the only one I know. Though I admit, just to impress people I don't know sometimes I spout out a little bit of French here and there (I know very very little French, but being Canadian people seem to think I should have a comprehensive knowledge of it)

4. What would you think of your vocabulary level? What is probably the most complex word you use on a daily basis?
Remarkable. I make up for knowing only one language by having an incredible comprehension level of the one I've got. I like to make myself appear smarter than I actually am by using big, fancy words. I've been doing this for years, it made writing essays in English a whole lot easier. Complex words? I like using facetious fairly often, if that counts.

5. How's your handwriting? Is it legible, or do you think it's too sloppy?
Fairly bad. When I was first learning it, I was learning the North American style, which happens to be different from what it is in Australia (or at least in the poor education institution I ended up in). As such, it's now a sad-looking amalgamation of both. Not pretty at all.

6. Do you happen to be a Grammar Nazi? Or are you fairly lenient on the grammar of others?
Nah, I don't usually pick apart at grammar. Spelling is fair game, though.

[Austrian ViceMaster Alex]

1. My native tongue is German, Mittelbairisch as it is spoken in Vienna to be precise. I wasn't raised in a bilingual household, both of my parents are from Austria.

2. I know English very well and I speak a few words of French. I learned the basics of English at school, then taught myself at home to get better at it. As for French, I learned it solely at school but since I never used it neither at work nor private I forgot most of it.

3. I use German and English most. I like them both equally.

4. I cannot tell, I leave it to other to judge it.

5. It's somewhat sloppy but you can still read it. I used to have a very clean handwriting but since I have to write very quickly at work it got more sloppy over time.

6. Well, maybe a little bit. I don't tell people how to correctly spell a word but it deep inside it bothers me.