My languages

My native language is English and my default variety is more or less RP (Received Pronunciation), which tends to take on at least some of the characteristics of the accent of whoever I’m talking to.

I studied French and German at secondary school for seven and six years respectively. My French improved a lot during the three months I spent working in France after finishing school, and on other visits to the country. Visits to Germany and Austria have helped my German, though the longest I’ve spent in a German-speaking country is only four weeks.

My first degree was in Chinese and Japanese, and I spent four months in Taiwan, four in Japan and two in China and two in Hong Kong during my second year. After graduating I studied and worked in Taiwan for five years.

I’ve spent a total six weeks studying Irish in Ireland and three weeks studying Welsh in Wales, and since July 2008 I’ve been living in Bangor in Wales.

I can speak French, Mandarin, Welsh and Irish more or less fluently, and can have a least a basic conversation in German, Spanish, Japanese, Scottish Gaelic, Manx, Czech, Taiwanese, Cantonese and British Sign Language. I can understand and read quite a bit of Italian and Portuguese, and can read most other Romance languages, at least to some extent.

As well as the languages already mentioned, I’ve also dabbled with Arabic, Esperanto, Hungarian, Icelandic, Korean, Latin, Russian, Turkish and Urdu

Current language use

Apart from English, the languages I have most exposure to at the moment are Welsh, French, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx and Mandarin. I speak Welsh as often as possible, especially at Criw Bangor, the Welsh learners choir, speak French at a conversation group once a week, and speak Mandarin whenever the chance arises.

I wake up to Radio Cymru, and have it playing while preparing meals and washing up, I listen to Radio Nan Gàidheal in the mornings, and to Raidió na Gaeltachta in the afternoons. Sometimes I also listen radio in Manx and French.

I’m reading novels in Welsh, Irish, Manx and Scottish Gaelic, as well as in English, write a blog, Rywsut-rywmodd, in Manx, Welsh and Irish, and often talk to myself in various languages.

Language goals

Ultimately I’d love to be fluent in all the languages I’ve studied or dabbled with, and in many others. I recognise that this is perhaps overly ambitious so am concentrating mainly on Welsh, Irish, Manx, Scottish Gaelic, French and Mandarin. I’d also like to improve my German, Japanese, Spanish, Czech and British Sign Language.

Wish list

Other languages I might get round to learning one of these days:

Basque, Breton, Cornish, Greek, Hawaiian, Norwegian, Swahili