be functionally-illiterate in a few languages

during the past couple of weeks, and actually managed to communicate a little bit. Thanks Dora the Explorer!

due to one of Marmotry’s posts. Maybe next week I will become florid in another language, or flouncy in another language.

My goal when studying those languages was to be able to read various works of literature in their original languages – Borges (I think, maybe Goethe) had me all fired up with his line ‘reading a translation is like examining the back of a tapestry’. Unfortunately I only reached the point where I could read for content – I have never had the joy of reading a beautiful sentence in German or French like I do in English.

But while I was in Japan being able to speak about three words, understand almost twice as many, as read signs was sufficient, so I think I am going to define success as reaching the level of a functional illiterate in a few languages.

French and German formally and got to the point where I could read in them ok and write very simple prose (I butcher them when I speak, but do that with English too). I also tried a class in conversational Greek and found that I do not learn that way – I need the grammar. But I am much to self conscious to actually use the languages beyond greetings and thank-yous while travelling.

I have just had two people in Zurich added to my team at work, so more more excuses – I will speak in fractured German.