learning a language, anyone?

Has anyone learned a language to fluency later in life?
I'm talking to the point where they can successfully communicate with native speakers without sounding tourist-y?
If so- how exactly did you accomplish it?
I'm attempting to learn Spanish and boy is it ever rough!
I'm 1/4 spanish and the verbs are terrifying to say the least.

I'll stick with English .

I'm laerning Chinese and Japanese i dont think im learning anything else......lolz

I can speak French semi-fluently

Im learning Spanish.

I am in America, and will continue to speak English, and ignore people trying to talk to me in other languages.

i always wanted to learn japanese, i can speak spanglish fluently hey meng, que pasa? cigaretto please amigo? gracias. ah i'd also really love to learn norweigen as well

Aron: I'm there with you on that one too- I just think I like studying different things for no actual reason...lol

Takoyaki: Chinese and Japanese when spoken are so terribly gorgeous. I like the intonation. I must describe it a very gracious language...thats so wonderful. What made you decide to learn them & what methods are you using?

Niamh: French (like Chinese, Japanese, & German *to me*) can sound so beautifully confusing....in a very good, good way....we're you a high school language taker like I was? Its sad the amount of retention available after taking high school classes. I can't honestly say I remember much Spanish (when I took it in high school). I can definitely read and understand better.

Haggard: ouch....i'm all about america- shoot most of my family are servicemen/women so i'm there with you on that one....I think its just because i'm so into the English language I think that when you learn a language it can do nothing but expand and reinforce a deeper appreciation for English....I must say I was even a bit peeved when lawmakers and petitioners were trying to push to make Spanish one of the official U.S. languages if i'm not mistaken. Didn't make much sense to me- there were many arguing English isn't a real language so to speak....yikes.

Hahahahaha! thats adorable! I'm fluent in Plaza Sesamo Espanol......Uno, Dos, Tres- Rojo, Amarillo, Azul....lol. Dude- you said Meng....hahahahaha ahhh fond memories of Scarface....My teacher said I EXCELLED at Spanglish....she loved and hated me so much. Think you might start making that a resolution for next year [learning Japanese]?

Man You like to type a lot!!!
I can speak Arabic really good and I am learning how to speak German!

lol I KNOW RIGHT?
I can't help it....its just something that I do.....& its only gotten worse with age...
Really? Ohhh we should be language buddies....I'd love to learn Arabic and i'm looking to learn German, Italian, & Brazilian Portuguese!

I also wanna learn Arabic!!!! I also like Mandirin SPELLING??

I can speak fluent Chinese.

I like Mandarin too... funny, right after I left my primary school, they started teaching Mandarin to Kindergarteners....
how lame is that? I could've been fluent!!! I'M SO PISSED!

hey they just wanna encourage kids too learn another language don't get mad

good point! I think i'm still slightly annoyed they didn't do it sooner <sigh>
fluency is such a wonderful thing.
i'm so disappointed about that much. I wish they gave my class the opportunity but hopefully I can make up for it now so i'm not so upset! Its definitely a good chance for all of us!

Spanish class sucks! DX it's confusing! i wish my school offered a japanese class so i could take that instead of spanish. =.= i currently have a D in spanish2.

lol I thought so except my teacher was hysterical "in that Telemundo spanish channel way"
she reminded me of my grandpa and 9 aunts and uncles....lol
its very confusing when you get into past, present, future tenses- it was my worst nightmare but I have the pronunciation down....
My school offered Japanese after a while (once I was about to graduate)....they were even pushing to get Hindi as an instructed language course.
lol....Inuzu- let me know if you need any help....I've pretty much been there and back with the basics! Feel free!!

Mi abuela es Espanoles. Habla un poquito.

Nihon ga suki Demo nihongo ga yoku wakarimasen

My mother forced Spanish on me as a child so I could understand more of what my grandmother was saying. I learned lots of Spanish swear words from her since she can't say my father's name without adding 'jackass' or 'pinche cabron' (which ironically means 'little bastard').

I want to learn Japanese. Could anyone recomend me to a site for teaching or just someone who can speak it?

i know spanish (took spanish 3 last year, so anyone need help i'm here)
but i wanna learn german and japanese

Sinatra: Seee you aren't bad at Spanish at all! lol- oh thats kinda annoying to have it forced but kind of really cool. I find that a lot with mixed families they are taught to communicate by their parents with the elders. I think its very awesome. I never saw my Grandpa much so it wasn't something that I was ale to do. lol swear words....i'll tell you I hadn't lived until I learned what coño meant! HAHAHAHA! A word for the ages....with so many vulgar meanings...your family is amazing in the greatest way. Seriously. lol, we should totally talk more sometime!

Haji10: I think that would definitely be helpful if we catalog some websites or ways to help reinforce the language that could be useful to everyone! Add them on as you find them and i'll do the same!

Nadalii: Ohhh yes I got up to Spanish 3 too... then my teacher told me if I ever took it again she'd fail me....
Damn- that was so harsh....lol...seriously!
I'll definitely be attacking you for help!
Oh- and if you find a way with German, I certainly want to get on board too (another language I want to learn) so certainly contact me!

hmmm i dont know, i may learn japanese, but i think i'd rather learn norweigen first..

well supossedly I know english hahaha but spanish is my native language =P and Im takin a french class although I dont really like it that much haha

a bueno y por si las dudas si si hablo español hahaha

I really hate people who just assume that their language is spoken when they're on holiday in a foreign country, no matter if it's Germans speaking naught but German in a restaurant in Prague and complaining because the waiter doesn't understand them or people just speaking English everywhere.

I speak English and German without sounding tourist-y, but that's because they're native to me :-P
My French is okay, but I can't judge how touristy I sound...

I assume learning a foreign language isn't compulsory in the US ? I think it is in all of Europe (French in Britain, English everywhere else — except maybe German in some former eastern bloc countries close to Germany...
IMHO, learning a foreign language along with some national culture should be compulsary in secondary education everywhere.

well im being forced to learn Spanish by the board of education damn school!

Show's how much you know there bud.

There is no such thing as a foreign language in America... THERE IS NO NATIONAL LANGUAGE.

And yes, I'm completely for making English (or rather American) as the national language.

all in favor say "I"

I say "I"