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 be fluent in the first three and marginally conversant in the next three or four. Below are a few reference links that I hope you may find useful. DLI is the U.S. Defense Deparment's suberb foreign language training center in Monterey, California, and their Web links, while primarily intended for their students, are also accessible by the general public. Other Links for Specific languages: English - This is my native language. resources: Cambridge Online Dictionary Meriiam-Webster Online Dictionary & Thesaurus Detect Language and Translate to English, using Google's Online Translator French - I grew up learning the language at home from my father, who spoke French fuently. I earned a Bachelor's Degree in French in 1979, and a Defense Department French Linguist certificationin 1974. I served as an interpreter for a trade delegation to Oklahoma from the nation of Senegal,in 1970 and 1971, and then used it in a military community liaison role with French soldiers stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany. I correspond routinely with native French speakers in France and in Québec. It is one of the languages besides English for which I would claim fluency. As of 2016, I have been to France in 11 different years, including a month-long stay with a French family in 1973. resources: Google's English to French Translation tool WordReference's Online English-French Dictionary & Conjugator tool Learning Canadian French ARTFL French Language online tools German - I minored in German in college, and received a Defense Department German Linguist certification in 1974, followed eight months of accelerated (beyond the normal DLI pace and scope) studies at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. DLI now grants an official Associates Degree for that training. I was stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany for a bit over two years and used the language professionally, on a daily basis. I was cleared by the German Court system as sufficiently fluent to serve as a witness in a local trial, taking questions and answering in German. Upon my return from Germany, I tested out of over twenty credit hours of German language, including Advanced German Conversation. At one time, I was told by the German Kriminal Polizei that I could pass as a German native. In addition to my 2+ years in Kaiserslautern, I have made five other,separate trips into Germany.as well as three trips to Austria, and four trips into German-speaking areas of Switzerland. I can still comprehend, read and converse fairly fluently, but have lost much of my former proficiency, due to a near absolute lack of use, here in Oklahoma. resources: Google's English to German Translation tool WordReference's Online English-German Dictionary & Conjugator tool Portuguese - I studied Portuguese language tapes for three months before attending a Berlitz Portuguese course in Miami, followed by 5 weeks in Brazil, in 1993. While in Brazil I served as the team leader and primary interpreter for a 5-person Rotary International Group Study Exchange, as we visited the University of Belem, various ecology organizations, businesses, and local Rotary Clubs. For a few years later, I used the language in conjunction with the role of International Youth Exchange within my local 39-city Rotary District, communicating with Brazilian Rotarians and students. I am still able to comprehend much of what is said to me in Portuguese and to converse at a very basic level, but would no longer go so far as to claim any degree of fluency or even semi-fluency. resources: Google's English to Portuguese Translation tool WordReference's Online English-Portuguese Dictionary & Conjugator tool Italian - I took the first two semesters of Italian in college as electives, and have visited Italy seven separate times, including one stay of two months in Florence. I can converse slightly and comprehend and read a bit more, due to the similar Latin roots as French, Portuguese and Spanish. resources: Google's English to Italian Translation tool WordReference's Online English-Italian Dictionary & Conjugator tool Spanish - I have never formally studied Spanish, but have acquired a substantial vocabulary and basic conversation ability, due to over 20 vacations trips to Mexico, a large Hispanic presence in Oklahoma and some previous use in my past role with Rotary�s Youth Exchange program. I have visited Spain on four different trips, Peru once, and several Central American and Caribbean destinations, where I have used Spanish to some extent, such as Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Belize, and Honduras. resources: Google's English to Spanish Translation tool WordReference's Online English-Spanish Dictionary & Conjugator tool Romanian - I studied Romanian for 90 days in a row before my 2022 trip that country. I used both the Duolingo and Mondly apps on my iPad, and found other sources for both vocabulary pronunciation and situation-specific dialogue, on various internet sites. Because it is in the same Latin family as French, Spanish and Portuguese, and shares a lot of vocabulary or very similar words, syntax and garmmar with one or another of the Latin languages, I found it to be probably the easiest language I have ever studied. Although languages studied and learned and used for such avery short period of time tend to be forgotten in a likewise accelerated manner, I was able to communicate relatively well during my stay in Romania. resources: Reverso English/Romania Translation Google's English to Romanian Translation tool Transylvania hotel Basic Words fro Travelers in Romania RomanianPod101.com Swahili - I studied two different basic Swahili conversation courses on tape for several months before visiting Kenya in 1992 and was able to exchange pleasantries, ask basic questions, and hold very basic conversations about my work, family, where I was from, how I had learned Swahili, names of animals, etc, with some of the Samburu, Kikuyu, and Masaii peoples we met during the trip. I have used it very rarely since that time, but still retain the ability to exchange greetings, basic pleasantries, identify certain animals, etc., although that would largely be extent of my remnant abilities in this language. resources: Google's English to Swahili Translation tool Useful Swahili words and phrase Swahili language and Culture Internet Living Swahili Dictionary Russian - I took second semester Russian in college (I was able to test out of first semester) as an elective, during graduate school. I can sound out written Russian with difficulty, but retain only the barest basic phrases and greetings, etc. I visited Russia once, in 1976, on a bus tour of Moscow and Leningrad, during the period known as Détente. resources: Google's English to Russian Translation tool WordReference's Online English-Russian Dictionary & Conjugator tool Russian Alphabet Russian Alphabet & Language Helper site Latin - I was an altar boy at a Catholic parish when I was about ages 9 through 11, and had to memorize several Latin passages for use in the church service\Mass, because it was still being conducted in Latin at that time. Together with my studies of several other Latin languages, I am therefore able to make some sense and successfully guess at the meaning of a fair amount of written Latin. resources: Google's English to Latin Translation tool Travlang Online English-Latin Dictionary Alphabetical Latin Vocabulary List Latin Phrases used in English Latin Quotes Greek - I studied phrases and vocabulary for use during several trips to Greece, but make no claim to any ability beyond those phrases, plus a general knowledge of the Greek alphabet. resources: Google's English to Greek Translation tool WordReference's Online English-Greek Dictionary & Conjugator tool Greek Alphabet Another Greek Alphabet site Useful Greek Phrases (with sound) Chinese - I studied (by book and tapes) some basic phrases, numbers, and vocabulary for a trip to China in 2002. Sometimes, I am still able to make use of those phrases and am understood; other times I receive blank, uncomprehending looks. I cannot read or write in Chinese, at all. resources: Google's English to Chinese Translation tool WordReference's Online English-Chinese Dictionary Japanese - I have studied some basis phrases and vocabulary from phrasebooks and tapes, but probably retain only slightly more than those phrases and words known to many, via popular culture, books and films. I have never been to Japan, and I cannot read or write in Japanese. resources: Google's English to Japanese Translation tool WordReference's Online English-Japanese Dictionary Quechua = In 2000, I published a novel, entitled Gold in the Shadow, which contains aprroximately 200 phrases in Quechua, the language spoken within the Inca empire, and still used among millions of native Quechua peoples of the Andes, in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Columbia and Argentina. Almost all of the Quechua in my novel was supplied or vetted by native speaker, Serafin Coronel-Molina. In the course of learning and incorporating those phrases into my novel, I picked up and retained a very limited number of Quechua words and phrases. resources: Internet Quechua Lessons Omniglot Quechua page Online Quechua Lessons & Vocabulary Arabic - I acquired a few phrases for use during past trips to Egypt and Morocco, but am not at all conversant. I ooccasionally recognize a word or phrase, and that's about it. resources: Google's English to Arabic Translation tool WordReference's Online English-Arabic Dictionary Aramaic - I can say the Lord's Prayer in Syriac Aramic, and know what each phrase and word means, even, to an extent, in the broader sense which is inherent in Aramaic words and language, and recognize a very few other Aramaic words, but am not at all conversant in this ancient language, nor can I read Aramaic characters. Note: the Google Translators refererenced above are fairly useful as a starting point, but can still produce erroneous, awkward and non-idiomatic translations. They are a helpful quick-reference aid, nonetheless Back to Michael Marcotte's HomePage |
