I once could get along well in French, Spanish, and Japanese, and I picked up accents everywhere I lived in the U.S. Most of my language ability has been lost as I cannot hear very well anymore, and lack of use has made even the reading and writing very rusty.
It's been eighteen years since I've lived in the Spanish-speaking Rio Grande Valley of Texas, and I have lost most of the little bit of Spanish that I had learned. There were a couple of people from Mexico in the laundromat here in town, I think one of the logging companies had hired them to do some planting. I thought they might like to hear from someone who could speak Spanish, then I realized that I couldn't, really.
@Don Alaska Personally, I feel your background deserves my own personal request to learn more about it. If that's not too intrusive. BTW, welcome to our fray! Frank
I don't know what you want to know. Ask if you have specific questions. I currently live in Alaska and have since 1989, but I have lived in a number of different places. Married almost 41 years so far and raised 6 children.
I don't know about you folks but I have some difficulty just stumbling through english. I guess I don't pick up on accents quickly either I've lived in the south for close to twenty years, and almost every day some one says " you aren't from around here are ya ".
I left the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1971, yet more than one person has guessed that I was from the UP, even after having lived in Iowa, California, Texas, North Carolina, and Maine for the past forty-seven years.
@Chris Ladewig When I left Illinois for good and moved to Nevada, everyone I got to know claimed I must be from Wisconsin! Close, but why they thought so, I never knew. Everyone in Southern Nevada back then was "from somewhere else". Frank
English and enough conversational Spanish to get me by in Barcelona or Tijuana. Adios, mis Amigos! Hal
English and Cockney. Love it when I'm in Los Vegas when talk cockney about Faggots and Black pudding.