I'm just a language learner, not polyglot or multilingual

If I say "polyglot", most likely people in Malaysia will think it's a Korean pop song, the latest K-pop hit. They'd understand "multilingual" better but I'd avoid this term too. I'd just say "I'm a language learner" or "I'm learning [name(s) of language(s)]" and leave it at that. Otherwise people will have all sorts of high-level expectations as if I'm able to function flawlessly in many languages like an expert. As if I can speak like a native with no accent, no mistakes, on any topic using all the technical terms and idiomatic expressions. Come on, even a native speaker would not be able to speak smoothly on unfamiliar topics, right?

Neither do I like using the word "fluent" because it's so loaded with subjective meanings. Many equate it to high proficiency in everything. I personally think it means being able to speak without pausing too much, that's it. So in my opinion one can be fluent at beginner, elementary, intermediate, advanced levels. But to avoid confusion and subjective definitions, I'd stick to proficiency as a measurement tool. Proficiency is what you can do. A beginner can do less, an expert can do much more.

For me, I'm comfortable claiming English, Bahasa Malaysia, Cantonese and Mandarin as languages I'd put on my CV or résumé. That's because I can maintain conversations in these languages at an intermediate to advanced level. Two of these I can read and write at a high level of proficiency.

English is my main spoken and written language. I've used it in an academic setting up to university level and lived in an English-speaking country for four and a half years. With Bahasa Malaysia I have full working proficiency, having learnt it in eleven years of national school (Sekolah Kebangsaan + Sekolah Menengah) where it's the medium of instruction. For Cantonese, my heritage language, I can hold conversations comfortably on a variety of topics, including abstract and less common ones. However, in Mandarin my range of spoken expression is limited to concrete, straightforward matters.

I prefer the term "main language" because that's what it means. "Mother tongue" or "first language" can be misleading especially in my case. People look at me, see that I'm Chinese and assume my main language must be Mandarin and that I'm able to speak it like a native. No, no, no. Take it easy, man. Assumptions, ass-ump-tions can kill. I'm lost if you speak rapid-fire Mandarin and use all those idioms and alliterations that a high-level speaker would know. I'm just intermediate, for goodness sake. Keep it simple and straightforward.

I've also learnt some other languages to varying extents, such as Hakka, Penang Hokkien, Vietnamese, Thai, Tamil, Japanese, Portugese, Russian and French, but can't maintain a conversation so I wouldn't say I speak them. My mileage varies though, as I'm able to read French and Portuguese to some extent and speak enough Hakka to surprise people for a couple of minutes.

Other languages that I can speak at an elementary level (CEFR A2) are Spanish and German. For German I took a placement test (Einstufungsprüfung) for A2 at the Goethe-Institut Kuala Lumpur, so it validated my estimation of my speaking ability (although I'm sure my reading comprehension is better than A2). I wouldn't put them on my resume until I can speak them at the same level as my Mandarin which I reckon to be at intermediate level (B1 on the CEFR for those who know what the heck it is).

Spanish I haven't spoken for years so it's quite rusty, but can be revived quickly with some practice. I do have problems understanding Spain Spanish because my exposure has been primarily to American Spanish. I'm surprised that I remember so much vocabulary, so I must have done something right when learning the language thirteen years ago.

Yet I can read German and Spanish much better than Mandarin. I understand books and newspapers in German and Spanish, and can speed-read in both. But I read very slowly and struggle with deciphering the language of Chinese newspapers. Any book written in Chinese makes me fall asleep. Give me anything in the Roman alphabet and I'll digest it fast. Give me a non-alphabetic or complex writing system and I'll dump it into the slow cooker.

At the moment I'm learning German at full speed. That's what I'm focusing on now for language learning. Somehow German appeals to me because of the things I can read in it. Their open attitude towards certain matters, their variety of topics, their cultural advancement, and a rich library of content available on the Internet provide strong motivating factors for me to dive into it. The only difficulty I have now is finding real people to talk to, but in the meantime I'm doing intensive listening and transcribing to get used to the spoken language.

I'd like to learn more languages, but there are only 24 hours in a day and I have other things to do as well. So I'm just concentrating on one to bring it up to at least an upper intermediate level. Once I reach that point, I'll start learning another one. The rest are on maintenance or storage mode.

Lyrics & Translation: Đừng Xa Em Đêm Nay by Thảo My

This Vietnamese song was quite popular around the year 2000. It brings back quite a number of memories for me. Here are the lyrics and English translation for your karaoke pleasure.

Music Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1HXVjozmqg

Lyrics Source:
http://www.vmdb.com/viewSong.jsp?id=4272

Translation Source:
http://anonymouswish.xanga.com/200152727/item/

Song Title: Đừng Xa Em Đêm Nay (Don't Leave Me Tonight)
Artiste: Thảo My
Written by: Đức Huy

Lyrics & English Translation:

Đừng xa em đêm nay khi bóng trăng qua hàng cây
Don’t leave me tonight when the moon passes the trees
Đừng xa em đêm nay đêm rất dài
Don’t leave me tonight, night’s too long
Vòng tay em cô đơn đêm khuya vắng nghe buồn hơn
In my lonely arms, night is dark and forlorn
Còn tim em khát khao yêu thương.
My heart thirsts for your love

Đừng xa em đêm nay hãy nói anh sẽ ở đây
Don’t leave me tonight, please say that you will stay
Đừng để em một mình nơi chốn này
Don’t leave me alone in this place
Hãy ôm em trong tay cho em biết anh cần em
Hold me in your arms so I know you need me
Và hãy nói anh vẫn yêu em.
Say, you always love me!

ĐK
Repeat

Giọt nước mắt nào đổ trong bóng tối
A tear drop falls into darkness
Khi nằm lắng nghe tiếng đêm, lắng nghe tiếng đêm
When I lay, listen to darkness, listen in darkness
Nghe nhịp đập con tim ru em giấc ngủ yên.
Hear the beats of my heart lull me my good sleep
Đời em vắng lạnh và anh đã đến như ngọn nến
My life is empty, you came as candles
Trong bóng đêm, nến trong bóng đêm soi vào tim
In darkness, candles in darkness brighten up my heart
Nghe xao xuyến đã ngủ quên.
Bitterness fell asleep

Đừng xa em đêm nay khu phố quen đã ngủ say
Don’t leave me tonight, my street is asleep
Đừng xa em đêm nay đêm rất dài
Don’t leave me tonight, night’s too long
Hãy yêu em đêm nay cho quên hết đi ngày mai
Please love me tonight, to forget tomorrow
Đừng xa em, đừng xa em đêm nay.
Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me tonight.