Introduction Speech in German, Serbian, and English

Eine Rede: Joe stellt sich vor.
Govor: Jovo se predstavlja
A speech: Joe introduces himself.

Hallo, guten Abend. Ich heiße Joe und heute möchte ich mich dir vorstellen, um Deutsch zu üben. Also, ich erzähle dir etwas über mich.
Ćao, dobro veče. Ja sam Jovo i želim danas da ti predstavim kako bih mogao da vežbam srpski dakle, ispričaću ti nešto o sebi.
Hello, good evening. My name is Joe and today I'd like to introduce myself to you in order to practise English. So, I'll tell you something about myself.


Was machst du von Beruf?
Šta je tvoj posao?
What do you do for a living?

Von Beruf bin ich Sprachlehrer. Seit 2018 unterrichte ich Deutsch als Fremdsprache für die Schüler im Programm "A-Level German" bei INTEC Education College in Shah Alam. Diese Schüler lernen Deutsch, weil sie in Deutschland studieren wollen.
Imam posao kao nastavnik jezika. Od 2018. predajem učenicima nemački kao strani jezik na koledžu INTEC u Šah Alamu. Učenici uče nemački jezik jer žele da studiraju u Nemačkoj.
I'm a language teacher by profession. Since 2018 I've been teaching German as a foreign language for the students in the A-Level German programme at INTEC Education College in Shah Alam. These students learn German because they want to study in Germany.


Warum unterrichtest du Deutsch?
Zašto predaješ nemački jezik?
Why do you teach German?

Warum unterrichte ich Deutsch? Kurz gesagt, es macht mir viel Spaß, jemandem eine Sprache beizubringen.
Zašto predajem nemački jezik? Ukratko, to mi je jako zabavno, naučiti nekoga jeziku.
Why do I teach German? In short, it gives me great pleasure to teach someone a language.


Wie findest du das Sprachenlernen?
Šta misliš o učenju jezika?
How do you find the language learning process?

Viele Menschen finden, dass das Sprachenlernen eine schwierige Aufgabe ist. Aber das sehe ich ganz anders. Mit den richtigen Lernmethoden und Hilfe von einem guten Coach kann man den Lernprozess einfacher machen. Ich lerne gern Fremdsprache, weil es Vorteile gibt, eine andere Sprache zu beherrschen. Wir können unseren Horizont erweitern und die Einheimischen in ihrem Heimatland besser kennenlernen.
Puno ljudi misli da je učenje jezika teško. Ali ja to vidim drugačije. Sa ispravnim metodama učenja i pomoću dobrog trenera, može se olakšati proces učenja. Volim da učim strani jezik, jer postoje prednosti kada neko zna strani jezik. Možemo da proširimo naš horizont i bolje upoznajemo domaće stanovnike u njihovoj domovini.
A lot of people think that (the process of) language learning is a difficult task. But I see it differently. With the right learning methods and the help of a good coach, one can make the learning process easier. I enjoy learning a foreign language because there are advantages to mastering another language. We can expand our horizons and get to know the locals in their home country better.


Wo wohnst du? Wie findest du deinen Wohnort?
Gde živiš? Šta misliš o tvom mestu stanovanja?
Where do you live? What do you think of your place of residence?

Ich wohne in einer Wohnung in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, aber früher habe ich in Taman Midah in Cheras gewohnt. Taman Tun Dr Ismail befindet sich an der Grenze zwischen Kuala Lumpur und Petaling Jaya. Ich finde es toll, hier zu wohnen, weil es sicher und ruhig ist. Außerdem gibt es viele Einkaufsmöglichkeiten im Einkaufszentrum 1 Utama und eine gute Auswahl von Geschäften in der Nähe.
Živim u stanu u Taman Tun Dr Ismailu, ali ranije sam živeo u Taman Midahu u Cherasu. Taman Tun Dr Ismail nalazi se na granici između Kuala Lumpura i Petaling Jaye. Mislim da je sjajno živeti ovde, jer je sigurno i tiho. Takođe postoji mnogo mogućnosti za kupovinu u tržnom centru 1 Utama i dobar izbor prodavnica u blizini.
I live in an apartment in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, but I used to live in Taman Midah in Cheras. Taman Tun Dr Ismail is located at the border between Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. I think it's great to live here because it's safe and quiet. There are also many shopping opportunities in 1 Utama Shopping Centre and a good selection of shops nearby.


Welche Sprachen sprichst du?
Koje jezike govoriš?
Which languages do you speak?

Meine Hauptsprache ist Englisch. Das spreche ich am meisten mit Familienmitgliedern, Freunden, Bekannten und Kollegen. Natürlich spreche ich Deutsch mit den Schülern, die ich unterrichte und mit meinem Kollegen, der Deutsch unterrichtet. An der Grundschule und der Sekundarschule habe ich Malaiisch gelernt, aber ich spreche das nicht so oft, außer wenn ich mit Beamten spreche oder bei Behörden bin.
Moj glavni jezik je engleski. Govorim engleski većinom sa porodicom, prijateljima, poznanicima i kolegama. Naravno da govorim nemački sa učenicima koje predajem i sa mojim kolegom koji predaje nemački. U osnovnoj i srednjoj školi naučio sam malajski, ali ne govorim ovaj jezik tako često, osim kada razgovaram sa vladinim zvaničnicima ili kada sam u vladinoj kancelariji.
My main language is English. I speak it mostly with family members, friends, acquaintances and colleagues. Of course I speak German with the students whom I teach and with my colleague who teaches German. In primary and secondary school I learnt Malay but I don't speak it so often except when I'm talking to government officials or when I'm at the authorities.

Mit meinen Eltern spreche ich ziemlich oft Kantonesisch und das spreche ich auch mit Fremden von chinesischer Abstammung, die kein Englisch sprechen. Ja, Kantonesisch ist meine Familiensprache, aber mit meinem Bruder spreche ich öfter Englisch. Mandarin verstehe ich nur ein bisschen.
Sa mojim roditeljima govorim kantoneski veoma često i govorim ovaj jezik sa nepoznatim ljudima kineskog porekla, koje ne govore engleski / koje nisu govornici engleskog jezika. Da, kantoneski je moj porodični jezik, ali pričam češće engleski sa mojim bratom. Razumem samo malo mandarinski.
With my parents I speak Cantonese quite often and I also speak it with strangers of Chinese descent who speak no English. Yes, Cantonese is my family language but with my brother I speak English more often. I understand only a little Mandarin.

In den vergangenen 20 Jahren habe ich mehrere Sprachen gelernt, zum Beispiel Tamil, Russisch, Portugiesisch, Vietnamesisch, Thai, Französisch, Spanisch, Hokkien, Hakka und Japanisch, trotzdem kann ich kein Gespräch auf diese Sprachen führen. Vielleicht könnte ich noch Spanisch, wenn man langsam spricht.
U poslednjih 20 godina naučio sam nekoliko jezika, na primer tamil, ruski, portugalski, vijetnamski, tajlandski, francuski, španski, hokkien, hakka i  japanski. Međutim, ne mogu da razgovaram na ovim jezicima. Možda mogu da razgovaram na španskom, kada neko govori polako.
In the past 20 years I've learnt several languages, for example Tamil, Russian, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Thai, French, Spanish, Hokkien, Hakka and Japanese. However I can't carry a conversation in these languages. Perhaps I could still do Spanish if one speaks slowly. 


Was machst du, wenn die Ausgangsbeschränkungen wegen Coronavirus endlich vorbei sind?
Šta ćeš da radiš kada bude kraj ograničenju kretanja zbog korona virusa?
What are you going to do when the movement restrictions due to Coronavirus are finally over? 

Ich werde eine Reise nach Terengganu machen. Ich wünsche mir, noch einmal an den Strand zu gehen und im Meer schwimmen.
Ja ću idi na odmor u Terengganu. Želim da odem na plažu i plivam u moru.
I'll make a trip to Terengganu. I wish to go to the beach and swim in the sea again.


Das war es von mir. Ich danke dir für deine Aufmerksamkeit. Hast du Fragen für mich? Wenn du Fragen hast, beantworte ich sie gern.
To je sve bilo od mene. Zahvaljujem na pažnji / Hvala ti na pažnji. Imaš li pitanja za mene? Ako imaš pitanja, rado ću odgovoriti.
That was it from me. I thank you for your attention. Do you have questions for me? If you have questions, I'll gladly answer them.

Lost in Papua: Excerpt Transcript in Indonesian, English, German, and Mandarin

I'm practicing my listening comprehension and translation skills by transcribing dialogue from movies or video clips. Here's a two-minute section from the Indonesian movie "Lost in Papua". Dialogue in Indonesian without subtitles. First I transcribed the dialogue and then translated it into English, German, and Mandarin. 

=====

Lost in Papua

[around 34:00]

Papuan man:

Apa benar kalian akan pergi ke sana?

[Is it true that all of you are going there?]

{Ist es wahr, dass ihr dort fahren werdet?}

你們要去那裡，真的嗎？

Ebie:

Betul, bapa. Saya sendiri yang akan dampingi Nadia, Meri dan Zabo untuk pergi ke hutan itu.

[Yes, "father". I myself will accompany Nadia, Meri and Zabo to go to the jungle.]

{Ja, "Vater". Ich werde Nadia, Meri und Zabo in den Dschungel begleiten.}

對，叔叔。我會陪 Nadia, Meri 和 Zabo 進去森林。

Papuan man:

Saya mengajari kamu tentang etnografi Papua. Juga tentang bahasa dari suku-suku yang ada di pedalaman sana. Tetapi itu tidak berarti bahawa saya juga, yang menyuruh kamu harus pergi ke sana.

[I taught you about Papuan ethnography. Also about the languages of the tribes that exist in the interior. But that doesn't mean that I, am saying that you have to go there.]

{Ich habe dich die Papua-Ethnographie beigebracht. Gleichfalls über die Sprachen der Stämme, dass im Innern wohnen. Aber dann sage ich nicht, dass du dort fahren musst.}

我教過你 Papua 的民族志。還有住在內部的民族語言。但是我沒有說你須要去那裡。

Ebie:

Saya tahu itu, bapa. Tapi sekarang saya sudah cukup dewasa. Saya bertanggungjawab terhadap satu keluarga. Dan kali ini, saya sudah putuskan bahawa saya harus pergi ke sana untuk cari tahu khabar tentang saya punya "Omjohn". Apa lagi sekarang Meri juga ingin pergi ke sana. Saya tidak mungkin biarkan Meri pergi sendiri.

[I know that, "father". But now I'm already an adult. I'm responsible for a family. And this time, I've decided that I must go there to find out news about my "Omjohn". What more now Meri also wants to go there. I can't possibly let Meri go alone.]

{Es weiß ich, "Vater". Aber jetzt bin ich genug erwachsen. Ich bin für eine Familie verantwortlich. Und diesmal habe ich entschieden, dass ich dort fahren muss. Weil ich die Nachrichten über mein "Omjohn" herausfinden will. Außerdem Meri auch dort hinfahren will. Ich kann nicht sie alleine fahren lassen.}

叔叔，我知道。不過現在我夠大了。我對家庭有責任。這一次，我決定要去那裡找我的 Omjohn 的消息。還有 Meri 也要去。我不甘心給她自己去。

Papuan man:

Di dalam hutan Boven Digul itu masih ada mitos. Ada perkampungan yang seluruh penghuninya itu terdiri daripada kaum perempuan. Dan sampai saat ini tidak seorang pun yang pernah lihat mereka. Seperti apa aktivitas hidup mereka, tidak ada yang pernah tahu. Tapi yang pasti, bahawa mereka itu masih hidup sangat primtif. Jadi kalian harus hati-hati apabila kalian pergi ke sana dan bertemu dengan mereka. Sebab, saya tidak tahu apa yang akan terjadi. Sebaiknya kalian tinggal di perkampungan suku Korowai. Kerana di sana kalian akan lebih aman daripada kalian harus hidup di hutan yang masih liar dan misteri ini. Saya pun tidak tahu apa yang akan terjadi. [Pauses, shakes head, stands up and leaves.]

 

[In the Boven Digul jungle there are still myths. There are villages where all the inhabitants are women. And until now (until this second in time) nobody has ever seen them. Such as what their life activities are, nobody has ever known. But for sure, they still live a very primitive life. So all of you must be very careful when you go there and meet them. Because, I don't know what will happen. Best if you stay at the Korowai tribal village. Because there you will be safer (more peaceful) than if you have to live in the wild and mysterious forest. I also don't know what's going to happen.]

{Im Dschungel von Boven Digul gibt es noch Mythos. Es gibt Dörfer, wo alle Einwohner weiblich sind. Niemand hat bisher schon mal gesehen. Zum Beispiel, was sind ihre Lebensaktivitäten, niemand weiß. Aber sicher leben sie immer noch ein sehr primitives Leben. Also müsst ihr vorsichtig sein, wenn ihr dort fahrt, und mit ihnen trifft. Weil ich weiß nicht, was passieren wird. Am besten bleibt ihr im Dorf von die Korowai-Stamm. Weil dort ihr mehr sicher seid als im wilden und geheimnisvollen Dschungel wohnen. Ich weiß nicht, was passieren wird.}

在 Boven Digul 森林還有神話。有鄉村，居民全部是女性。到現在沒有人看過她們。不過好限定，她們的生活還是很落後。所以你們去那裡認識她們一定要很小心。因為我不知道什麼會發生。最好你們住在 Korowai 族的鄉村。因為哪裡你們會比較安全過住在野蠻和秘密的森林。我不知道什麼會發生。 

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.