"Non-English speaking" or "English as a second language" programmers

[Martin_fr]

Btw, if the measure for speaking a language is that you can answer to most statements/questions with which you may be confronted, then I may be able to quickly learn a lot of languages. All it needs is "Sorry, I don't understand".

[Zvoni]

And the opposite? All but 2 or 3 missing?

Weeeeelllll, it depends on your standpoint, and what you need that language for.

If, say, the only thing i‘m interested in is to shag american girls, i could argue, that the only english word i know is „F***“ it would constitute me being „fluent“ in English 

As Einstein said: everything is relative

[TRon]

Btw, if the measure for speaking a language is that you can answer to most statements/questions with which you may be confronted, then I may be able to quickly learn a lot of languages. All it needs is "Sorry, I don't understand".

True but imho the main issue is, at least I find it frustrating, is that sometimes there is some more profound discussion on a certain topic and would like to contribute my thoughts.

Though due to lack of skills and lack of words it is not very encouraging to participate in such a discussion. Especially not when the discussion is (to say the least) a bit heated and things like finesse such as reading between the lines, witty remarks and such are going passed me.

Especially true it seems like native speakers are the only one participating in he discussion. It is not a good incentive to try and brush up my skills (but that is probably just me).

But I digress... usually I tend to get along well enough

[Thaddy]

And the opposite? All but 2 or 3 missing?

If, say, the only thing i‘m interested in is to shag american girls, i could argue, that the only english word i know is „F***“ it would constitute me being „fluent“ in English 

No that is a referral to a T-shirt in the Nothing Hill movie.
Culture...
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soV3lwzZeYU

Side note: this was filmed at Portobello road in the original Portobello Gold hotel.
I have stayed there in the 90's, before the film (not movie!) was shot.
After the film was released, I tried to book it again in the 2020's but that has proven neigh impossible. It is my wife's favourite film. And Spike her favourite character.

Still one place to be in London, Nothing Hill.

[marcov]

Btw, if the measure for speaking a language is that you can answer to most statements/questions with which you may be confronted, then I may be able to quickly learn a lot of languages. All it needs is "Sorry, I don't understand".

If you qualify that as an answer, that is.

[440bx]

Define what counts as "speaking a language"?

Easy.  You speak a language reasonably well, almost fluent, when you  can listen to a week's worth of news (e.g, the nightly news... 30 minute program), know every word used and fully and _effortlessly_ understand everything that was said. 

I say "almost fluent" because news rarely include many idioms and word play which is, IMO, a necessary condition to claim fluency.

[Martin_fr]

Btw, if the measure for speaking a language is that you can answer to most statements/questions with which you may be confronted, then I may be able to quickly learn a lot of languages. All it needs is "Sorry, I don't understand".

If you qualify that as an answer, that is.

Sorry, I don't understand

[Thaddy]

I say "almost fluent" because news rarely include many idioms and word play which is, IMO, a necessary condition to claim fluency.

Indeed.

[Thaddy]

  All it needs is "Sorry, I don't understand".

But that's a quote from Fawlty Towers... Manuel... Americans can never reproduce such answers unless they are bilingual. Que?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Y_p8-LbY4
Although you probably missed that in your youth, because German speakers are less familiar with sub-titles, with hilarious results in their audio translations.  : to this Dutchman.. Although the French are worse. (What the hell is an ordinateur?)
We used to play with the language differences and subtleties in high school. Many moons ago. E.g. Marcov was just 1 at the time. as were most of the core developers.
Tempo dulu, as time goes by.

[Zvoni]

No that is a referral to a T-shirt in the Nothing Hill movie.
Culture...
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soV3lwzZeYU

I'll take your word for it, since i never watched that movie (sic!  )

[lainz]

English is my second language, but I've learned it more participating on this forums, reading the wiki and manuals.

I can read and write but listening is hard for me, so when I watch YouTube videos with subs.

I did my own small language like pascal in spanish that converts to javascript, here at university we learn to program in spanish
https://lainz.github.io/webapps/pseudocodigo/

[Thaddy]

I'll take your word for it, since i never watched that movie (sic!  )

Yes, should be film, not movie.

[Ten_Mile_Hike]

I studied Latin in high school, but to my astonishment it has never helped me in programming   

[VisualLab]

as a native American

Really?  A native?

It's great that Apaches/Comanches/Chejennes/Siux (etc.) are interested in programming

P.S. I didn't know that the above-mentioned people (and others) spoke English. At school they taught me that each of these groups had its own language

[VisualLab]

Its better to keep it to one language.

I cant say how many times i have used bad words to describe that excel translates the formulas to your locale, i hope someone was fired for that decision.

Do you mean the function names? If so, then unfortunately, "Libre Office Calc" also suffers from the same disease.