Comment by Brajeshwar

Tangential, but on the topic of learning/practicing language, I was thinking that in India, with such high population density, if I want to practice speaking any language, I can find quite a few people within a short walking distance. Personally, I can speak three languages (default for most Indians), but it is very common to find people who speak 5+ languages. I can also understand many other languages that share similar sounds and commonalities to Hindi, so I can be around Gujarati, Haryanavi, Bengali, Marathi, etc., without getting totally lost. Unfortunately, despite living in the South and making many attempts, I could never pick up any Southern language beyond a few words to get by.

Yesterday, while on a walk with a friend discussing SAP, he stopped to greet someone and spoke in Oriya. When I asked, he said he can speak 5 languages fluently and can get by in another 5 or so.

My daughter needs help with her French; we have a neighbor for that (not an App). I’m at three words—Oui, Bonjour, and Bonsoir.