Foreign language fluencies on resume

[shootingstar]

I once shared a house with a friend who was fluent in English, French, Vietnamese, Polish, German, and Spanish. She works for the UN now.

I don't honestly consider myself fluent in any language. I grew up in French schools so I still find it awkward to write in English even though it is technically my first language. I think I will be fluent in German someday.

Wow, that friend. At a former workplace, there was a staff person in my dept. who was genuinely fluent in English, French and German. Born in Canada of German-Czech parents. Lived in Switzerland for 7 years and worked for Canadian embassy as a receptionist. I had to be REAL careful that she didn't get overly used for informal translation work in our dept...for French language translation since her salary /nor job required it. But I know she enjoyed doing it if it was just occcasional for 1/2 hr. or so. And it became REAL useful since working in a library we had to get info. pronto fast from Quebec government or...from one of the European countries.

Mimitabby, no I won't be writing my language on resume. But before kindergarten, I did dream, think and speak only Chinese. I'm not an immigrant (born in Hamilton, Ontario), but early ESL learning in primary school, sensitizes a person to other people's coping problems in a new country.
2 of my sisters have been burnt figuratively speaking on the claimed 2nd language fluency. They both work in health care (one is a doctor, other is a hospital pharmacist at teaching hospitals) and they each, embarrassed themselves unable to help a patient. It actually could be dangerous if a person does not translate correctly in such situations.

I also worked for a provincial legal aid organization where part of the service was multilingual legal information/legal advice by phone. It is critical that the staff person genuinely can accurately interpret the language to understand and assist the client's legal/information problem.

One of the lawyers had her office next to mine. One day I suddenly heard her speak Mandarin on the phone with a client. She is Caucasian..and I had no previous knowledge of her knowing any Chinese.

I am unable to effectively transfer alot of Chinese to my partner...except for less than 10 words. I'm lucky enough..that my parents are still alive...to understand my badly eroded language. Of course, haven't picked up much German. The only thing I've learned is that he speaks a softer German (from the south) vs. from the north.

Am pretty impractical...taking 3 years of high school Latin...got me where...hmmmmm. Yea and the mandatory French..honest, shameful....after relearning that language...twice.