foreign languages
Non-native speech systems
Foreign languages are languages other than one's native tongue or the dominant language of a region.
The term usually implies languages spoken in other countries: She studied foreign languages in college.
What counts as foreign depends on perspective—Spanish is foreign to English speakers in London but not to residents of Madrid.
The phrase often appears in educational contexts: foreign language requirement, foreign language instruction.
One who conveys meaning between languages
- translatorOne who renders between languages
- subtitlesOn-screen dialogue text
- dubbingPost-production sound replacement
- localizationAdapting for specific markets
bilingual · multilingual · dictionary · phrase book · Google Translate · machine translation · literary translation · source language
Professional communication style
- diplomatic languageMeasured speech avoiding offense
- sign languageVisual-gestural communication system
- body languageUnspoken physical expression
- miscommunicationFailed exchange of meaning
language barrier · broken English · pidgin · lingua franca · code-switching · bilingualism · polyglot · native speaker
Smooth linguistic command
- immersionState of being submerged
- vocabularyOne's word collection
- grammarLanguage's structural rules
- pronunciationManner of speaking words
accent · tutor · textbook · flashcards · Duolingo · Rosetta Stone · conversation practice · language exchange
Rules for arranging words
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- phoneticsStudy of speech sounds
- phonologyScience of language sounds
- semanticsStudy of linguistic meaning
etymology · cognates · loanwords · alphabet · script · tones · conjugation · declension
Fixed figurative expressions
- proverbsTraditional wisdom capsules
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
literature · calligraphy · poetry · honorifics · loanwords · slang · colloquialisms · wordplay
interpreter
One who conveys meaning between languages
- translatorOne who renders between languages
- subtitlesOn-screen dialogue text
- dubbingPost-production sound replacement
localization · bilingual · multilingual · dictionary · phrase book · Google Translate · machine translation · literary translation · source language · target language
business language
Professional communication style
- diplomatic languageMeasured speech avoiding offense
- sign languageVisual-gestural communication system
- body languageUnspoken physical expression
miscommunication · language barrier · broken English · pidgin · lingua franca · code-switching · bilingualism · polyglot · native speaker · second language
fluency
Smooth linguistic command
- immersionState of being submerged
- vocabularyOne's word collection
- grammarLanguage's structural rules
pronunciation · accent · tutor · textbook · flashcards · Duolingo · Rosetta Stone · conversation practice · language exchange · classroom
syntax
Rules for arranging words
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- phoneticsStudy of speech sounds
- phonologyScience of language sounds
semantics · etymology · cognates · loanwords · alphabet · script · tones · conjugation · declension · grammar rules
idioms
Fixed figurative expressions
- proverbsTraditional wisdom capsules
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
traditions · literature · calligraphy · poetry · honorifics · loanwords · slang · colloquialisms · wordplay · puns
- Language & Wordstranslation, etymology, grammar, vocabulary, phonetics
- electivesart class, band, choir, drama, orchestra
- educationeducation, school, schools, teachers, students
- school subjectsmath, English, science, history, reading
- subjects'topics, themes, matters, issues, school subjects
- humanitiesphilosophy, history, literature, philosophy class, novels
foreign languagesnative language
First-acquired mode of speech
mother tongue · first language · native tongue · home language · heritage language
foreign languagesnational language
State-designated speech system
native languages · official language · indigenous language · indigenous languages · regional language
foreign, foreigner, languages, foreigners, foreignness, foreign language