When can you say that you know a language?

Yes, but it also makes you sound uneducated. In ever country, the best language is usually displayed in the newspaper or by the scholars of the country.

 

I believe there's two separate forms of being "fluent" in a language. One is being able to hold damn near perfect conversation and/or understanding all the grammar, etc.

 

I would say when you can speak fluently and can have a conversation.

 

I speak Portuguese fluently and travel to Brazil every year. I would say its when you can just speak without thinking about what you are saying. (syntax and grammar wise not content wise)

 

I think at a point you can say you know a language would have to depend on how well you can read and speak it also while knowing the terms of the area. I mean I speak English but not proper English and for someone that doesn't speak English and is learning it would have a terrible time understanding what I was saying especially with the American lingo. I'm personally learning spanish because where I reside there has a great fluctuation in spanish people moving into my area. So becoming pretty useful.

 

To know the language, you must be able to translate and speak the basics at least. Must be able to make a conversation.

That is how I view it.

 

If you can pick up a newspaper in that language, and read it without issues. Other then that, I'd say you are still learning. Right now I know a decent amount of French, but I'm still learning. I just started learning Japanese, and I hardly know any Kanji (Aiming for 2,000 kanji as a 2 1/2 year goal)

 

Personally, I can speak a rough amount of Spanish, and understand it fully. I can read and understand French and I can speak it, but I can't seem to form the words in my head. I'm like a receiver, not a sender, I guess you could say. Anywho, I think it's only when you can go to that place and understand what they're saying, and have conversations.

 

When you can hold a conversation in that language, then you can be considered somewhat fluent.

 

I see.
I might learn spanish as well. There is a large population of mexicans in Texas and I think it would be very beneficial for me if I learned the language for all sorts of reasons.

 

you can say you know a lanuguage when you can speak in sentences and casaully communicate with others speaking the same language

 

I would say you can call yourself fluent in a language when you can talk/listen to it without consciously translating each word you hear into your native language

 

when you can have a conversation

 

I saw you on another thread and noticed you received "Linguistic Idiocy." Congratulations .

On topic : You can use slang without sounding uneducated. For example, when my Brazilian friend came to the United States, he had learned English all through English classes taught at his school. He was in English 5, which is very advanced, they were reading and annotating English novels at this point. He considered himself to be very well versed in English. He arrived at the airport and someone said to him "What's up." As he had been formally taught the greetings of English he was very confused by this and answered that the ceiling was up. The person started immediately laughing at him, and recognized at once that he was a foreigner. That is why I believe slang to be an important part of learning a language.

(This is a TRUE story )