Queen Silvia's Language Abilities/Skills

[Meraude]

Originally Posted by KitKat2006

But Silvia is from the south of Germany (that has completely other dialects than the frisian ones) and speaks many south european languages, that are all kind of related to each other. Portuguese, spanish, french all originate from latin.

I don't know if her being from the south of Germany makes it more difficult to learn to speak Swedish. The countess Sonja Bernadotte, who have never lived in Sweden speaks Swedish with less of an accent than the queen, and she was only a couple of years younger than Silva when she married Lennart Bernadotte.

[drama.babe]

Well I am from Germany and I am learning to speak Swedish and I think that it is not very difficult, but then I don't think I can compare her to me cuz I speak 5 different languages and I am quite young. I think she speaks Swedish quite goos but that is only my opinion.

[KitKat2006]

Originally Posted by Meraude

I don't know if her being from the south of Germany makes it more difficult to learn to speak Swedish. The countess Sonja Bernadotte, who have never lived in Sweden speaks Swedish with less of an accent than the queen, and she was only a couple of years younger than Silva when she married Lennart Bernadotte.

Maybe Sonja had just more talent for a language of this language family? Silvia seems to have big talent for the latin language family, but maybe the germanic language family just isn't her's. I think no-one can blame anyone to not know a language that isn't the first language to perfection. From what I read here Silvia is able to speak 95 - 97 % of the swedish language. So why blame her for the few missing percent. Could one just not see this not-perfect-fact in a charming way? After all, she's just human and not wonderwoman just because she's a Queen.

[Meraude]

Originally Posted by KitKat2006

Silvia seems to have big talent for the latin language family, but maybe the germanic language family just isn't her's. I think no-one can blame anyone to not know a language that isn't the first language to perfection. From what I read here Silvia is able to speak 95 - 97 % of the swedish language. So why blame her for the few missing percent. Could one just not see this not-perfect-fact in a charming way? After all, she's just human and not wonderwoman just because she's a Queen.

It's not her knowledge when it comes to vocabulary that is lacking, but she has almost as much of an accent today as she had when speaking Swedish publicly the first time during her engagement interview in 1976: Presskonferens om kungens förlovning med Silvia - Öppet arkiv | SVT Play

[Kit]

Even when Silvia speaks German she has a small foreign accent. I don't know why but I have always noticed it. And I agree, even in German she definitely thinks before she speaks. She herself has stated in an interview with the German tv station ZDF that she and the king didn't raise the children bilingual. They always spoke Swedish with them. Apparently they had later teachers for German cause Silvia also mentioned that Victoria speaks a very good German (although she prefers English over German) and Carl Philip and Madeleine have a "nice" German whatever that means ....

[KitKat2006]

Originally Posted by Meraude

It's not her knowledge when it comes to vocabulary that is lacking, but she has almost as much of an accent today as she had when speaking Swedish publicly the first time during her engagement interview in 1976: Presskonferens om kungens förlovning med Silvia - Öppet arkiv | SVT Play

OK, that I can understand. This could have been fixed better with the right teachers with enough time (which she certainly had now).

[IloveCP]

For her engagement interview she seems a little lost in Swedish.You can see the King talks to her in english.

Intervju med Kungen och Silvia (1976) (Från 100 höjdare) - YouTube

[MagMil]

Originally Posted by IloveCP

For her engagement interview she seems a little lost in Swedish.You can see the King talks to her in english.

this is not a full interview
here is the full interview , BTW she told him and King also that she speak Swedish,but that starting to learn it
Presskonferens om kungens förlovning med Silvia - Öppet arkiv | SVT Play

[ashelen]

she is so pretty here, she remind me a little bit Mary.
she is very clever with the languages, she knows many this is a gift, she knew them before she married!

[ashelen]

the roayl website said she speaks 6 languages
Biography - Sveriges Kungahus [NS4 version]

[IloveCP]

Yes,and also swedish sign language,as I read on her wiki.

[Burzg]

Originally Posted by IloveCP

For her engagement interview she seems a little lost in Swedish.You can see the King talks to her in english.

veyr nice when they young

[MagMil]

Queen Silvia speak Portuguese in interview in Brazil

Rainha Sílvia da Suécia visita projeto social no Brasil - YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05kxC...eature=related

[blauerengel]

It´s good she´s able to speak six different languages (many people don´t even manage to learn proper English or any other language than their native one...)I know a lot of people who are disciplined and knowledgeable with learning and using new languages but they can´t erase their accent.I believe it comes down wheter you have an "ear for music"- to be able to hear & recreate the melody&sound of a language that is very different from your own...some people are born with this gift and pronounce beautifully without much difficulty, while others have to practice a lot and still often don´t get it right,unfortunately...
Nevertheless it´s more important to have something to say than to be able to pronounce it properly & some accents or dialects even sound interesting and sexy combined with another language IMO.

[Princejohnny25]

I had no idea she spoke 6 languages, very savvy lady our Silvia. But I reckon knowing german would have been a great deal of help in learning swedish.

[Jess90]

As Brazilian, I might say that her portuguese is very good. Her gramatic is perfect and I didn't heard any signal of a foreign accent. Portuguese is a very difficult language to learn (until to a native) mainly the gramatic.

[HRHHermione]

I've heard she's a trained interpreter, and quite gifted with languages. It surprises me to hear people criticizing her Swedish- does this have any merit?