Polyglot

I speak the following languages:

• English (my first language)
  
• French (assez bien)
• Swahili (mbaya mbovu)
• Italian (un po)

I know a few words in German (nein - my favourite German word, danke schun, bitte, auf wiedhersen), I understand Kiluhya (my grandmother's language) and I've just started learning Spanish (knowing French definitely helps).

I feel it's important to be able to converse with the natives wherever I go even if it's to ask them in their language whether they speak english, for example

• parlez-vous anglais s'il vous plait?
• unaelewa kizungu?
  
• parlo inglese por favore?
• habla inglese por favor?
• sprechen ze inglese?

We were looking for Club 79 in Paris so my Aussie mate, who fancied himself to be a bit of a charmer (he does have a winning smile) walks up to a lady running a stall on the Champs Elysees, flashes his megawatt smile, and asks in English if she speaks English. For a French person, the default answer to that question is non. So I decided to have a go and our conversation went something like this:

me: pouvez-vous nous aider s'il vous plait?
her: oui
me: ou se trouve Club 79?
her:...............straight ahead.........
me: merci beaucoup a votre l'aide

Bye. Au revoir. Kwaheri. Ciao. Auf wiedhersen. Oveo.