Languages & Fandom - A Poll

[rodo]

First of all: This is all lian's fault. And the fault of the anonymous person who so generously gifted me with two months of paid time (&hearts). This is also a follow-up post to my last post about fandom and language, in a way. It's also my first poll, so please tell me what I could have done better.

Note: For the purpose of this poll, I won't define "fandom" or "(language) fandom". I'll leave that up to you.

Poll #247 fandom & language

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 259

View Respondents

What language(s) do you use to participate in fandom?

View Answers

English
259 (100.0%)

German
33 (12.7%)

French
18 (6.9%)

Italian
4 (1.5%)

Dutch
2 (0.8%)

Japanese
13 (5.0%)

Chinese
3 (1.2%)

Spanish
20 (7.7%)

Finnish
0 (0.0%)

Swedish
5 (1.9%)

Russian
8 (3.1%)

Czech
1 (0.4%)

Portuguese
2 (0.8%)

Norwegian
3 (1.2%)

Polish
1 (0.4%)

Hungarian
1 (0.4%)

Turkish
0 (0.0%)

Korean
1 (0.4%)

Greek
0 (0.0%)

Filipino
1 (0.4%)

Indonesian
1 (0.4%)

Hebrew
1 (0.4%)

Danish
4 (1.5%)

Arabic
0 (0.0%)

Other (please specify in the comments)
4 (1.5%)

What language(s) do you use to write and translate fic?

View Answers

English
208 (95.4%)

German
22 (10.1%)

French
9 (4.1%)

Italian
2 (0.9%)

Dutch
2 (0.9%)

Japanese
7 (3.2%)

Chinese
3 (1.4%)

Spanish
15 (6.9%)

Finnish
1 (0.5%)

Swedish
0 (0.0%)

Russian
8 (3.7%)

Czech
1 (0.5%)

Portuguese
2 (0.9%)

Norwegian
0 (0.0%)

Polish
0 (0.0%)

Hungarian
0 (0.0%)

Turkish
0 (0.0%)

Korean
0 (0.0%)

Greek
1 (0.5%)

Filipino
0 (0.0%)

Indonesian
0 (0.0%)

Hebrew
1 (0.5%)

Danish
2 (0.9%)

Arabic
0 (0.0%)

Other (please specify in the comments)
5 (2.3%)

What language(s) did and do you use to read fic and/or follow canon?

View Answers

English
259 (100.0%)

German
37 (14.3%)

French
31 (12.0%)

Italian
7 (2.7%)

Dutch
1 (0.4%)

Japanese
28 (10.8%)

Chinese
5 (1.9%)

Spanish
22 (8.5%)

Finnish
3 (1.2%)

Swedish
5 (1.9%)

Russian
11 (4.2%)

Czech
2 (0.8%)

Portuguese
3 (1.2%)

Norwegian
4 (1.5%)

Polish
2 (0.8%)

Hungarian
2 (0.8%)

Turkish
0 (0.0%)

Korean
0 (0.0%)

Greek
0 (0.0%)

Filipino
2 (0.8%)

Indonesian
0 (0.0%)

Hebrew
1 (0.4%)

Danish
7 (2.7%)

Arabic
0 (0.0%)

Other (please specify in the comments)
1 (0.4%)

What languages do you use to read/write meta?

View Answers

English
249 (97.6%)

German
20 (7.8%)

French
6 (2.4%)

Italian
1 (0.4%)

Dutch
1 (0.4%)

Japanese
3 (1.2%)

Chinese
1 (0.4%)

Spanish
14 (5.5%)

Finnish
2 (0.8%)

Swedish
2 (0.8%)

Russian
7 (2.7%)

Czech
1 (0.4%)

Portuguese
0 (0.0%)

Norwegian
1 (0.4%)

Polish
1 (0.4%)

Hungarian
1 (0.4%)

Turkish
0 (0.0%)

Korean
0 (0.0%)

Greek
1 (0.4%)

Filipino
0 (0.0%)

Indonesian
0 (0.0%)

Hebrew
1 (0.4%)

Danish
1 (0.4%)

Arabic
0 (0.0%)

Other (please specify in the comments)
2 (0.8%)

What is your first language (two or three if you were raised bi- or trilingual)?

View Answers

English
137 (53.1%)

German
38 (14.7%)

French
12 (4.7%)

Italian
3 (1.2%)

Dutch
6 (2.3%)

Japanese
1 (0.4%)

Chinese
10 (3.9%)

Spanish
21 (8.1%)

Finnish
5 (1.9%)

Swedish
10 (3.9%)

Russian
8 (3.1%)

Czech
2 (0.8%)

Portuguese
3 (1.2%)

Norwegian
4 (1.6%)

Polish
2 (0.8%)

Hungarian
2 (0.8%)

Turkish
0 (0.0%)

Korean
0 (0.0%)

Greek
1 (0.4%)

Filipino
4 (1.6%)

Indonesian
0 (0.0%)

Hebrew
3 (1.2%)

Danish
9 (3.5%)

Arabic
1 (0.4%)

Other (please specify in the comments)
14 (5.4%)

What languages do you speak/are you able to read/have you learned?

View Answers

English
228 (89.4%)

German
104 (40.8%)

French
114 (44.7%)

Italian
30 (11.8%)

Dutch
11 (4.3%)

Japanese
38 (14.9%)

Chinese
13 (5.1%)

Spanish
76 (29.8%)

Finnish
6 (2.4%)

Swedish
26 (10.2%)

Russian
20 (7.8%)

Czech
3 (1.2%)

Portuguese
8 (3.1%)

Norwegian
14 (5.5%)

Polish
5 (2.0%)

Hungarian
1 (0.4%)

Turkish
0 (0.0%)

Korean
1 (0.4%)

Greek
3 (1.2%)

Ancient Greek
14 (5.5%)

Latin
46 (18.0%)

Esperanto
1 (0.4%)

Filipino
4 (1.6%)

Indonesian
1 (0.4%)

Hebrew
7 (2.7%)

Danish
17 (6.7%)

Arabic
3 (1.2%)

Other constructed languages (e.g. Klingon - please specify)
1 (0.4%)

Other (please specify)
32 (12.5%)

What was your first fandom (language)?

View Answers

English
204 (78.8%)

German
26 (10.0%)

French
3 (1.2%)

Italian
0 (0.0%)

Dutch
3 (1.2%)

Japanese
1 (0.4%)

Chinese
0 (0.0%)

Spanish
9 (3.5%)

Finnish
1 (0.4%)

Swedish
2 (0.8%)

Russian
4 (1.5%)

Czech
0 (0.0%)

Portuguese
0 (0.0%)

Norwegian
1 (0.4%)

Polish
2 (0.8%)

Hungarian
1 (0.4%)

Turkish
0 (0.0%)

Korean
0 (0.0%)

Greek
0 (0.0%)

Filipino
0 (0.0%)

Indonesian
0 (0.0%)

Hebrew
0 (0.0%)

Danish
1 (0.4%)

Arabic
0 (0.0%)

Other (please specify in the comments)
1 (0.4%)

What was your first fandom (media)?

View Answers

TV Series
94 (36.4%)

Movie
15 (5.8%)

Book
87 (33.7%)

RPF
7 (2.7%)

Game
9 (3.5%)

Anime
33 (12.8%)

Cartoon
2 (0.8%)

Musical/Play
2 (0.8%)

Comic
1 (0.4%)

Manga
8 (3.1%)

What was your first fandon (e.g. Harry Potter)

View Answers

Did you participate in this poll?

View Answers

Yes
258 (100.0%)

PS: I would appreciate it if you would pimp this poll.

Comments

[sabeth]

Um, I ticked Latin and Ancient Greek there because I did study them in high school for 6 and 4 years respectively and I never get to brag about that! But while I'm still okay getting the general gist of simple Latin texts, I'd be completely lost when faced with Ancient Greek, and could thus probably not use it for purposes of fandom participation. :D;;

[rodo]

Don't worry, I clicked Spanish too, and while I do get the gist of simple texts, especially with the help of a dictionary, I'd be lost once it gets more complicated.

But who knows, some fandoms probably use Ancient Greek in some small way. (Alexander?)

[bettina]

I ticked German for the "What was your first fandom (language)?" question, because mostly I really got into fandom into my early teens when I joined a Star Trek club, which was of course in German. Online fandom was English from the start (mid/late-90s).

[scribblesinink]

Oh, it'll be interesting to see the results!

(And since you asked for comments on the poll itself: the question "What language(s) do you use to write and translate fic?" might have worked better as two questions. I do write, but never have translated a single piece of fic in my life :-) I did interpret it as "What language(s) do you use to write fic?")

[mllesatine]

What languages do you speak/are you able to read/have you learned?

I'm studying Polish, Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian and I learned French in school. French is mostly gone but I hope I will be able to participate in fandom one day using Polish and SerCroBo. I talked to a few people in fandom circles using Polish but we didn't talk about anything fandom-related.

[eumelkeks]

I will pimp it, now that I have my internetz back!

[christycorr]

Tee hee. Portuguese-speaking fandom represent!

I saw a Merlin fic in Hebrew somewhere in my flist a couple of weeks ago, and the very thought of fanfiction in Hebrew blew my mind a little—I'm so used to associating the language with quasi-exclusive religious usage!

Anyway. Yes. The poll shall be duly pimped.

[anotherslashfan]

I'm kind of confused because I remember starting with Zetsuai/Bronze fic, but that was in English - still, I read mostly German fic in the first year... it's been eight years, I just don't remember anymore.

[rodo]

I'd say it's up to you. Or you can leave that one (I suppose - first poll, I don't quite know how they work yet).

[rodo]

That's why I asked for "fandom" and not "online fandom" and it's also why I didn't define "fandom". The internet has only really been around for about fifteen years and not everyone entered fandom then! Also: Everyone has a different idea regarding when you become part of a fandom. I wrote fanfic for myself when I was seven, but I don't think I was part of fandom then.

[rodo]

... And not everyone writes/translates at all. Some only translate, other's only write. I just wanted to know what languages were used to produce fannish fictional texts (and yes, I think translating falls under producing), but I thought this was more transparent.

[rodo]

Whoo, Polish! I wish I could speak it, but my grandparents never bothered to teach my father and so he couldn't teach me.

[khana]

have you linked this to metafandom? it might get less skewered towards German if fid it that way...?

[rodo]

No. I always feel weird linking myself.

[khana]

that was supposed to mean 'if people found it' at some point...

*goes to find out how and where to submit stuff to metafandom*

[xavie]

I like it that you decided not to define 'fandom' in this poll. When I started reading fic on the internet I started out with originals in German. That feels for me like fandom because the stories follow the same patterns and authors and readers are active in roughly the same communities.

[bettina]

Everyone has a different idea regarding when you become part of a fandom. I wrote fanfic for myself when I was seven, but I don't think I was part of fandom then.

That's true. Looking back I've always been sort of fannish, even as a little girl. I've loved Trek since I was very little (I started having a crush on Spock when I was six ;-).

Fannish behaviour back then, yes. Being in fandom, not really. Being in fandom comes when you meet other people who like the same things. It was quite the revelation when I found that

Star Trek

club *g*.

[rodo]

I started out writing almost exclusively originals when I joined online fandom, so I know what you mean. The people also often used fandom terms (e.g. slash) and wrote and/or read fanfics as well.

[mllesatine]

Pity. That has happened a lot in your grandparent's generation, I think.

[rodo]

It did. I also can kind of understand it. My father was bullied in school for being Polish, and his parents had to leave Poland for being German. So they all just tried to fit in as best as they could.

And my father ended up learning mostly profanities because the only time my grandparents spoke Polish was when they didn't want the children to understand their arguments.

[yvi]

I used to translate from English to German, but that was several years ago. Since you wrote 'do', I assume you mean currently?

[lian]

I commented with a link to the most recent post :) but it might take a while or never show up, we'll see!

[rodo]

Yes, I mean currently.

[opengoal]

So... reading counts, right?

[rodo]

It does.