Smattering of a language - how to handle

[Scarey Nerd]

If a player only knew a little of a language, not enough to qualify as knowing the language entirely, how would you deal with this/is there a set rule for it? At the moment I'm saying that the player can make an intelligence check with a relatively easy DC, a success meaning he understands the sentence, a failure meaning he doesn't understand, but flat out saying that he can't read anything longer than a few sentences. If you guys have done this before or know of a better way, it'd be much appreciated.

[Talyn]

Honestly, a smattering of the language should be resolved in whatever way makes for the best game, on an instance-by-instance basis. So if you need the PC to understand what is being said, then the PC can figure it out. If a hilarious misunderstanding could provide an adventure hook, then the player doesn't understand (but thinks he does!).

For where it doesn't make a difference, an INT (Investigate) check to understand makes sense, and then a CHA (Performance) check to make himself understood, with the DC set by how complex of an idea you want to express.

Examples:
"Where can I find food?" DC 5
"Where can I find a place to stay?" DC 10
"Where can I find a specific piece of equipment/magical healing?" DC 15
"Where can I find an expert who can help me solve this riddle?" DC 25

[JAL_1138]

"My hovercraft is full of eels."

Because it's not D&D without Monty Python references.

[rollingForInit]

My group uses a special language system, since there isn't much of one in the rules.

When any feature would allow a character to know a language (racial, background, feats, etc), that counts as 4 language points. At character creation, you pool all of those points, and distribute them across any number of languages. The number of points in a language determines how well you know it:

1: Single words and basic phrases. No writing.
2: Basic grammar, can make oneself understood in a generic way. Can understand some words in writing.
3: Can speak, read and write sufficiently for everday life and can understand most of what is said. Little or no knowledge of low-frequency words. Can have significant difficulties with dialects, sarcasm, puns and social aspects of the language.
4: Native speaker/can speak fluently as if native.
5: Academic level. Has a vast vocabulary of unusual words and phrases, and knows about the language's history.

So, if by RAW you would know Common, Elvish and Dwarvish, with this you'd get 12 points, and you could, for instance, distribute them as such: Common (5), Elvish (3), Dwarvish (3), Halfling (1)

[Toadkiller]

Fantasy Hero at least used to do something much like that as I recall. I think it is a fine idea. If applied equally for all players it should work fine.