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> I have heard some people carry on conversations in two or three languages simultaneously, and I am in awe of Mezzofanti. This is the norm here in Morocco: Lo
by jlg23 8y ago
> I have heard some people carry on conversations in two or three languages simultaneously, and I am in awe of Mezzofanti.
This is the norm here in Morocco: Lots of people speak a Berber dialect as their primary language, followed by Arab and French (both compulsory in education). Not only are most able to participate in 3 communications in their 3 languages, they also practice code-switching a lot - it's not uncommon to have all 3 languages in a single sentence.
> Just throw away all concept of deadlines for progress and fluency and enjoy the failure and process.
The second part is, IMHO, the most important: Fail, fail, fail - and laugh about it. One does walk away from "talks", both parties laughing and "agreeing", with both parties being aware that communication failed completely.
- pmoriarty 8y ago"Fail, fail, fail - and laugh about it." One not only needs a tolerance for failure, but a tolerance for humiliation. Some native speakers will treat people with a poor grasp of their language as if they were children or idiots. I've definitely acquired a lot more empathy for people who struggle with English once I tried my own rudimentary language skills in other countries. These people who have difficulty putting together a few words in English might actually be far more intelligent and educated than the native speakers they're trying to communicate with, yet they're often looked down upon.