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I am native level fluent in 2 languages – Slovenian and English – and this feels true to my experience. There’s a lot of stuff I can critically think about in E
by Swizec 3y ago
I am native level fluent in 2 languages – Slovenian and English – and this feels true to my experience. There’s a lot of stuff I can critically think about in English because the words don’t carry much/any emotional weight. They’re just abstract concepts, very easy to be coldly objective.
Meanwhile talking about work stuff in Slovenian is near impossible because most of my career has been in English. It’s like the concepts just don’t exist in the Slovenian part of my brain.
This gets really trippy when the same word in each language feels like it carries different connotations and baggage. The translation is same but the meaning is different because the correct where you’d use each word is different.
- htss2013 3y agoYes this is the most disorienting thing about using a non native language. You're aware that you aren't able to convey intended connotation or comprehend it. So even if you are perfectly capable of all the right denotation, you're still missing an entire layer of communication. It's even more difficult when a language is spoken in different cultures. Eg, British, American and Australians probably have different connotations associated with the same words. Distinguishing between using a synonym out of custom vs intentionally for a different connotation is very difficult. It's not like there's a connotation dictionary you can refer to.
- morjom 3y agoAs a Finnish person who almost fluked Swedish class I wish I would've taken it more seriously. Knowing a language or three at that seems like a big up in life.