3 ms·

I think I would gladly put up with more tip-of-the-tongue syndrome in exchange for for early-age bilingualism.

• Timothee 17y ago
  Early-age is probably key. I am French and have lived in the US for a few years and I can feel that I sometime struggle a little with French now... (I'm not saying I'm exactly bilingual though, fluent seems enough to confuse me)
  • mahmud 17y ago
    I switch between 3 languages without thought while speaking, however, to write in one I would need to pause for a few seconds to collect my thoughts (I need a whole day to switch context to write poetry or reasoned prose.) While skimming this text I caught myself saying this to my brother, see how much of it can you understand: "Accountkayga charge-garee caawa, depositku wuxuu ku dhacayaa yawmayn aw thalatha". Three English words with Somali conjugation suffixed with a pure arabic phrase. Wrong in three languages :-P
    • aswanson 17y ago
      I'm impressed with the people who post here whose native language is not English. Not only do they write passable posts, but they are even more well-versed, phrased, and seem to possess a wider vocabulary than most native speakers I run into. As an American, I am somewhat jealous of that ability. [EDIT: Ironically, had a grammatical error!]
      • amichail 17y ago
        English is my third language and I resent it very much. Fluency in English is the only thing that matters in today's world. Anything that hinders your ability to speak it at the highest level possible (e.g., learning other languages) is a mistake. CLARIFICATION: What I resent is that English is not my first (and preferably only) language.
        • mahmud 17y ago
          English is my third language and resent it very much. You're looking at it wrong. English is the closest thing we have to a human lingua franca. I hope you're not bashing it for nationalistic reasons, because, even if it owes its ubiquity to an imperialist past, English today is the property of its non-colonial speakers as much as its native speakers. You will appreciate this oddball pseudo-germanic, latin-esque language when you venture out of its home turf: I tutored English to Arab students who were learning it to communicate with Chinese manufacturers, and a Vietnamese musician who wanted to reply to his Myspace fans, including a Thai girl who has a crush on him :-D
          • amichail 17y ago
            What I resent is that English is not my first (and preferably only) language.
            • mahmud 17y ago
              Languages are keys to cultures; forsaking them all in favor of one is not only silly, but a self-imposed intellectual and emotional exile. Try to love whatever culture and language your parents gave you, for starters, regardless of their utility or perceived social stature.
          • jibiki 17y ago
            I always thought the main strike against English was the ungodly spelling. (Or maybe just having a lot of phonemes?)
            • mahmud 17y ago
              IME, it's phonology that has been the most pain, not syntax. I think English as a second language students my just benefit from singing lessons, to make them more conscious of their voice and its production. Once you can hack your voice, you will be able to hear better, and then pronounce better.
              • 17y ago