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Changing language unconsciously | ||
Tags: Code-switching | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Advice Center |  | |
| guiguixx1 Octoglot Senior Member Belgium guillaumelp.wordpres Joined 4038 days ago 163 posts - 207 votes  Speaks: French*, English, Dutch, Portuguese, Esperanto, German, Italian, Spanish Studies: Polish, Mandarin | Message 1 of 6 11 December 2013 at 10:36pm | IP Logged | ||
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Hi all :)
First, sorry if this post is in the wrong section. Would it be possible to move it to the right section if I have chosen the wrong one? Thanks :) I'm am used to using different languages everyday (well, only 3-4 languages). I practice French (native language), English (advanced level), Dutch (fluent but I still make a lot of mistakes) and a bit a Spanish. I am used to changing language and do it very often. But what happened today, it never happened to me before: I was answering a friend in Dutch, which I do everyday, and then I went on to answer a Spanish friend who wrote in English so I answered in English. In the message, in English, I mentioned the Grand Place in Brussels, and then another thing in this city, Manneken Pis (= Dutch name), and finished my message in Dutch...unconsciously. So I began a message in English and finished it in Dutch, without meaning to change language, without wanting it. I just realized it after finishing my message. That had never happened to me before. I was always conscious when I changed language, because it's always been purposefully done. Has this already happened to anybody? Thank you for your answers :) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
 emk Diglot Moderator United States Joined 5478 days ago 2615 posts - 8806 votes Speaks: English*, FrenchB2 Studies: Spanish, Ancient Egyptian Personal Language Map | Message 2 of 6 11 December 2013 at 11:56pm | IP Logged | ||
Welcome to HTLAL!
I don't know about anybody else, but this happens to me all the time when I'm speaking. If I use a French place name or a French word, there's probably a 50% chance that I'll finish the rest of the sentence in French. The very act of pronouncing a French word is often enough to tip the balance. This is rather embarrassing when half the people in the room speak no French. :-) 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| nicozerpa Triglot Senior Member Argentina Joined 4272 days ago 182 posts - 315 votes Speaks: Spanish*, Portuguese, English Studies: Italian, German | Message 3 of 6 12 December 2013 at 1:41am | IP Logged | ||
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Sometimes, it happens to me that I speak in a given language, and I unconsciously use a word (particularly connectors) from another language.
For example: "I ran, aber ("but" in German) I missed the bus" Edited by nicozerpa on 12 December 2013 at 1:43am 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| vogue Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 4200 days ago 109 posts - 181 votes Speaks: English*, Italian, Spanish Studies: Ukrainian | Message 4 of 6 12 December 2013 at 5:52am | IP Logged | ||
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This happens most to me when I'm speaking Spanish and I hit a word that is nearly identical (or completely
identical in Italian). I just go ahead and finish the rest of my sentence in Italian. Oops. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Ogrim Heptaglot Senior Member France Joined 4585 days ago 991 posts - 1896 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, English, Spanish, French, Romansh, German, Italian Studies: Russian, Catalan, Latin, Greek, Romanian | Message 5 of 6 12 December 2013 at 11:19am | IP Logged | ||
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It happens quite often to me as well, I also use at least four languages every day, English and French at work, Spanish and Norwegian at home, and once my wife pointed out to me that I sometimes would start off with a sentence in Norwegian when speaking to the kids, to which they would answer in Spanish, and I would reply back to them in English. Also at home it happens that I use Spanish, English and Norwegian words all in one and the same sentence. And my kids speak "Spanglish" all the time.
I cannot say that it has happened when I'm writing though. I think I would notice straight away if a changed language in the middle of a text. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| luke Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 7151 days ago 3133 posts - 4351 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Esperanto, French | Message 6 of 6 12 December 2013 at 11:37am | IP Logged | ||
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I notice it more when I'm tired, have been switching between several languages in short sequential study sessions, or when I've really been ramping up a new language.
2 persons have voted this message useful |
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