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Being a good writer in multiple languages | ||
Tags: Language Level Satisfaction | Book | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| ocrampete16 Diglot Newbie GermanyRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4978 days ago 5 posts - 9 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Spanish | Message 1 of 27 19 November 2012 at 5:36pm | IP Logged | ||
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I was wondering if it's possible to become a proficient writer in multiple languages. Now
what I mean by "a proficient writer" is someone who is not only able to write well, but whose thoughts and ideas on how to phrase things and formulate sentences somehow "flow", somehow who "feels" the written language and just knows how to formulate a thought in an elegant fashion (it's hard to explain but I hope you get me). I used to write like that in English (I'm a native speaker), but unfortunately that has changed since I started learning German. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| tarvos Super Polyglot Winner TAC 2012 Senior Member China likeapolyglot.wordpr Joined 4707 days ago 5310 posts - 9399 votes  Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish | Message 2 of 27 19 November 2012 at 5:49pm | IP Logged | ||
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It is surely possible, and you can learn it, but it takes a lot of practice writing in a
tongue that is not your own. The only time I've ever managed such a feat was when I was learning English years and years ago, and it's the only language in which I can really write well in comparison to any of my other languages (including Dutch, which I also write well but less often). As with everything, it is all possible. You just need to practice a lot. But you didn't need me to tell you that, surely? ;) Edited by tarvos on 19 November 2012 at 5:49pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Lucas C. Diglot Newbie United Kingdom Joined 4927 days ago 8 posts - 17 votes Speaks: EnglishC2, Polish* Studies: French | Message 3 of 27 19 November 2012 at 5:54pm | IP Logged | ||
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multiple? If you mean 2 or 3, the answer is probably yes. On the other hand, if you mean 10, it's well-nigh
impossible to achieve that in all of them in your lifetime. As for 'feeling' the language, there are really different levels of that skill. Do you mean an educated and articulate native-speaker or a bestselling novelist? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Arekkusu Hexaglot Senior Member Canada bit.ly/qc_10_lec Joined 5381 days ago 3971 posts - 7747 votes Speaks: English, French*, GermanC1, Spanish, Japanese, Esperanto Studies: Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Estonian | Message 4 of 27 19 November 2012 at 6:05pm | IP Logged | ||
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A lot of members here write very well in English although it's not their first language. I also think that once you've learned to write well in one language, and in a second one, then it's easier to do the same in a third.
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| druckfehler Triglot Senior Member Germany Joined 4868 days ago 1181 posts - 1912 votes Speaks: German*, EnglishC2, Korean Studies: Persian | Message 5 of 27 19 November 2012 at 8:16pm | IP Logged | ||
Which would you say has a higher level? I'm very sorry to have to make this observation, but at least in Germany it would be easier in many cases to write like a bestselling novelists than an educated and articulate native-speaker... 7 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Lucas C. Diglot Newbie United Kingdom Joined 4927 days ago 8 posts - 17 votes Speaks: EnglishC2, Polish* Studies: French | Message 6 of 27 19 November 2012 at 8:27pm | IP Logged | ||
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Druckfehler, you're right to point out a sorry state of contemporary literature. I think adding 'of quality
literature' to my original question would make it clear. At least, if we are not already at the point where 'bestselling' and 'of quality literature' are antonyms... Edited by Lucas C. on 19 November 2012 at 8:28pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| osoymar Tetraglot Pro Member United States Joined 4736 days ago 190 posts - 344 votes Speaks: English*, German, Portuguese, Japanese Studies: Spanish, French Personal Language Map | Message 7 of 27 20 November 2012 at 6:25am | IP Logged | ||
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Off the top of my head, Milan Kundera wrote well-received novels in Czech and French.
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| Ari Heptaglot Senior Member Norway Joined 6582 days ago 2314 posts - 5695 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese Studies: Czech, Latin, German | Message 8 of 27 20 November 2012 at 9:26am | IP Logged | ||
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I'm curious as to how much of "writing skill" is independent of the language. Things like composition, simile, plot construction and so on. I suspect it's quite a lot. Also, there are some writers who are celebrated for their terse and unadorned writing style. Hemingway comes to mind.
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