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Changing languages in conversation | ||
Tags: Conversation | Multilingual | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies |  | |
| BartoG Diglot Senior Member United States confession Joined 5452 days ago 292 posts - 818 votes  Speaks: English*, French Studies: Italian, Spanish, Latin, Uzbek | Message 2 of 4 17 August 2010 at 7:50pm | IP Logged |
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There was a time when I thought I'd be good enough in French if I could say the same things in French that I would say in English. Then I discovered that I did not want to say the same things in French that I say in English. I don't talk to the same people, don't watch the same movies, don't read the same books. And what would be the point of learning French if the only thing I got out of the deal is to be exactly as I was, only in two languages?
Language is not merely for conveying meaning in some abstract fashion; it is for giving expression to yourself and your thoughts in relation to others around you. When you speak a different language, the cultural reference points change, the standard social expectations change, everything changes - and you must change too, so that you can be a French person talking with French people in a French setting, and not an English person whose thoughts may be exquisitely translated yet remain, at bottom, English. You say you can feel the different melodies that separate French and Spanish, but that they get muddled when you change languages. That's because while you know the languages, the shift you're making inside, at a deeper level, is between a British person speaking English and a British person speaking not-English. You need to move from language immersion to culture immersion. When you watch a movie, watch it, take in the pictures, the gestures, the cultural assumptions about how the world works. Let the language take care of itself. When you listen to music, don't make sure you understand the lyrics; hum along and let the activity transform from practicing your language to just listening to music. American English is my native language. My French isn't half bad. My Spanish is a mess. But switching between them is easy - provided I'm switching context as well. If I'm speaking Spanish with a person because I always speak Spanish with that person, my Spanish may still suck, but it comes naturally and immediately because I'm living it as a way of communicating with certain friends and colleagues. If I start speaking French with a French person, no problem, for the same reason. Indeed, the one place where my languages all run together is in speaking with my significant other. She also speaks English, French and Spanish, as well as Italian, and knowing that we can we randomly talk to each other in whatever language happens to pop out. There's a context there too! If you want to switch naturally from French to Spanish, you need a reason to do so naturally. If you do it with other multilingual friends, as a game, or by yourself as a mental trick, you're not creating a context where the part of you that knows just what to say in French or Spanish automatically takes over. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Ygangerg Pentaglot Senior Member United States Joined 5323 days ago 100 posts - 140 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Arabic (Written), Mandarin, French Studies: German | Message 4 of 4 21 August 2010 at 8:24pm | IP Logged |
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BartoG made some good points. Have you ever studied or heard about the phenomenon of code-switching? It's essentially what we're talking about: the switching of language mid-conversation. When true bilinguals (people with two native languages, or close to it) do it, it's a pretty amazing thing. As an American, I'm able to witness it most often by Mexican-Americans between English and Spanish. You'll hear sentences like
"And so I said 'Madre mía! Que no lo quiero!'" When this is done naturally it makes sense; as BartoG put it, there is proper context. In my hypothetical conversation above, the speakers probably learned Spanish first, but prefer to leave it at home in the kitchen. Thus, they converse in English but can relate quotes and anecdotes in Spanish. If you find yourself conversing with a Spaniard or a Frenchman, you may well end up code-switching naturally. Or, you may just settle on a language. I suppose it depends on your skill levels. 3 persons have voted this message useful |
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