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Language Loneliness

 Language Learning Forum : General discussion Post Reply
21 messages over 3 pages: 13  Next >>
robarb
Nonaglot
Senior Member
United States
languagenpluson
Joined 4857 days ago

361 posts - 921 votes 
Speaks: Portuguese, English*, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Esperanto, French
Studies: Mandarin, Danish, Russian, Norwegian, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Greek, Latin, Nepali, Modern Hebrew

 
 Message 9 of 21
22 October 2014 at 5:45am | IP Logged 
I don't feel alienated by having unusual references to foreign cultures-- it's a uncommon treat to interact with
someone who studies the language or is from there. Just like my other uncommon hobbies (juggling, ukulele,
Starcraft): the vast majority of people can't relate to them, but occasionally they're common ground with someone
and it's great.

I do however have exactly this problem:
garyb wrote:

Plus there's the complementary effect that since almost all my media consumption is in other languages, I don't
have much to say in conversations with fellow English speakers about films and TV series


This is actually a problem, to the point where I'll watch things half to make people think I'm not weird. Or even
not to be lost when speakers of my target languages talk about American movies and TV series!
1 person has voted this message useful



Ari
Heptaglot
Senior Member
Norway
Joined 6380 days ago

2314 posts - 5695 votes 
Speaks: Swedish*, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese
Studies: Czech, Latin, German

 
 Message 10 of 21
22 October 2014 at 7:58am | IP Logged 
robarb wrote:
This is actually a problem, to the point where I'll watch things half to
make people think I'm not weird. Or even
not to be lost when speakers of my target languages talk about American movies and TV
series!


I' ve started to think that part of the solution might be watching American TV series
dubbed into foreign languages. I'm thinking of starting Game of Thrones in Portuguese
soon. At the moment I'm watching a different dubbed series, purposefully a pretty
mediocre one so that I don't mind it so much when I don't understand some stuff, but I'm
getting to a point where I'm understanding most of what's being said, and at that point
I'm thinking I might switch to GoT.
3 persons have voted this message useful



Serpent
Octoglot
Senior Member
Russian Federation
serpent-849.livejour
Joined 6395 days ago

9753 posts - 15779 votes 
4 sounds
Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish

 
 Message 11 of 21
22 October 2014 at 8:43am | IP Logged 
Yeah that's what I do with books. I'm far more interested in British and American literature than in reading it in English!

Edited by Serpent on 22 October 2014 at 9:55am

1 person has voted this message useful



Retinend
Triglot
Senior Member
SpainRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 4106 days ago

283 posts - 557 votes 
Speaks: English*, German, Spanish
Studies: Arabic (Written), French

 
 Message 12 of 21
22 October 2014 at 11:43am | IP Logged 
If you read books from past ages you can imagine what it's like to live in a culture
where learning languages and constant comparison is presumed to be done. It may however
make you feel more lonely or less lonely, depending.
2 persons have voted this message useful



Ari
Heptaglot
Senior Member
Norway
Joined 6380 days ago

2314 posts - 5695 votes 
Speaks: Swedish*, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese
Studies: Czech, Latin, German

 
 Message 13 of 21
22 October 2014 at 2:10pm | IP Logged 
Retinend wrote:
If you read books from past ages you can imagine what it's like to live
in a culture where learning languages and constant comparison is presumed to be done.


I still remember my surprise when I was reading Sherlock Holmes and found phrases in
French that were not translated, since the reader was presumed to have a reading
knowledge of French.
1 person has voted this message useful



bjornbrekkukot
Newbie
United States
Joined 4520 days ago

25 posts - 58 votes 
Speaks: English*

 
 Message 14 of 21
23 October 2014 at 4:49am | IP Logged 
I suffer from feelings of isolation and alienation which are due largely to my language studies. I read in Icelandic
and Russian every day, along with one or two others, but hardly ever in English. It's rare to find someone to discuss
foreign literature with, let alone someone with whom to talk about reading it in the original.

In fact, at times I feel completely alienated from my own country and culture (the US). It's a really serious problem.
When I am abroad, I participate in events, like readings, lectures, etc, that I would never attend in the US. I seem to
hold little regard for English and the way it is used here. I try to rediscover it, to embrace it and enrich it through
my daily exchanges, but nothing really works. Clearly I will never be a poet.

I have a bad habit of going everywhere with stacks of flashcards, which increases my withdrawal. I exist with the
perpetual sensation that I am, at all times, elsewhere.
4 persons have voted this message useful



robarb
Nonaglot
Senior Member
United States
languagenpluson
Joined 4857 days ago

361 posts - 921 votes 
Speaks: Portuguese, English*, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Esperanto, French
Studies: Mandarin, Danish, Russian, Norwegian, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Greek, Latin, Nepali, Modern Hebrew

 
 Message 15 of 21
23 October 2014 at 5:23am | IP Logged 
Ari wrote:

I' ve started to think that part of the solution might be watching American TV series
dubbed into foreign languages. I'm thinking of starting Game of Thrones in Portuguese
soon. At the moment I'm watching a different dubbed series, purposefully a pretty
mediocre one so that I don't mind it so much when I don't understand some stuff, but I'm
getting to a point where I'm understanding most of what's being said, and at that point
I'm thinking I might switch to GoT.


That's a great idea. What are the best ways to get American TV dubbed into foreign languages? It is almost never an
option in any of the methods Americans typically use to watch TV shows (broadcast, Cable, Netflix, Hulu, buying
DVDs, etc.) I guess I could order foreign DVDs online, but that would be prohibitively expensive.
1 person has voted this message useful



Ari
Heptaglot
Senior Member
Norway
Joined 6380 days ago

2314 posts - 5695 votes 
Speaks: Swedish*, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese
Studies: Czech, Latin, German

 
 Message 16 of 21
23 October 2014 at 8:05am | IP Logged 
robarb wrote:
What are the best ways to get American TV dubbed into foreign languages?


The best methods are illegal and not to be discussed on this website, I'm afraid.


1 person has voted this message useful



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