another language question

[Wolny Kraj]

A couple days ago, I asked about Germanic languages. Today, I have 2 more questions about languages in general. I'm not particularly fond of English for its attempting to conquer all other languages (the american version) I also think it's bland and really if the UK never had its colonies, English wouldn't be important. I find it an interesting thought that someone might be able to "forget" their first language. Is this ever possible?

Also, I'm terribly ambitious when it comes to learning languages. I've had interest in many languages, like Polish and Spanish and Dutch and Irish and Finnish and Portuguese and Korean and Mandarin and Russian and Danish. Is there any limit to the amount of languages that one person can retain?

[Oterro]

If Britain hadn't conquered the world, NS wouldn't exist.

Fair trade.

[Wolny Kraj]

If Britain hadn't conquered the world, NS wouldn't exist.

Fair trade.

Max barry is australian, but indirectly, I guess so.

[Oterro]

If Britain hadn't conquered the world, NS wouldn't exist.

Fair trade.

Max barry is australian, but indirectly, I guess so.

Yes, and Australia was a British colony.

If it hadn't been, maybe NS would be in Maori.

[Eaglleia]

A couple days ago, I asked about Germanic languages. Today, I have 2 more questions about languages in general. I'm not particularly fond of English for its attempting to conquer all other languages (the american version) I also think it's bland and really if the UK never had its colonies, English wouldn't be important. I find it an interesting thought that someone might be able to "forget" their first language. Is this ever possible?

Also, I'm terribly ambitious when it comes to learning languages. I've had interest in many languages, like Polish and Spanish and Dutch and Irish and Finnish and Portuguese and Korean and Mandarin and Russian and Danish. Is there any limit to the amount of languages that one person can retain?

I only knew 10 words of my first language 'till I was eight.
If you tried to learn every language in the world, maybe you'd forget some.

If Britain hadn't conquered the world, NS wouldn't exist.

Fair trade.

.....You don't know that.

[Voltronica]

I'd go with imprinting as a young child and say it would be impossible unless there were serious trauma or brainwashing.

[Ceannairceach]

Max barry is australian, but indirectly, I guess so.

Yes, and Australia was a British colony.

If it hadn't been, maybe NS would be in Maori.

Nay, Max, assuming he's 100% European Aussie, would have most likely been born in the Americas or Britain were there no Australia. Though if we are assuming "no colonies", Britain.

[Oterro]

Yes, and Australia was a British colony.

If it hadn't been, maybe NS would be in Maori.

Nay, Max, assuming he's 100% European Aussie, would have most likely been born in the Americas or Britain were there no Australia. Though if we are assuming "no colonies", Britain.

...

It was a joke.

[Lietvos]

It depends alot on the person who's learning. I can speak three languages fluently ... at college I met a woman could speak eight languages fluently!
Some people (especially internet people) seem to have difficulty with one.

Learning as a child is easier - as (generally) is learning languages related to your mother tongue.
I'd say the average person could be fluent in three or four as long as they use them often and are motivated enough.

[The Truth and Light]

Here's the dealio.

Language learning, unless you're a freaking savant, takes a whole lotta time and patience. Don't get me wrong, I'm amitious too. I set my goal to be fluent in 4 foreign languages by the end of highschool, but that's probably not going to happen. Fluency in any language takes years of patient study, and to know all the languages you listed you will need a lifetime and a brain that can withstand learning that long.

I think you need to find the language you love the most, and study until you are fluent. Then, when you have fluidity in that language, branch to another. If you must study more than one simultaneously, stick to two, and use a schedule to keep them from getting confused with eachother.

As for forgetting your native tongue: it would probably take years. If you were stuck in rural China for two decades, yes, your English would probably get rusty. But hey, you'd know Chinese.

[Ceannairceach]

Nay, Max, assuming he's 100% European Aussie, would have most likely been born in the Americas or Britain were there no Australia. Though if we are assuming "no colonies", Britain.

...

It was a joke.

I could tell, but it was poor. Poor jokes need to be corrected. Lobet den über witze!

[Equimanthon]

Is there any limit to the amount of languages that one person can retain?

Yes. It takes years to master a language, to master several and keep them at a high level is nigh-on impossible.

[The Truth and Light]

Is there any limit to the amount of languages that one person can retain?

Yes. It takes years to master a language, to master several and keep them at a high level is nigh-on impossible.

Oh, it's possible. It just takes years.

[Lietvos]

Here's the dealio.

Language learning, unless you're a freaking savant, takes a whole lotta time and patience. Don't get me wrong, I'm amitious too. I set my goal to be fluent in 4 foreign languages by the end of highschool, but that's probably not going to happen. Fluency in any language takes years of patient study, and to know all the languages you listed you will need a lifetime and a brain that can withstand learning that long.

I think you need to find the language you love the most, and study until you are fluent. Then, when you have fluidity in that language, branch to another. If you must study more than one, stick to two, and use a schedule to keep them from getting confused with eachother.

As for forgetting your native tongue: it would probably take years. If you were stuck in rural China for two decades, yes, your English would probably get rusty. But hey, you'd know Chinese.

I disagree - I don't think you'd ever really forget ... unless you were a small child when you moved to china.

It should also be noted that immersing yourself in a language (moving to a different country) lets you learn much more quickly than from tapes/classes however else you would learn. It only took me 18 months or so to be fluent in french after moving there.

[The Truth and Light]

It should also be noted that immersing yourself in a language (moving to a different country) lets you learn much more quickly than from tapes/classes however else you would learn. It only took me 18 months or so to be fluent in frencg after moving there.

I believe in leverage. You need to be able to use your native tongue to slowly seep into the new language, then slowly, as you use the new language more and more, you stop seeing your native tongue in conjunction with the new language.

Basically, get to the point where you can process thoughts in a new language, and you're pretty close to fluent, I should say.

[Equimanthon]

I believe in leverage. You need to be able to use your native tongue to slowly seep into the new language, then slowly, as you use the new language more and more, you stop seeing your native tongue in conjunction with the new language.

Basically, get to the point where you can process thoughts in a new language, and you're pretty close to fluent, I should say.

Would disagree, I can say certain things in Spanish for example without having to internally translate, but I'm far from fluent.

[The Truth and Light]

I believe in leverage. You need to be able to use your native tongue to slowly seep into the new language, then slowly, as you use the new language more and more, you stop seeing your native tongue in conjunction with the new language.

Basically, get to the point where you can process thoughts in a new language, and you're pretty close to fluent, I should say.

Would disagree, I can say certain things in Spanish for example without having to internally translate, but I'm far from fluent.

Sure, but thinking in a new language is important.

[Kalaspia-Shimarata]

Is there any limit to the amount of languages that one person can retain?

Yes, provided that you heard them everyday till you talked. After you can speak...forget it!

[Kalaspia-Shimarata]

Yes, and Australia was a British colony.

If it hadn't been, maybe NS would be in Maori.

Nay, Max, assuming he's 100% European Aussie, would have most likely been born in the Americas or Britain were there no Australia. Though if we are assuming "no colonies", Britain.

The Americas were British too!...

[Ceannairceach]

Nay, Max, assuming he's 100% European Aussie, would have most likely been born in the Americas or Britain were there no Australia. Though if we are assuming "no colonies", Britain.

The Americas were British too!...

Yes, but he specifically said that if it wasn't for British colonialism, then this site wouldn't exist. I simply pointed out he'd have been born in Britain, were there no colonies. Though, thinking on it, there is still a chance he wouldn't, as the Ilse can only support so many people.

[Ashmoria]

I find it an interesting thought that someone might be able to "forget" their first language. Is this ever possible?

my mother grew up speaking lithuanian (in the united states) and spoke little english when she started school

she and her sister used to gossip in lithuanian so the kids wouldnt hear.

by the time she died at 77 she had a hard time dragging any lithuanian out of her memory.

[Kalaspia-Shimarata]

The Americas were British too!...

Yes, but he specifically said that if it wasn't for British colonialism, then this site wouldn't exist.

That is true because no USA=No internet. After all, the internet was developed for use by the US military, remember? Another reason why it wouldn't have existed is that there would have been no one to fight Communist Russia so there would have been no other idologies anyway...

[Ceannairceach]

Yes, but he specifically said that if it wasn't for British colonialism, then this site wouldn't exist.

That is true because no USA=No internet. After all, the internet was developed for use by the US military, remember? Another reason why it wouldn't have existed is that there would have been no one to fight Communist Russia so there would have been no other idologies anyway...

The internet most likely would have been invented; And someone else, perhaps Germany, would have conquered America. But this is not a alt history thread. I suggest we stop before we derail it further.

[The Archregimancy]

The experience of my family and my wife's family suggests that you'll only entirely forget a first language if you stop using it when you're under five.

Five and older, and you'll probably never entirely forget it, even though it's not unlikely that you'll lose fluency (depending on context and amount of contact with people who also speak your original first language).

For the record, I've changed my first language twice over the course of my life (English -> French -> English), and my wife once (Russian -> English). I last switched at the age of 10, my wife switched at the age of 6. I'm in my early 40s, she's in her late 30s.

[Chumblywumbly]

I'm not particularly fond of English for its attempting to conquer all other languages (the american version) I also think it's bland...

In what way?

English is a vastly flexible, reflective language.