23 June 2009

Learning a Language=Forgetting a Language

I haven't found any data on this, but I am telling you, the more of one language you speak, the less the overall number of words you know (I seem to have two kinds of vocabularies--the kind I can, and do use, and the kind that I can understand. "Knowing" fits into the usable words category here).

Since I don't use English as much anymore, I have started to forget words. The problem is, I'm even forgetting words that I haven't yet learned the German equivalent for. So I get into these frustrating moments where I can't express something because I have no word for it. Makes me think of poststructuralism.

Useful for writing a Master's thesis in English. Very useful.

Anyone else experienced similar things?

5 comments:

  1. Yes! I've thought about this before and I think you just have limited capacity. Learn new information and erases something old :-)

    Living in Finland now my Finnish has gotten a bit better again, but still I write my thesis in and talk to my friends in English every day so it's tough.

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  2. AUGH--I mentioned this on my blog but I seem to have a tiny language compartment in my brain and German is slowly being pushed out of it. I'm actually pretty sad about it. You saw my "Einigkeit" blunder...

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  3. It happens. It's normal. It's super annoying. I think only kids raised with multiple languages can really be bilingual, lucky punks. Though they will always count in the preferred language.

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  4. So true. I'm getting less and less proficient with English as my Spanish gets better and better. The thing is, I have three job interviews this week (in English), and I think it will be important to be articulate. Oh dear...

    As for writing your thesis, thesaurus.com or shift f7 in microsoft word are my close friends...

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  5. Ja, das stimt! (only I can't spell in german anymore. Sad.) Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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