Language learners

[Spence94]

Any language learners about?

I am currently learning Chinese and would love to share some ideas on language learning.

Both on the practicality of learning the language and more nuanced and profound insights into learning the language, delving deep into another culture and the self actualizing benefits of the process of learning another language.

Leo mentioned a good one in his comprehension video:

"Language creates your reality"

I'm kinda trying to test this one out and it would be cool to share insights as my Mandarin improves. the more I learn, the more it seems like a great persuit for self actualizing in many different way.

Just thought I would start the thread, feel free to jump in.

Peace!

 

[Arthur]

From my experience, language gets fused with a way of thinking and attitude people have. 

It might be different if you are learning the language without ever living in the country. But if you pick up a language from everyday practice, and become fluent in it, the language becomes much more than a means of conveying information. 

When language penetrates into your thought process, when you start thinking in a specific language, it carries with it a subliminal weight. A sort of noncommunicable attitude. When you hear other people use certain words, they always have their own perspectives and attitude fused in their speech. When you mimic that to learn a language, the mind picks that meta-speech/meaning automatically. I am talking about a sort of deep cultural appropriation and attitude. 

I think you can't really be fluent in a language without living in the country it is used. To be fluent, your mind will have to start thinking in that language, which can take quite a bit of time. You can't talk freely when if you have to do a mental pause to translate every single word.

Also, at least for me, I find that I can't really think in more than 1 language. Thus, other languages are going in the background. I can still be fluent when I'm concentrating, but it is not as effortless.

[Spence94]

@Shiva yeah man if i wasnt currenty in China, there is no fucking way i would be learning the language aha. the constant exposure is a big source of motivation. Everyday the language kind of unwravels around you ( which is fucking awesome but it only happens if you keep up the study). even with my limited mandarin i find being in the country i dont think too much about it, like you said you literally enter the mind of the language and it seems to roll off much easier and you begin to respond much more effortlessly using the language you have acquired.

 

a big part of the process is that passive vocab that comes from the exposure。Living in the culure then makes it much more easy to activate that passive vocab through practice in your interactions.

Edited December 25, 2018 by Spence94

[Spence94]

@Arthur totally. I also find that my personality is different in the other language. this is partly probably due to the result of the mind and culural nuances associated with the language. Even with limited language under your belt, so much can be communicated through body languge and the meaning drawn from limited language. fluency however would certainly require a big effort and i doubt the same collective mind space of the language and culture could ever be accessed without being in the country of the language you are learning.

It is truly quite amazing to observe yourself effortlessy communicating in a language different to your native tounge. it goes to show how interconnected we are as both humans and the interconnected nature of the language. i always used to wonder how bilingual people thought. Did they translate in their head quickly? do they think in the other language? im.starting to see how yes you can eventually think in the language with enough exposure and use, but when it comes to the interaction and back and forth conversation itself, there isnt much room for pausing to think ( about translations). it really does become kinda effortless in a strange way.well i have at least had glimpses of that and the potential! aha.  

The process is a long difficult one at times but its fascinating to experience and it motivates me to continue to see how much more profound it can be as my ability improves.

Edited December 25, 2018 by Spence94

[katykat]

@Spence94 I'm currently learning Spanish using several online resources, primarily Coursera (auditing the course, so it's free) and DuoLingo phone app (also free).

I agree with you that it's amazing to observe yourself communicating in a new language. I picked up some Spanish phrases immediately and it felt effortless and even familiar, which blew my mind.

I've asked multilingual people whether they translate or think in each language and it seemed to depend on their experience with each language. If they learned a different language when they were young and/or for years and years, they were able to think in each language. If the different language was learned recently or later in life, they tend to translate because they are relating the new language to the one they know rather than learning it independently. I definitely translate and I'll be amazed when I'm able to think in Spanish... if ever. Are you translating?