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For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

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Re: For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

#51

Post by dheera »

pcthrowaway wrote: post #25
aragonite wrote: post #17

In my observation of non-native speakers working & living in the US (a group to which I belong), there's also something special about number-words. If you are a non-native speaker, even if you boast near-perfect English pronunciation and fluency, and are accustomed to using English in all aspects of your life, not just for communication but for e.g. personal note-taking, and even if you haven't spoken/written your na…

(as a native English speaker who has spent some time in India) I have such a hard time thinking of numbers in terms of Lakh and Crore, I find even if I can remember the number of decimal places represented by each one, I almost have to visualize the number and move the commas in my mind to be able to make sense of them.

Chinese also splits numbers differently than English. In Chinese it's every 4 digits, instead of every 3 digits as in English. There is a word for 1e4 (萬), 1e5 is 10萬, 1e6 is 100萬, 1e7 is 1000萬, and there is a word again for 1e8 (億).

Re: For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

#52

Post by dron57 »

ajuc wrote: post #27
EXOpool wrote: post #26

I truly wonder what dedication one would have to have in order to learn 54 languages. That is just the most impressive even if you know the language at a basic level. Quote from the article: "including one who spoke 54 languages with at least some proficiency."

Once you know Russian, Polish and Serbian - you know all Slavic languages basically. Maybe Albanian will give you some problems. That's like 15 for the price of 3. There's probably similar shortcuts in other language families.

Albanian is not a Slavic language at all.

Re: For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

#53

Post by Havoc »

Tmpod wrote: post #11
Havoc wrote: post #9

Presumably they’ve adjusted for actual use? I grew up with German as first but find English (2nd) easier thanks to more use. And same for third lang (Afrikaans) - ease feels directly correlated to usage not order

I think perhaps both use and order have an effect on the cognitive effort one has to put in to speak in a language. You probably started learning English at a fairly young age (less than 15?), which certainly helped you cement it as a "native" language. Yet, it is interesting that you report Afrikaans as being easier than German. When did you start learning it?

You're right - was at a young age. School enforced 3x lang minimum.

>Afrikaans as being easier than German

It definitely is. Most places quote hours to learn as substantially higher (~30%) for German and in practice it feels even higher. Afrikaans average conversational level feels simpler too.

>When did you start learning it?

German 1st and then English and Afrikaans bit later maybe like 10? School medium of instruction alternated German/English

Re: For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

#54

Post by mzs »

FredPret wrote: post #46
mzs wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've encountered that as well. Someone at work tells me a number of something to check in English, I have to write it down. I can't even see the number in my head. It's the complete opposite if someone tells me say a phone number in Polish. I lived less than a year outside of the US since October 1981.

What was emigrating from Poland in 1981 like?

I don't want to be off topic so in short you come-up with a plausible reason for travel to then Yugoslavia which takes you by rail through Vienna and spend time at Traiskirchen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traiskirchen#Refugee_Camp_(Bun...

Re: For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

#55

Post by mzs »

evertedsphere wrote: post #43
aragonite wrote: post #17

In my observation of non-native speakers working & living in the US (a group to which I belong), there's also something special about number-words. If you are a non-native speaker, even if you boast near-perfect English pronunciation and fluency, and are accustomed to using English in all aspects of your life, not just for communication but for e.g. personal note-taking, and even if you haven't spoken/written your na…

My impression from having asked people about this exact problem—I meet plenty of recent immigrants here in Paris—is this goes away quickly if you have to, say, work a customer-facing job where handling money is part of your duties, but much slower otherwise. (Of course, you can also simulate that experience by drilling this for ten minutes a day until it becomes second nature.)

Not really though in my personal experience. You only need to learn conventions about how to say currency values out loud because you enter the numbers at a register and it presents you with a total that you read out like, "That'll be twenty-one oh seven," or, "twenty one dollars and seven cents please." All the money handling and change making you do in numbers in your head.

Re: For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

#56

Post by ozim »

mzs wrote: post #54
FredPret wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What was emigrating from Poland in 1981 like?

I don't want to be off topic so in short you come-up with a plausible reason for travel to then Yugoslavia which takes you by rail through Vienna and spend time at Traiskirchen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traiskirchen#Refugee_Camp_(Bun...

Hijacking planes was another popular route.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOT_Polish_Airlines_Flight_1...

Re: For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

#57

Post by FredPret »

mzs wrote: post #54
FredPret wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What was emigrating from Poland in 1981 like?

I don't want to be off topic so in short you come-up with a plausible reason for travel to then Yugoslavia which takes you by rail through Vienna and spend time at Traiskirchen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traiskirchen#Refugee_Camp_(Bun...

Unbelievable. Glad you made it.

Re: For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

#58

Post by FredPret »

ozim wrote: post #56
mzs wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want to be off topic so in short you come-up with a plausible reason for travel to then Yugoslavia which takes you by rail through Vienna and spend time at Traiskirchen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traiskirchen#Refugee_Camp_(Bun...

Hijacking planes was another popular route. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOT_Polish_Airlines_Flight_1...

Incredible - they guy got his freedom. These stories are as inspiring as they are tragic.

Re: For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

#59

Post by nyanmatt »

I've noticed something else particular to my native tongue. It lacks emotion. I just don't really know how to express myself in English. I can speak very technically and logically, but I'm stumped when it comes to matters of the heart.

My Japanese, on the other hand, isn't fluent, but I'm able to tap into way more emotion. It feels as if I'm singing when I nail a great sentence in nihongo. It really lands with the listener and I feel emotionally connected in that moment.

Could this be related to the increased brain activity required for foreign language?

Re: For polyglots, there's something special about their native tongue

#60

Post by ajuc »

dron57 wrote: post #52
ajuc wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once you know Russian, Polish and Serbian - you know all Slavic languages basically. Maybe Albanian will give you some problems. That's like 15 for the price of 3. There's probably similar shortcuts in other language families.

Albanian is not a Slavic language at all.

Meant Bulgarian/Macedonian, my bad.
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