JessiFox

We sound much the same in that aspect- I try to text in full sentences 99% of the time. If I'm in a real hurry or dealing with someone I'd rather not be talking to much at all I might use "b4" "u" and "k" but that's as far as I'll go. This shortening and text slang for every single thing really bothers me and it does make me worry about how language will continue evolving.

When I'm writing and typing, I feel that I too can express what I want to say to an extremely eloquent and grammatically correct level. When I read over my CV and cover letters I always think they sound much better compared to if I spoke them.

Well, I can certainly sympathize with that experience. Not to mention, you can correct your writing, think it over, make it what you want down to the letter. I often feel a little pressured and put on the spot in person; not only to verbalize my thoughts but all of the more subtle aspects of communication as well. The same hyper-awareness that's helpful in writing is awful in person.

I don't know that I've really done anything terribly silly, exactly. I've learned songs in the languages I'm learning and sung them to remember, I've tried to whole telanovela thing but it wasn't really for me...I will do movies/shows with appropriate subtitles, though. I had a friend who was into theater who liked to learn plays in other languages and then act them out.

I don't know if you can lose it completely...but I do think you can definitely lose fluency in it. I haven't spoken Spanish in years and now I struggle with it, conversing and reading especially. It really is a shame but it's one of those things you have to practice to keep, at least in my own experience.

I *can* be an excellent listener, but I must admit I'm not 100% of the time. When I'm feeling well enough and interested I can take in, consider and analyze every detail of a conversation or lecture...but other times I just drift through things a little.

I think that's a fantastic idea! I took Latin in High School and am hoping to pick it up again soon...and I would absolutely love a forum for that specifically with others interested in learning. I've always had a fascination with ancient languages.

Unfortunately I'm in the mentor-less camp, though I definitely would love to have one. I find it's so much easier to learn either in a classroom setting or with the structure of an actual teacher, at the very least. I'm doing it on my own for now, though.

Now that just makes me wonder if anyone really thinks it COULD be a substitute for actual learning. It's alright for the occasional web translation or trying to get a word or two right, but otherwise? It's not terribly effective for much more than that. Nor do I think it really tries to be.

When I learned Spanish, which started back in Middle school for me, we started in English but very quickly transitioned to Spanish. Before long you weren't allowed to use ANY English in her classroom. If you needed to say something that you didn't know how to you, you'd have to ask in Spanish "How do you say ___?" even if you had to ask for multiple words in the sentence you were hoping to convey. At the time it seemed a little strict to me, but it really, really helped and I DO think that's the ideal way to learn a language, is *in* that language as much as possible.

Later on, learning Latin, I was taught almost exclusively in English, with some Latin vocab and rules randomly thrown in. My education felt very disjointed and unrealistic and I've yet to become fluent in part because of that.

I always think of accents as some distinguishing feature of 'other'....in the same way that you wouldn't consider your native food 'ethic' even though others might. I don't think most people consciously consider their own speech as heavily accented, unless they've moved around a lot or really TRIED to develop a certain accent. I know just traveling from different parts of the States I'll get told that I have an accent frequently...and people usually don't know exactly how to place it either. I'm from Pennsylvania, so it's not as thick or recognizable as NY or Boston but people in the South especially will insist there is a decidedly 'Northern' accent. I know it's silly and even a bit petty, but I worry when I want to travel internationally that people will have no trouble distinguishing my accent as very American.

I really can't say that I've ever given it too much thought, except in how terrifying and isolating it could be. To not be able to communicate in the standard way? I certainly wouldn't volunteer for the position. However, if I were in that situation I suppose I would mostly write. I would learn sign language as well (I may do that anyway, honestly) but I don't think I'd feel comfortable or adept at using my hands as my primary means of communicating with others. Plus I can't lip read at all, and it seems that if you sign at all people expect that to come along in some sort of non-existent 'package deal' set up.

I took Spanish because we had to choose in Middle school between Spanish, French and German and it was the only one that appealed to me at the time. It brought out a passion for learning languages that I didn't know existed before, though, and I've wanted to learn as many languages as possible ever since. I do prioritize them for various reasons. Latin, Italian and Japanese for both practical and more aesthetic reasons. Chinese and French because they're wide-spread and likely to be of use for places I'd like to travel.

I suppose I'm in the 2 camp if you round up...English is my native language. At one point I spoke/understood Spanish quite fluently, but I haven't kept up with it and feel I really need to refresh quite a bit for it to count- so I give that one 1/2. I can also speak some Latin, but not conversationally at this point, so another 1/2 there.

There are other languages I know a few key phrases, numbers, and words in but it's very broken and inconsistent.

I had an extreme form of this as a child- my best friend and I literally had our own complete language. It was quite elaborate for little children...we had our own alphabet and pronunciation/grammar rules, it was written and spoken language.

Now I have a lot of different jokes/little variations with different people.

I don't really wish my native language were a different one altogether, but I'd have loved to grow up in the UK learning English instead of the United States. I doubt I could ever shut myself up if I had a British accent , the cadence and overall flow is so much more eloquent. In my experience, people just tend to carry themselves differently as well, in language and other expression; in a way that I prefer. Still, I would stick with English overall. I would have loved to grow up bilingual, though.

My mind can't always decide between languages in dreams! I'll generally start out in English, but sometimes switch back and forth speaking/reading/thinking in Latin or Spanish as well. It really all depends...I do dream in English most often, but it's not infrequent for other languages to be included in my dreams to some extent, sometimes even fully.

I have a variety of reasons, honestly. The most broad one being that I've just always wanted to...I've always loved the idea of being fluent in multiple languages, as many as possible for me. It's just always been something that appealed to me even from a very young age.

There's also the fact that it's a pretty good job skill in general, and in my profession especially can be a useful thing to have going for you. I also love learning and with learning the finer points of multiple languages, there's always more to do and learn. I think it sort of broadens the imagination and the mind in general...the ways you can think/write/express yourself when you make yourself think it out in multiple languages and how best to express it.

As an American myself, yes I'm afraid that in general we are...and it's a shame. I always hate when people talk about traveling here or there but have NO interest in learning the language. I can understand that not everyone has the capacity to be 100% fluent in every language they come across, but is it really too much to ask to learn enough to be conversational in the places you want to go? To me it's just a simple sign of respect to be able to communicate well enough that you aren't essentially a burden to those who have to deal with you. I've noticed far too many people who seem to think English should be the primary language *everywhere*...every place they travel and for everyone coming into the US as well. It is complete ignorance and really puts us at a disadvantage.

I think the biggest thing for me is immersing myself in the language regularly in a variety of settings....so if it's not a formal academic setting, all the more reason to integrate it into my daily life. I try to read books and even just things online regularly in the language I'm trying to maintain, I'll write and have conversations online with others in the language, I'll do a few "word of the day" kind of things to keep my braining interested and making new associations. Sometimes something as simple as listening to music or watching TV shows/movies in the language can be helpful. Sometimes I'll take something simple...from a single word to a phrase to a small poem even, and try to translate it smoothly into as many languages as I can. I find that it helps to be able to think in multiple languages naturally.

Certain sounds are very catchy and easy to roll off the tongue for me- fluid, liquid, soliloquy....some words are just happy ones to say .

I'm afraid I can get pretty shamefully lazy as well. I just try to remember my ultimate goals with language learning and how it means a good bit to me personally & professionally to know a variety of languages. Keeping an eye on the big picture tends to help my motivation, and for focus specifically I'll make mini-goals...degrees of fluency by a certain time, reading/writing a set amount, etc. to stay into it.

What DOES the cat's ass imply? The same thing as the bee's knees? I've never heard the cat one before..I'm not sure I like it, lol.

Did you receive it, would be the correct usage. Did received would never be accurate.

I know a lot of Canadians who prefer those types of spelling as well. I'm American, but I prefer colour and use it exclusively except when teaching children, because many of the teachers here mark it as incorrect.

Well it's definitely possible! I think if you're used to speaking multiple languages fluently and frequently; to the point where they're frequently a part of your thought process, there's no reason to suspect you couldn't dream or daydream in it. I've had bits and pieces of other languages in my dreams, but not entire dreams.