Will you forget about your native language if you live in another country?

[TheHandThatThieves]

I'd have to say almost certainly not - English is far too ingrained in my brain after nearly 21 years to just forget about it if I was living somewhere where it was not the lingua franca. I'd definitely make a considerable effort to learn the local tongue but I'd most probably still use English an awful lot.

[shamzblueworld]

I don't think you can ever forget your native language, but it depends upon how much time you spent home and abroad, if a 12 years old kid goes abroad and returns home when he is 60, it is highly possible that he wont be comfortable speaking in his native language anymore, but if you have spoken your native language for some 20+ years then it runs in your blood and you wont be able to forget it even if you do not speek it for 50 years. So mainly it depends upon how much you have studied your native language or at least how much you have spoken it and know in the first place.

[Daimashin]

It isn't going to be possible for me. As much as I use a foreign language with everyone I talk to, in the end when I get home, I'm still going to use my native language. Even if I live alone, I still use my native when I'm talking to myself, be it out loud or in my mind.

[jdent5936]

I could actually see this happening very easily. I lived in Spain for about one year. I barely spoke any English while I was there. There were many words that took me a second to remember when I came back home to the states. I could also see it being even more possible for somebody who doesn't have a mother language of English. For example, if you speak Farsi or something more obscure, there is a good chance you may almost have zero chance to speak your native language. This could definitely cause you to forget quite a few words.

[xbrix]

I don't think that would be possible for me. After speaking a language for all of these years, how could I just forget every word that I've learned.

[LivetoErr]

I live in a country that doesn't speak my native language; however, that has not prevented me from speaking in my native tongue.

I still speak my native language at home, as well as, with friends who also speak my language. The local people, who are learning my native language, prefer to practice, their new language, on me as well. Therefore, there are ample opportunities for me to continue using my native language.

However, if, for whatever reason, you find yourself forgetting your native language, practice it too. I believe, you should do whatever, you need to do, to retain your native language; being bilingual, opens a whole world of opportunity monolingual people cannot even imagine.