LL-L "Language acquisition" 2003.12.12 (01) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 12.DEC.2003 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Mike <botas at club-internet.fr>
Subject: LL-L "Language acquisition" 2003.12.09 (01) [E]

Gary wrote:

> I have however noticed a few interesting points with
> continuously speaking a different language. Often when
> Germans speak English to me, I don't realise that
> they've spoken English, I understand it to the same
> level as I understand their German, and I don't think
> my brain's quick enough to distinguish...
>
> Words go. There are certain terms which are so common
> in German that I often think of the German term before
> the English one. I'm going to be moving soon so words
> like 'WG', 'Mitbewohner' etc. come more easily to me
> now than 'shared flat' or 'flat mate'. And I'm not
> even sure how I'd translate 'Verwaltung' without
> looking in a dictionary.
>
> I say things now like 'ach' and 'aua' more often that
> 'oh' and 'ow/ouch'.
>
> I've lost a lot of slang. When I'm back in England my
> friends use expressions that I haven't heard for a
> long time - I understand it, but would probably not
> think to produce it myself.
>
> I sometimes translate German expressions when using
> English, which although they have perfect grammar,
> sound foreign.
>
> I get a bit confused with prepositions nowadays. If
> you only ever hear a foreign preposition being used
> then you tend to use this in your own language too.
>
> My intonation is becoming more German when speaking
> English.
>
> The next thing I've noticed, which seems to be the
> latest development in my loss of English, is that I'm
> now occassionally using German word order when
> speaking English.

Ron has already answered this in detail.
Just one point I´d like to add: All these things you describe, Gary, seem to
me to be due to the fact that you switched (almost) completely away from one
language and immersed yourself
completely into another.
If you switch languages on a daily basis, e.g. speaking one at work, another
one at home (which was my case during practically all my adult life) then
the phenomena you describe might not
happen like that. At least I observed them in myself only to a very limited
extent.
Greetings to all, Mike Wintzer

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