It works like a switch in your head. You consciously flip the switch to whatever language you want to use, but then afterwards you don’t really think about it. It can lead to situations where you forget to switch the language back to a common language before speaking to someone
I lived in Germany for a few years after graduating college with several years of French study under my belt, and there was a point as I was learning German where I would genuinely struggle remembering the right word for things. I’d reach for the German word, and my brain would give me the French word.
Worse was returning to the US. There would be times when I’d be talking and want to say a common word, like “trash can” and I could not for the life of me remember how to say it in English. All I’d get was the German word. I mean, I spent the first 18 years of my life being mono-lingual, and three years in a foreign country and I started forgetting my native tongue.
But the strangest is that now – after 20 years back in the US, when I can practically no longer speak German – it still sometimes happens to me that I’ll reach for a word and get the German one, and can’t remember the English word.
I only speak German and have only ever communicated in any medium in that language so it is difficult for me to place myself in the situation of being unsure which language I had used to say something.
Something felt wrong about this comment but it took a while to figure out what. It’s in English. I guess you meant you only communicate orally in German but it kinda confirms the original post.
It works like a switch in your head. You consciously flip the switch to whatever language you want to use, but then afterwards you don’t really think about it. It can lead to situations where you forget to switch the language back to a common language before speaking to someone
If you’re really fluent.
I lived in Germany for a few years after graduating college with several years of French study under my belt, and there was a point as I was learning German where I would genuinely struggle remembering the right word for things. I’d reach for the German word, and my brain would give me the French word.
Worse was returning to the US. There would be times when I’d be talking and want to say a common word, like “trash can” and I could not for the life of me remember how to say it in English. All I’d get was the German word. I mean, I spent the first 18 years of my life being mono-lingual, and three years in a foreign country and I started forgetting my native tongue.
But the strangest is that now – after 20 years back in the US, when I can practically no longer speak German – it still sometimes happens to me that I’ll reach for a word and get the German one, and can’t remember the English word.
I only speak German and have only ever communicated in any medium in that language so it is difficult for me to place myself in the situation of being unsure which language I had used to say something.
I have a doubt.
Something felt wrong about this comment but it took a while to figure out what. It’s in English. I guess you meant you only communicate orally in German but it kinda confirms the original post.
Sorry, it’s a stupid joke on the topic of the post.