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MarathonKnitter
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question for those who speak another language
do you ever find yourself spelling/saying words in the other language when writing in english?
to answer my own question:
i speak spanish
i find myself saying words like individual and chocolate to myself as i spell them. they are spelled the same in both languages, and i just have a better time spelling the darn words if i "hear" it in spanish.
or am i the only freak?
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Posted 5/27/09 12:13 PM  |
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GioiaMia
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Hmm I can't think of words like that in Italian BUT I often pronounce words in "italian" the first time I see them and then I realize that they are English words. LOL
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| Posted 5/27/09 12:17 PM |
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LoveyQ
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Re: question for those who speak another language
I'm also fluent in Spanish and my issue is more that sometimes I can ONLY think of a word in one language or the other (like say I'm speaking english and trying to say something, sometimes I can only come up with the spanish word and the english word eludes me, or vice versa).
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| Posted 5/27/09 12:59 PM |
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GioiaMia
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Posted by MrsQ-in2007
I'm also fluent in Spanish and my issue is more that sometimes I can ONLY think of a word in one language or the other (like say I'm speaking english and trying to say something, sometimes I can only come up with the spanish word and the english word eludes me, or vice versa).
This happens to me when I am mad/passionate about something - I feel like Ricky Ricardo!  I just want to start screaming in Italian!
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| Posted 5/27/09 1:09 PM |
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MarathonKnitter
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Member since 2/07 17374 total posts
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Posted by Tilde
Posted by MrsQ-in2007
I'm also fluent in Spanish and my issue is more that sometimes I can ONLY think of a word in one language or the other (like say I'm speaking english and trying to say something, sometimes I can only come up with the spanish word and the english word eludes me, or vice versa).
This happens to me when I am mad/passionate about something - I feel like Ricky Ricardo! I just want to start screaming in Italian!
same here
the worst is when you're in a work-related scenario and you're doing your best to look smart, and all you want to do is "break out the ... (fill in the language)"
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| Posted 5/27/09 2:32 PM |
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yankinmanc
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Re: question for those who speak another language
As a foreigner in an English speaking country, I can tell you that I do have trouble sometimes with the dates, the UK does their date day/month/year, and I often can get the date wrong, also, I use the Queens English spelling (honour, colour, humour, analyse, despatch) a lot without realising it.
Sometimes I have to make a conscious effort to spell things the American way here.
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| Posted 5/27/09 2:39 PM |
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tourist
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Re: question for those who speak another language
My DH's Grandma spoke 3 languages & there were some words she just couldn't remember in English she would say in French, which as an adult, was the language she spoke the least often but I guess it was just a French item/situation to her.
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| Posted 5/27/09 4:30 PM |
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smdl
I love Gary too..on a plate!
Member since 5/06 32461 total posts
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Re: question for those who speak another language
No I never spell in French first. It's different words anyway. I also never think in French first when I speak.
But I do have issues with numbers. I still add numbers in my head in French. I found that it's very common to do that when I talked to people born overseas.
I do have issues with measures. oz, pint, etc... I HATE THE MEASUREMENT system. I cannot understand why someone thought it was great to talk in fractions and add fractions. I miss my metrics. It's so much easier! Oh well!!
I still have issues with money. When I was a teenager $20 was about 140 French Francs (which no longer exist now anyway!). So to this day, anything less than the number 100 is "cheap" in my mind. Except it's in dollars not francs. So I can spend $50 like it's nothing. But if I were to convert to french franc I would be 
ETA: speaking about dates. I also have a hard time still coming to grip that SUNDAY is the 1st day of the week. Why is Sunday part of the weekend if it's the 1st day of the week? Monday is STILL the 1st day of the week in my mind.
I have only been living here for 15 years. Maybe some will sink in eventually!
Message edited 5/27/2009 6:21:03 PM.
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| Posted 5/27/09 6:18 PM |
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SummerMom
Now a mom of 2!
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Posted by racheeeee
I use the Queens English spelling (honour, colour, humour, analyse, despatch) a lot without realising it.
Heehee, ironic - you wrote "realising."
I learned Spanish in high school / college and have taught it for 8 years now. It's not my native language, but when I get mad, I'm with you other "Ricky Ricardo" girls - I just explode in Spanish. It's so weird! My native language is English! My poor husband, who doesn't speak a word of Spanish, gets very frightened.
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| Posted 5/27/09 6:19 PM |
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KartveliT
...
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Posted by racheeeee
As a foreigner in an English speaking country, I can tell you that I do have trouble sometimes with the dates, the UK does their date day/month/year, and I often can get the date wrong, also, I use the Queens English spelling (honour, colour, humour, analyse, despatch) a lot without realising it.
Sometimes I have to make a conscious effort to spell things the American way here.
I used to have the same problem when I came to America and often still do. Back home I learned "English English" not "American English" so it was very hard for me to get used to saying words and spelling words American way,lol. Oh and same with the date. Back home I was used to D/M/Y so I had to get used to that. I also had a very hard time getting used to AM and PM since we use military time( I think that's what it's called ?) back in my "old country"
Also had a hard time(and still do sometimes) with LBS and OZ or Feet and Inches
and to answer the OP no I do not spell in Georgian (or Russian) first, that would be impossible and I think in English when speaking English.
Message edited 5/27/2009 6:30:20 PM.
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| Posted 5/27/09 6:24 PM |
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klingklang77
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Posted by racheeeee
As a foreigner in an English speaking country, I can tell you that I do have trouble sometimes with the dates, the UK does their date day/month/year, and I often can get the date wrong, also, I use the Queens English spelling (honour, colour, humour, analyse, despatch) a lot without realising it.
Sometimes I have to make a conscious effort to spell things the American way here.
I am similar. I got my dates down, but I can't get cm and mm or Celsius at all. Grams and kg are no problem. The temperature thing spins me out. I don't see a difference between 18 and 22, even though there is more than say 18-22 F.
I also speak German and I find myself getting confused with spelling of words that are similar. Like Maschine. I also get confused with ie and ei. In German the two sounds are different and I got that down, but in English I find myself getting confused. I also have to think about Ws and Vs before I write them. With any word that I find the spelling difficult I try to sound it out like German where every letter is pronounced, but that doesn't happen in English all the time. Oh well. Thank god for spell check with Firefox.
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| Posted 5/27/09 6:28 PM |
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SweetestOfPeas
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Re: question for those who speak another language
depends who I am speaking to. I speak Hebrew (albeit not as good as I used to) and when talking to my parents, I will sometimes answer in Hebrew... or, if they forget that I can in fact understand when they speak it to each other, I will jump in with my reply in Hebrew - just to remind them that I have not forgotten the language 
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| Posted 5/27/09 7:35 PM |
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4monkeys
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Re: question for those who speak another language
YES YES, totally understand! I "think" in Italian for many things, certain phone numbers (that I learned in Italian, I can only recite them in my mind in Italian when dialing )
or just things that I happened to learn in Italian first, my brain goes there first.
Im also fluent in Spanish (but dont use it daily like ITalian)
im currently tutoring in ITalian AND spanish, sometimes on the same day, and  I get crosseyed and confused some days
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| Posted 5/27/09 8:38 PM |
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MissJones
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Posted by smdl
ETA: speaking about dates. I also have a hard time still coming to grip that SUNDAY is the 1st day of the week. Why is Sunday part of the weekend if it's the 1st day of the week? Monday is STILL the 1st day of the week in my mind.
:
This bothers me immensely! I totally agree with you here!
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| Posted 5/27/09 9:01 PM |
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stickydust
Now a mommy of 2!!!
Member since 4/06 3164 total posts
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Posted by MrsQ-in2007
I'm also fluent in Spanish and my issue is more that sometimes I can ONLY think of a word in one language or the other (like say I'm speaking english and trying to say something, sometimes I can only come up with the spanish word and the english word eludes me, or vice versa).
This happens to me! If I am speaking in English I think in English and if I am speaking in Spanish then I think in Spanish.
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| Posted 5/27/09 9:19 PM |
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JessInCA
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Member since 8/06 5082 total posts
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Jess
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Not exactly the same thing, but I know more than one foreign language, and often I'll be thinking/speaking/writing in one, and get to a word I don't remember well, and will instinctually want to substitute the equivalent word from the OTHER language that I know. It's as though my brain is already in "non-English" mode, and thinks one language is as good as the other
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| Posted 5/28/09 12:11 AM |
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yankinmanc
Happy Days!
Member since 8/05 18208 total posts
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Posted by klingklang77
Posted by racheeeee
As a foreigner in an English speaking country, I can tell you that I do have trouble sometimes with the dates, the UK does their date day/month/year, and I often can get the date wrong, also, I use the Queens English spelling (honour, colour, humour, analyse, despatch) a lot without realising it.
Sometimes I have to make a conscious effort to spell things the American way here.
I am similar. I got my dates down, but I can't get cm and mm or Celsius at all. Grams and kg are no problem. The temperature thing spins me out. I don't see a difference between 18 and 22, even though there is more than say 18-22 F.
I also speak German and I find myself getting confused with spelling of words that are similar. Like Maschine. I also get confused with ie and ei. In German the two sounds are different and I got that down, but in English I find myself getting confused. I also have to think about Ws and Vs before I write them. With any word that I find the spelling difficult I try to sound it out like German where every letter is pronounced, but that doesn't happen in English all the time. Oh well. Thank god for spell check with Firefox.
I watch the weather every single morning, but I have no idea what the temperature is. I don't get Celsius at all. AND I have charts inside all my kitchen cupboards translating measurements & oven temps.
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| Posted 5/28/09 3:51 AM |
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klingklang77
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Member since 7/06 11489 total posts
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Völlig losgelöst
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Posted by racheeeee
I watch the weather every single morning, but I have no idea what the temperature is. I don't get Celsius at all. AND I have charts inside all my kitchen cupboards translating measurements & oven temps.
Whew. I don't feel so alone now. I put everything in my oven on 180 C b/c that is all I know. When a recipe calls for another temp I have to look it up! onlineconversion.com is my friend.
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| Posted 5/28/09 5:53 AM |
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4monkeys
boys will be boys =)
Member since 9/05 7205 total posts
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:)
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Re: question for those who speak another language
Posted by JessInCA
Not exactly the same thing, but I know more than one foreign language, and often I'll be thinking/speaking/writing in one, and get to a word I don't remember well, and will instinctually want to substitute the equivalent word from the OTHER language that I know. It's as though my brain is already in "non-English" mode, and thinks one language is as good as the other
I can completely relate to this, and it happens when im tutoring ! 
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| Posted 5/28/09 7:20 AM |
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toni-mike
???????
Member since 10/07 1196 total posts
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Toni
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Re: question for those who speak another language
I understand Italian better than I can speak it . Different dialects confuse me still  but if iam talking in english & i cant think of the word I want to use , that I only know in italian, i hesistate & try to rack my brain with the english version..
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| Posted 5/28/09 10:43 AM |
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