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Thread: Thinking in Accents/Languages

  1. #1
    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Thinking in Accents/Languages

    I had a friend who spoke German and her entire memory as a child is IN German. Now that I've been in Australia awhile, when I talk about America I get an American accents! When I think about Australia, it's Aussie! If I tell someone I once went into the market in America, I got BAY-ZIL. If I went to the market last week I got Bahzil!

    Anybody else from a multicultural life notice this?


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    God/dess PaigeDWinter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    I thought in 4 languages when I was a child. I cant say that I have in a long time, however. I do, however, thinkin math sometimes... I work with a kid from Germany, and he still thinks in German. I also danced with a girl from Japan who admitted that she does not think in English at all!
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    Veteran Member Paisley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    I thought in both French and Spanish as a child. I still do depending on the environment. I often have dreams in French and Spanish as well. My dad thinks in Mandarin and a little bit in Cantonese when appropriate.


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  4. #4
    mermaidnz
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    when i hung out with brazillians for day on end, id pick up their accent in my thoughts only. i didnt suddenly gain and accent or anything, but id catch myself thinking with a brazillian accent.

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    Veteran Member Aprilleigh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    OMG!
    i was just thinking about this yesterday and then spoke to my partner about it. he looked at me like i was crazy!
    i was saying how people with english a second language, must think in their native language first, then be 'translating in their head' as they speak it in english.

    i don't know any languages well enough to speak fluent sentences, but when i'm mucking around and speaking german, i'm subconciously thinking the translation in english in my head

    maybe it's all the drugs from my surgery, but michael kind of looked at me like this:

    i think it's cute morrigan, i switch accents when talking to different people, i slide very easily back to a slight pommy twang when talking around english. it's been 13 years since i last visited england and i only lived there during kindergarten, but seeing that you learn most of your words and vocabulary in those early years, the slight accent stuck. i'm pure (well spoken) aussie round everyone else.
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    I think I have some sort of language switch in my brain. Mostly it's just English and Other. When I'm talking in another langauge sometimes I'll accidently mix my French with my Hebrew or German.

    But I totally understand what you are talking about. There are things that I have a hard time even describing in something other than Hebrew. I think that's because I learned that the earliest.

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    Veteran Member The one and only Raven's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    I took French for 4 years back in HS. I started to translate songs I'd hear into French in my head. That wasn't so bad until I started thinking in French... As far as accents go, I have noticed that I will pick up a slight accent depending on who I am talking with. Weird, but can't help it.

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    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    ^ Ha, you have no idea how many times I've mixed my Japanese and Spanish. Once I said to a guy, "Si, senor, watashi wa Morrigan, desu. Y tu?" XD Like... DAMNIT!

    -----

    Yeah even when I speak in English, I get a Mexican accent when I start talking to people about Mexico (my father his hispanic). Then American when talking about America and Australian when talking about Australia. SO WEIRD. And that's just accents.

    It must me so difficult for languages.

    Sometimes I translate in my head, too. "Oregano" Or-eh-gah-noe. Or-eh-g-no.

    My speech therapist noticed when I talked about my day my Aussie accent was thick but when I talked about where I grew up I'd CONSTANTLY correct my accent because I'd say the American varient first.

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  9. #9
    aussiepunkshocker
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    Yep, I still think (and post on the internet :-D) with an English accent mostly and in my mind I have alot of heavy sarcasm. Aussies really don't get sarcasm though so it's something I've toned down alot over the years. Aussies generally tell me I still sound English anyway but my accent is nowhere near as strong as it was when I first came here and no-one could understand what I said. Occasionally my thoughts will have an Aussie twang, or someone elses accent who I've heard and a phraze they've said has stuck in my mind.

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    God/dess PookaShell's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    I've always thought about people dreaming in different accents/languages....

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    Veteran Member Aprilleigh's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    he he.....last night i got picked on coz i was talking completly aussie, then managed to say i was a d-ah-ncer, not a d-aa-nca (dancer)
    so now i have people chanting: d-ah-nce (dance) / pr-ah-nce (prance) and come from Fr-ah-nce (france)

    so refined aren't we.......
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    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    Oh god, my boyfriend is half pommie and I'm ALWAYS saying dahnce. I wanna stabbity him because HE'S the one who told me Aussies say that. NO YOUR DAMN POMMIE ASS DOES! YOU'RE NOT HELPING!

    And now my speech therapists hate him because I pick up British vocabulary with him


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    God/dess kitty260's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    I took German in university. I couldn't stay focused on the language while I was in the class but I don't know how many times I caught myself writing my notes in German during the class immediately after. The craziest thing was that I wouldn't even catch myself doing it until I had written three or four pages. It's so annoying!
    \

  14. #14
    aussiepunkshocker
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    I just cannot no matter how hard I try comfortably pronounce the word "dance' the Aussie way. I also have confussed moments where Im not sure which way to pronounce some words. Dance I know I'll cop shit 90% of the time for saying like I do, but I just cant say it the Aussie way. The words "Vitamins" and "yogart" on the other hand, sometimes I just cant remember which way is English and which is Aussie, it's strange.
    I still occasionally drop the 't" in the middle of water too, lol.

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    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    ^ Hahahaha, that reminds me when I was practicing my 't's in Aussie (Americans don't pronounce their 't's as my therapist showed me). My boyfriend's Pommie mum was all, "Yes, remember to PRONOUNCE your ts at the end of your words!" And I said, "Coming from a woman who doesn't pronounce them in the middle of hers!" ...she thought for a second, "Yeah... you're right there."


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  16. #16
    aussiepunkshocker
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    Lol - your boyfriends family are from London or the south of England?
    Aussies often pronounce "ts" as a "d" sound in the middle of words - another thing I find difficult. (And Im glad it doesnt sound like your learning bogan, lol!) When I first came here I remember being introduced to a guy called "Breadie" and one day I asked him how he got his nickname cos I thought it was odd to be named after a loaf of bread. He just looked at me really strangely. Lol - months later I realised his name is Bretty but it just doesnt sound like I would expect it to. I think it clicked after meeting a guy whos name I had seen written down as "Smithy" but was introduced to as "Smiddy"

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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    Yeah the basil gets me when it is written. When I read it is almost always Northern US English. I do however try to say car instead of ca.

    For Oregano I just used to say you know that green italian herb, starts with o.

    My experience with the Empress has taught me that she thinks in both, but still mainly Korean. It really comes out when she writes a message on the boards. So when she is with Koreans, I usually have to use Korean to get her attention, and when she is with english speakers it is ok. Yes sometimes in Korea or with Koreans I was/am completly ignored... then again finding an opeining in a forein language covnersation is a pain in the ass... that gap is just them thinking, and that is in either language.

    I know when I was learning Korean I would think in Korean.

    I can think bogan if I have to, but I don't really like to, execpt for comedy. I do have bogan days. I'm still trying to purge myself of them though.
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  18. #18
    Yekhefah
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    Default Re: Thinking in Accents/Languages

    I did that when I was in Australia too. My mother thought it was hilarious when she came to visit... my accent would switch back and forth depending on who I was talking to. I would talk to her and my stepfather in my normal Tennessee accent, then switch to a lovely Queensland ocker to ask someone for directions. My memories of Australia are all in an Australian accent, too.

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