Re: History of French

From: Mxsmanic (mxsmanic_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 09/18/04 

Date: Sat, 18 Sep 2004 22:50:22 +0200

Miguel Carrasquer writes:

> I don't think it's the first months.

More like the first weeks, if at all.

> If you're suddenly dumped into an environment where you
> don't speak the language, I can't imagine not spending every
> moment of my waking life honing my language skills
> (preferrably in combination with eating, drinking and
> otherwise surviving).

A lot of people will find all sorts of clever ways to avoid learning a
language even in exactly this kind of environment. Some people can live
in such an environment for decades and never learn the local language.

My great-grandmother spent over 70 years of her life in the United
States and never learned any English at all. I don't think it was a
lack of aptitude. And the fact that she still got by demonstrates that
the incentive isn't as strong as one might think.

There's a tremendous difference between not being able to speak any
language and not being able to speak more than one. The former is a
crippling handicap; the latter is an inconvenience.

> My parents had been immersed in Dutch for several years
> before I got around to learning it (in kindergarden). It
> took me just a few months to overtake them. So it's
> definitely not a matter of "how long".

It's a matter of how much they want to learn.

> But I'm sure a child below the threshold age would beat me
> anytime.

I've encountered children in that age group who seem to make little or
no progress in additional languages, perhaps also because of a lack of
motivation.

> Anyway, I think the first few months have nothing to do with
> it. It's been stated that the critical age is 5-7 years.

It has been stated that puberty is the critical age, too. I suppose it
depends on which way the dice roll.

> Is it a coincidence that ca. 5 years is also (at least in my
> case) the age that memory begins?

Nothing special happens to memory at that age. I remember things before
and after that age, and so do most other people I know.

> I have some scattered
> memories of when I was four, but the connected narrative
> doesn't start until age five or so.

I don't have a connected narrative even for last year, much less the age
of five.

> Is that a coincidence,
> or is it a consequence of having acquired language
> "natively", or is it that starting up the "long-term memory
> machine" takes away the capacity of learning new languages
> fast and effortlessly, the "L1 way"? I don't kow.

It's a coincidence. 

-- 
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

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