Will you ever forget your native language if you immigrate as an adult?

[ShinkanPo]

Lets say if you move to a different country with a different language when you are 21, would you be unable to speak your native language after like 10 years.


I just got a call from a relative a few years ago and she is asking for help as she is stuck at CLT,NC the funny thing is she won't speak our language but she can understand everything I say but she just prefers to speak English strait when I asked her how come she said it was difficult because she already forgot about it!


Is that even possible? that in 10 years you are unable to articulate your mother language but can understand people speaking the said language kinda bizzare.

 

[electricfuneral]

I spoke Spanish and Portuguese before learning English and I find my reading comprehension went into the toilet as I haven't read any Spanish in a decade.

 

[uncommon]

Isnt there a story about how a guy forgets everything in 10 seconds because of a car crash, but he still remembers language and the piano because the language center is so well protected or something.

 

[ShinkanPo]

Wrong forum lol

Can we move this to a berry?

 

[BudKing8806]

Who the fuck migrates? You mean immigrate?

 

[ShinkanPo]

I spoke Spanish and Portuguese before learning English and I find my reading comprehension went into the toilet as I haven't read any Spanish in a decade.

Interesting I can see how that may affect some people

 

[44nutman]

Isnt there a story about how a guy forgets everything in 10 seconds because of a car crash, but he still remembers language and the piano because the language center is so well protected or something.

NO it was a girl in Hawaii, she forgets every thing from the day before, I watched the documentary.

 

[ShinkanPo]

Who the fuck migrates? You mean immigrate?

LOL

hahahaha yeah!

Migratory birds lol

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

I don't think you should have to unless you want to. That said, if you set down roots you should make sure the native tongue is your children's 1st language and your native tongue is their 2nd (if you want).

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

Who the fuck migrates? You mean immigrate?

It's not improper to say it that way, one of the definitions is if a person were to move from one area to another with intent to settle there.

 

[Son of Jamin]

If Walking Dead is to be taken serious, a couple of years could make you forget how to speak your native tongue.

Instead you talk some distorted garbage language!

 

[BudKing8806]

It's not improper to say it that way, one of the definitions is if a person were to move from one area to another with intent to settle there.

I'm just giving him shit. But, Google migrate vs. immigrate.

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

I'm just giving him shit. But, Google migrate vs. immigrate.

I'm just giving shit in return. And according to actual definition, you can use migrate as that description too.

 

[Seaside]

No it depends on age you immigrate. Teenagers (late teenagers) and adults et onwoard are way less likely to even after decades. Language centers are hard to destroy and well protected.

People who do lose language are those who immigrated as kids or say under 10 years of age and especially under say 6 or 7 and then did not really speak there language for many years or decades. They often forget a lot or all of it or stay at a very low level or get worse and go down to like mid A2 or low B1. I find only those real young under 6 or so forgwt completely. People who move before age 5 or 6 can even forget it all basically almost.

They say and i read that a language or languages you speak as a teenager all time fuses to your mind. Or when you learn a language as a adult but speak it for over a decade then it fuses.


As adult or teenager you could for example study french at you university 1 year or 2 and live in france for 1 year get to a B2 intermediate level. Then say move back to USA and not speak French really at all for next 2 decades and you would lose your french and not be fluent. Happens many people. I find people who say they lost a language lost it because they only knew it as young kids or because they learn as adult or late teenager but it was not there primary language the speak daily then they move back to home country and continue to speak they home languave for a decade and never really speak the foreign language again. So of course they will forget and have to relearn. But they should be able relearn faster.

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

If Walking Dead is to be taken serious, a couple of years could make you forget how to speak your native tongue.

Instead you talk some distorted garbage language!

Well, Rick is dealing with a large group of women there so..

 

[ShinkanPo]

If Walking Dead is to be taken serious, a couple of years could make you forget how to speak your native tongue.

Instead you talk some distorted garbage language!

Will you watch this shit show next week Boy?

 

[BEER]

Maybe if you force yourself to think the inherited speech, only read the inherited speech, and only speak the inherited speech.

Even then, it's highly unlikely that an adult with proper cognitive function would forget their native language.

 

[Vojislav]

I haven't spoke or read German in the last 5 years and I still understand the language and it's not my native language. I don't believe you can forget your native language.

 

[IIIIIIII]

Lets say if you move to a different country with a different language when you are 21, would you be unable to speak your native language after like 10 years.


I just got a call from a relative a few years ago and she is asking for help as she is stuck at CLT,NC the funny thing is she won't speak our language but she can understand everything I say but she just prefers to speak English strait when I asked her how come she said it was difficult because she already forgot about it!


Is that even possible? that in 10 years you are unable to articulate your mother language but can understand people speaking the said language kinda bizzare.

i think it depends on who you interact with when you move to the different country. my parents both moved to the u.s. at around that age, and their first language is still their predominant language. they can speak english, but there's a relatively thick accent when they speak it.

 

[IIIIIIII]

I spoke Spanish and Portuguese before learning English and I find my reading comprehension went into the toilet as I haven't read any Spanish in a decade.

i grew up speaking spanish, and once i entered school, english became my first language. i can still speak spanish, but nowhere as well as i used to. my mom always rags on me how i used to have beautiful spanish. well shit, it's hard to retain when you hardly use it.