Loosing a Language? | Page 1 | - The b***h About Your Life Subforum - | Guild Forums

Gaia Guilds

[ B U R N :: the everything guild ]

The Everything Guild... For Everyone, Everywhere. Designed with you in mind, to help you make the very most out of your Gaia experience!

Tags: charity, contests, reality, advice, gold

- The b***h About Your Life Subforum -

Loosing a Language?

[ Hoodie ]

Dapper Elocutionist

Offline

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 12:29 pm

This is frustrating, I have been learning Japanese since I was a sophomore in high school, got my associates in it, spoke with two Japanese women on a daily basis. Quintessentially I have been learning and speaking the language for 9 years? (my high school has a quarter system so it took less time to complete a course.) And now that I have transferred to a 'real' university, my conversational friends have moved back to Japan and I haven't taken courses in it for 2 years? I am slowly loosing my linguistic abilities. gonk

My significant other said that if I was truly 'fluent' in it, then I wouldn't loose it. However, I doubt this is the case for many people who are submersed in a culture where the main languages are English and Spanish by default. And have no real abilities to practice any other language because it isn't prevalent in societies every day use.(yay americuh or california.) Sure I can weedle my way in to groups of Japanese people but it isn't that frequent as it used to be. And my one friend who is Japanese American will not practice with me unless cornered <--- he'd rather speak English.

What is frustrating as well as sources in which I used to practice with such as Smart.fm are now pay per month - essentially stealing people's resources that they created for other people to benefit off of to make a profit.

So how am I supposed to study and practice when no one wants to practice with me other than two of my coworkers who are relative 'noobs' at the language thus far. There is only so much reviewing of my old noto and watching of anime or drama's that I can do within the frame work of collegiate work and retail werk.

it makes me want to go KDAKDLAHFDAFANDKJCANCA DHA

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 1:21 pm

That thing about never losing a language if you're truly fluent in it is total bullshit. Studies have proven that in order to maintain fluency in any language, you have to use it and be exposed to it fairly regularly. I'm not sure about how frequently you have to use it or be exposed to it, though.

I don't know what to tell you about how to practice. Maybe you could find some online video chat group that exclusively uses Japanese?

Irako of the Desert
Vice Captain

Earnest Paladin

18,600 Points

Offline

Kitalpha Hart

Feline Phantom

9,500 Points

Offline

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 1:32 pm

not losing it when truly fluent? bullshit
i don't remember very much ASL, and i was fairly fluent at one point in it. i've spoken to others about it. one guy doesn't remember it at all, and another only remembers it when drunk, for example.

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2012 6:51 pm

My friend is fluent in French and she was having similar problems to you.

In order to help her she would listen to pod-casts and other recording in French and she would read a lot of articles in French.
Even with these attempts she still felt rusty in French.

There is probably a website out there that you could find someone to speak to in Japanese if you had a microphone or a webcam.

systematic_individual

Liberal Ladykiller

Offline

ZKPeach

Apocalyptic Capitalist

8,875 Points

Offline

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:49 pm

My grandpa is slovak and use to be able to speak it very well but now he's lost it. I don't know any other language too well. I use to know some Bulgarian but since my Bulgarian friends went home I can barely remember it. The only way I keep a hold of some of it is either talking to myself (I'm weird) or replacing some of my words with the other language on an everyday basis. Not sure how well that would help you but it's worth a try I think.

Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 2:00 am

You could watch video in Japanese on you tube or see if there are any tiny chat type events. I often see adds for pen pals on J-list but I do not know if they are legitimate or not. Is there a Japanese society where you live? There is one here in New Orleans.

BTW there are about three fluent speakers over in the LSG guild. If you join and make a post in Japanese and they will probably answer.

Good luck with the studies. Yes, if you do not use it you can loose it.

Deaux

Offline

- The b***h About Your Life Subforum -

Welcome to Gaia! ::

Gaia Guilds

[ B U R N :: the everything guild ]

Quick Reply

More Information