I immigrated to the United States about ten years ago, while pretty much fluent in English, though not without flaws in my ability to speak and write English; Speaking more so than writing (thank you grammar check…).
I am fluent in two languages, and can speak to a certain degree, a few other languages as well. I often catch myself feeling stupid when I make what could be considered a stupid mistake in English for someone in my profession and with my educational background.
It occurs naturally since I am not just multi-lingual, I immigrated to the United States, and transitioned from speaking one language that is significantly different than English most of the day (my mother tongue) to speaking English most of the day. I find myself thinking in one language and then actually verbally expressing myself in the other – English!
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In between, something sometimes goes awfully wrong, and what comes out, can range from embarrassing to damn right stupid. For example, in my mother tongue you “open” the light, since the word used would literally be translated as “open” rather than “turn on” the light. It is not that I am not aware that the proper form is to say “turn on” the light, rather that I am thinking in one language and then speaking in another, without making the proper adjustment in time.
Another example, that my wife Jayme just reminded me of is that I sometimes say “close the TV” rather than shut the TV. With my students I often confuse a make-up exam with a re-take, making them think they can re-take an exam (not happening guys…sorry!).
The principle of the matter is that the easiest way out for my brain seems to be translating the word in my mother tongue literally into English, rather than taking the time to apply the correct phrase to use, while making little sense in proper English. The amazing part is that I am aware that I do this, and it still happens, mind you less and less as time passes, or so it seems.
Another truly annoying phenomenon (to me) is of the more physical nature. There are sounds that are very hard for me to pronounce in English, since they are rarely used in my mother tongue. I guess your tongue and jaw get used to pronouncing certain sounds over the course of so many years, to the point that other sounds become hard to pronounce. I guess, this is my way to say, I have an accent, and it appears in all its “glory” the harder something is for me to pronounce.
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Not only that my accent will appear, I jaw often gets stuck physically unable to move and pronounce the sounds at all or correctly. It makes me feel stupid, and maybe makes me look extremely stupid too. I immediately have the need to apologize and explain, which usually works, but is annoying.
If often reminds me of the great extent of research showing that people that stutter are very intelligent, though often perceived as the opposite. I ask myself if immigrants and the attacks against immigrants might partially be explained by the misperception of immigrants as being stupid because of linguistic disadvantages? – Did someone research this by any chance?
Jayme did assure me today that it has been occurring less and less as time passes. I agree and find that there a few phrases that still get me every time still, yet overall, I am getting better, as I undergo “Americazation”, including language wise. Anyhow, I guess some of my points, thought, feelings and more are literally…lost in the translation!
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