Language is elusive

[alpacinou]

Hello

In my language there is a saying the literally translates to "language is elusive".

It means that you have to keep repeating the material you learn otherwise "it will escape" from you.

For example, if you don't study English for 6 months, all the material you have learned will escape from your brain!

How can that be expressed in English?

 

[GoesStation]

A general expression of the principle is If you don't use it, you lose it. This obviously doesn't apply only to language.

Anglophone cultures are typically so resistant to learning languages that few if any common expressions relate to the subject.

 

[emsr2d2]

I frequently use the shorter "Use it or lose it".

 

[probus]

Interestingly, though, alpacinoutd, the loss is only temporary. For the most part, my wife and I live our lives in English. When she returns to her native place, she is tongue-tied for a day or two in her mother tongue. I find that when I visit France it takes a couple of days before my ear for French begins to work and I become fluent. (French is my second language.)