What to do when language doesn't work?

[Jorgo]

Hi guys,

In this topic, I am adressing mostly to non-native speakers, but native speakers and professors are more than welcome to contribute, as well.

So, what to do when foreign language (English) doesnt work for you? I am sure that I am pretty much fluent, because I have been using English on daily basis in the last 7-8 years, but sometimes things just dont work for me - I am slow, I stummer, I make mistakes (every time when I catch myself making mistake, and I am very vigilant, I piss off and think about it while I am speaking, which leads, subsequently, to another one) and basically people whose skills are lagging behind mine outstrip me very often. In the nutshell- can not recognize myself. More I try to "rectify" my mindset and to be more "focused", I think I just agravate things even more...it might be conected to some external factors like tiredness, lack of focus etc etc, but I think that on those days I just wake up like that. It usually lasts one or two days, and after that I am good...for couple of weeks. Of course, it is not situation that I can not be understood, but just my skills are fairly mitigated.

Do you have similar experiences and, if so, what do you do to overcome that odd episodes? One of the "tricks" that I try to use on those days is to slow down but I find it sometimes silly.

Please, post your thoughts, experiences, opinions, and as I said, professors are welcome to partake

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi guys,

In this [STRIKE]topic[/STRIKE] post, I am addressing mostly [STRIKE]to[/STRIKE] non-native speakers, but native speakers and professors are more than welcome to contribute (no comma here) as well.

So, what to do when a foreign language (English) doesn't work for you? I am sure that I am pretty much fluent, because I have been using English on a daily basis [STRIKE]in[/STRIKE] for the last [STRIKE]7-8[/STRIKE] seven or eight years, but sometimes things just don't work for me - I am slow, I stammer, I make mistakes (every time [STRIKE]when[/STRIKE] I catch myself making a mistake (and I am very vigilant) I [STRIKE]piss[/STRIKE] get pissed off and keep thinking about it while I [STRIKE]am[/STRIKE] continue speaking, which leads [STRIKE], subsequently,[/STRIKE] to another one) and, basically, people whose skills are lagging behind mine frequently outstrip me. [STRIKE]very often.[/STRIKE]

In [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] a nutshell, I [STRIKE]can not[/STRIKE] cannot recognize myself. The more I try to "rectify" my mindset and to be more "focused", [STRIKE]I think[/STRIKE] the more I just aggravate things. [STRIKE]even more...[/STRIKE] It might be connected to some external factors like tiredness, lack of focus [STRIKE]etc[/STRIKE] etc, but I think that on those days I just wake up like that. It usually lasts one or two days, and after that I am good (no ellipsis here) for a couple of weeks. Of course, [STRIKE]it is not[/STRIKE] the situation is not that I [STRIKE]can not[/STRIKE] cannot be understood, but just that my skills are fairly mitigated. (The underlined word isn't the best choice. Can you think of something else?)

Do you have similar experiences and, if so, what do you do to overcome [STRIKE]that[/STRIKE] those odd episodes? One of the "tricks" that I try to use on those days is to slow down but sometimes I find [STRIKE]it[/STRIKE] that [STRIKE]sometimes[/STRIKE] silly.

Please (no comma here) post your thoughts, experiences and opinions, and, as I said, professors are welcome to [STRIKE]partake[/STRIKE] take part.

Please note my corrections and comments above. I speak Spanish as a foreign language and I have finally learnt to stop worrying about mistakes and just keep going. As long as I'm understood, I'm happy.

 

[probus]

Please note my corrections and comments above. I speak Spanish as a foreign language and I have finally learnt to stop worrying about mistakes and just keep going. As long as I'm understood, I'm happy.

Absolutely.

I knew a Danish couple but no Danish, so we used English. He took a long pause before every utterance, and his mistakes were very few. It was maddening. She, on the other hand, chattered away freely, just butchering the English language in the process. Conversing with her was more pleasant and effective than with him. In speech pace is at least as important as correctness.

 

[Jorgo]

Thanks for your contributions and your comments. Likewise, I invite others to participate.

Emsr2d2 - I am glad to have seen you here, because I reckon you as a one of a "stricter" teacher on the forum I knew that any mistake made in my post would not be "forgiven" by your vigilant eye. Having said so, were my mistakes matter of style or they went beyond, entering the zone of serious mistakes?
No offence, but speaking of knowing of foreign languages, we can't compare - given the fact that you are native, and that 2/3 of the world speak English, you can afford yourself to speak some shaggy Spanish, because every time if that doesn't work you can switch to English and you will be understood. That doesn't work in my case...if you want to be on equal foot with native, at meetings or business negotiations/deals, some non natives have to speak little less than impeccable language. Because language skills, at least in my field, determine very often your position and the way of perception by other people/partners/colleagues etc.

Probus - I couldn't agree more with everything you have said. If somebody is boring (or at least has a boring style of expressing himself), that might kill any desire for further communication, even if he has a lecture on the most interesting subject. But on the other hand, if you have to "jump in" every now and then to help your interlocutor to express his/her thoughts, that also kills everything. Speaking of that, out of curiosity, do you native speakers recognize on the spot somebody who doesn't belong to your "pack"? Me, personally, I started noticing those "peculiar" mistakes, made by non natives, that betray them, but have no problems in understanding them because I am part of them

 

[emsr2d2]

No offence, but speaking of knowing of foreign languages, we can't compare - given the fact that you are native, and that 2/3 of the world speak English, you can afford yourself to speak some shaggy Spanish, because every time if that doesn't work you can switch to English and you will be understood.

I have a holiday home in southern Spain, in a very small town. I can assure you that I can't just switch to English in order to be understood. Almost no one in the area speaks English so I am very reliant on my Spanish all the time. However, everyone I've met is very friendly and, fortunately, very forgiving of my appalling grammar. Admittedly, they are impressed by my accent and vocabulary (or at least that's what they keep telling me!)

I rather like the idea of speaking "shaggy Spanish" though. (I think you might have meant "shabby"!)

 

[Jorgo]

I have a holiday home in southern Spain, in a very small town. I can assure you that I can't just switch to English in order to be understood. Almost no one in the area speaks English so I am very reliant on my Spanish all the time. However, everyone I've met is very friendly and, fortunately, very forgiving of my appalling grammar. Admittedly, they are impressed by my accent and vocabulary (or at least that's what they keep telling me!)

I rather like the idea of speaking "shaggy Spanish" though. (I think you might have meant "shabby"!)

Hahahah yeah, sorry, definitely I meant on shabby "auto-replace" didnt work properly for me this time. I told you that you have vigilant eye:-D

I guess everything depends on your social enviroment...if you have that kind of neighbours in Spain, you are blessed...because you dont feel like under pressure when you start making mistakes....or when you are simply stuck! In my case, when I am slow, I think I feel glances of other people on me...kind of "what is going on with him". And when I am in that mode, being slow (er than usual) could be annoying, believe me.
Maybe I am mistaken, but I think these situations happen after I devote some time to improve my second (shabby) foreign language...feel sometimes like my Russian (second language, that I try to improve by taking private classes from time to time) deteriorates my English...I know it sounds crazy, but could it be the case? And speaking of your Spanish - have you had some official meetings conducted in Spanish? If so, how did you act in that situation?

 

[Tdol]

Most of that pressure will be coming from you- focus on meaning and whether people understand you, which is far more important than grammatical niceties.