hows your English after years in china?
I can be midway through a sentence and suddenly have a brain freeze and cant think of "that" word i want to say! it is annoying as hell!
Speaking Chinese or simple English has started to diminished my vocabulary. Is it just me or does this happen to you? if so what are your tips?
I have started to read a lot to keep my brain functioning in English.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dan (El Patron) on -
i speak fluent CHINGLISH now, everywhere I go and I do think my brain's disc space is being cleared to accommodate Chinese by slowly deleting more and more English and Spanish vocabulary........I did have a pretty vast vocabulary compared to most Americans anyway, so perhaps eventually I might be on the same level as my fellow Americans with the vocabulary of a 4 year old; ie George Bush
One good example recently of my Chinglish taking over......in Miami while filling the gas tank of my rental car, I found the first pump broken, so I moved my car to the next pump in front. Shortly after, another car pulled up and an African American guy got out........and I proceeded to yell "nage huile, nage huile !" ............hopefully you understand the issue that might have arisen, had I not just finished filling the tank and driven away!
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Permalink Reply by Zach S on -
Yea! It happens to me a lot more than I'd like!
I feel like after two years in China I can't articulate as well as I used to, and instead have to settle for a word that will suffice instead of that word, that precise word, I want to use.
Another problem English teachers have is hearing bad English all day; you hear certain mistakes so often that they stop sounding like mistakes. Things like "what means _____?" and "how to spell?" and "how about your weekend?" and countless others.
I think reading a lot might be the best thing. Does anybody else have any tips?
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Permalink Reply by EK on -
You haven't been out of China, so your point is moot....or are you Japanese? :P
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Permalink Reply by EK on
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Hmmm, it helps to have a strong platform to start with in the first place, secondly, indulging in many books may help overcome this problem as you have alluded to!
I think the brain freeze though is normal for us all!!!!
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Permalink Reply by GrandPa on -
I speak much slower now and in more simple sentences. I have had family and friends in the US comment on it. I also feel I have lost some vocabulary but maybe that is just my imagination.
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Permalink Reply by Wandering Cat on
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Speaking slower and in more simple sentences is good. :-)
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Permalink Reply by Mr. Magnus << on -
Yes, for children.
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If I speak Mandarin with you, you may wish I speak much more slower and in much more simple sentences. ;-)
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Permalink Reply by Mr. Magnus << on
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No thank you.
If I don't understand then I just need to ask more questions (good for practice) and it gives me a kick in the but that says "your Chinese sucks! Improve!".
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Permalink Reply by GrandPa on
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I do not know if it is good, but I do believe in might have improved the grammar of my writing. When I write emails to my staff (who are Chinese) I try to make my sentences simple and short, which I believe leads to better grammar. But..what is really important is when we are going to have our next Martini :-)
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