Jostyrostelli
Forum Addict
- Joined
- May 29, 2004
- Messages
- 8,061
Swek wrote the first part.
This topic come up during a MSN chat between me and Josty.
I believe I wrote something that he didn't completely understand.
And it struck me then. Communications between us both basically run through different stages.
Beeing a native German, my mind structures grammar, word order and the vocabulary I'm going to use
by the rules that I grew up with. My brain unconsciously lays out the sentences (In German) I want to say and then my
conscious takes over and translates everything I've thought into what I feel like correct English grammar.
He then reads my sentence and his brain processes it into Dutch. So basically we ran through four stages.
From German into English on my side, and he then interprets what I've said in a manner that he learned to interpret English.
From there his brain translates what I've said into Dutch.
It's no direct communication at all, and I believe that it leaves much room for misinterpretation.
Another problem for me is communications with native English speakers. Sometimes it becomes evident to me.
I feel like I'm in no way ready for a proper political debate. When I'm trying to make a point, I find myself struggling for the right words. This might even partly explain the lack of proper debate and the leaning towards the funny side of the boards.
I am definately in the middle of a learning process that has yet to result in a proper debate over more than two pages.
Josty?s bit:
Also, people from England talking to each other and making jokes, don?t come over here.
It?s not like there?s lots of not-understandable English on this board, but sometimes Overheat or Ruuman will throw some English jokes on the board. Very difficult to get them here.
I have a little example, if you come on a dutch forum you might find ?the monkey came out of the sleeve?.
It doesn?t really make sense, although there are stranger ones. It means something like ?and now it?s finally clear-up?
Like Swek said, I?m no good in political debate either, I often don?t know the right words in English and I?ll write something that looks like it and it may offend someone. That causes people to respond on things I didn?t intend to say. Although I try to participate as much as possible on the forum and don?t try to get this language barrier between me and the forum.
Swek again:
However, since this is a pretty multicultural board I'm curious about your side of the story. Did you overcome the language barrier ? And if you say so, what has helped you to overcome it?
Or do you sometimes have problems to express yourself too ? If so what do you do about it ? Are you showing initiative and hit the Books, or do you remain silent and feel riled about you inability to response the way you'd like to ?
This topic come up during a MSN chat between me and Josty.
I believe I wrote something that he didn't completely understand.
And it struck me then. Communications between us both basically run through different stages.
Beeing a native German, my mind structures grammar, word order and the vocabulary I'm going to use
by the rules that I grew up with. My brain unconsciously lays out the sentences (In German) I want to say and then my
conscious takes over and translates everything I've thought into what I feel like correct English grammar.
He then reads my sentence and his brain processes it into Dutch. So basically we ran through four stages.
From German into English on my side, and he then interprets what I've said in a manner that he learned to interpret English.
From there his brain translates what I've said into Dutch.
It's no direct communication at all, and I believe that it leaves much room for misinterpretation.
Another problem for me is communications with native English speakers. Sometimes it becomes evident to me.
I feel like I'm in no way ready for a proper political debate. When I'm trying to make a point, I find myself struggling for the right words. This might even partly explain the lack of proper debate and the leaning towards the funny side of the boards.
I am definately in the middle of a learning process that has yet to result in a proper debate over more than two pages.
Josty?s bit:
Also, people from England talking to each other and making jokes, don?t come over here.
It?s not like there?s lots of not-understandable English on this board, but sometimes Overheat or Ruuman will throw some English jokes on the board. Very difficult to get them here.
I have a little example, if you come on a dutch forum you might find ?the monkey came out of the sleeve?.
It doesn?t really make sense, although there are stranger ones. It means something like ?and now it?s finally clear-up?
Like Swek said, I?m no good in political debate either, I often don?t know the right words in English and I?ll write something that looks like it and it may offend someone. That causes people to respond on things I didn?t intend to say. Although I try to participate as much as possible on the forum and don?t try to get this language barrier between me and the forum.
Swek again:
However, since this is a pretty multicultural board I'm curious about your side of the story. Did you overcome the language barrier ? And if you say so, what has helped you to overcome it?
Or do you sometimes have problems to express yourself too ? If so what do you do about it ? Are you showing initiative and hit the Books, or do you remain silent and feel riled about you inability to response the way you'd like to ?