I can't shake off the "foreign" feeling of English sound..Help

[theplanb]

I've been wondering.. well more than just wondering. I've been pulling my hairs out on this .. problem I have.

The thing is, I can't make the English (or any other foriegn language) words to be the meaning itself. umm what I mean by that is, if I say or hear the English word "apple", I know it's supposed to mean the red fruit with sour taste, but "apple" is not "the fruit itself" in my head like you do in your native language.

In short, My native language sound = semantics
But English sound =/ semantics
Rather, English sound = I know what it mean, but it's.. distant and foreign

So, even if I know all the words I hear, an english sentence somehow takes a lot more time to digest in my brain than it does in my native language (which is instantaneous since what I hear is the meaning itself)

It's like my brain is going through a couple of more stages. First match the English sound I heard to the sound I already know, if they match then I ask myself.. what did that mean again? But it's not like I'm interpreting in my native language, I'm pretty sure on that.

This means, if I don't listen really carefully, I'm bound to lose most of the content of what I hear. And strangely I can't hear words at all if I don't understand them. I just guess what the sentence mean..

I'm not sure if I've explained my problem well enough though.
Can anyone tell me what's wrong with me??

BTW my first language is not English of course..

 

[MacBaine]

it's because the new language you are learning is being stored in a different part of your brain than the language(s) you learned early in life. There's nothing wrong with you.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: MacBaine
There's nothing wrong with you.

Well, other than you've been eating the wrong apples. Sour apples aren't for eating, they're for baking - with vast quantities of sugar, cinnamon, and pastry.

- M4H

 

[MournSanity]

Originally posted by: theplanb
I've been wondering.. well more than just wondering. I've been pulling my hairs out on this .. problem I have.

The thing is, I can't make the English (or any other foriegn language) words to be the meaning itself. umm what I mean by that is, if I say or hear the English word "apple", I know it's supposed to mean the red fruit with sour taste, but "apple" is not "the fruit itself" in my head like you do in your native language.

In short, My native language sound = semantics
But English sound =/ semantics
Rather, English sound = I know what it mean, but it's.. distant and foreign

So, even if I know all the words I hear, an english sentence somehow takes a lot more time to digest in my brain than it does in my native language (which is instantaneous since what I hear is the meaning itself)

It's like my brain is going through a couple of more stages. First match the English sound I heard to the sound I already know, if they match then I ask myself.. what did that mean again? But it's not like I'm interpreting in my native language, I'm pretty sure on that.

This means, if I don't listen really carefully, I'm bound to lose most of the content of what I hear. And strangely I can't hear words at all if I don't understand them. I just guess what the sentence mean..

I'm not sure if I've explained my problem well enough though.
Can anyone tell me what's wrong with me??

BTW my first language is not English of course..

That's normal. Keep practicing english long enough and it will get better.

 

[BatmanNate]

Como te gusta estos manzanas.

 

[Thegonagle]

I know what you mean. You've explained it quite well, and I doubt there's anything wrong with you. Your brain wired itself in your native language when you were very young, so you naturally "think" in your native language.

Your profile says you're in Australia, correct? How long have you been living there? IMO, as an adult, it would take me many years to completely "grasp" a second language, even if I was completely immersed in that language.

 

[fredtam]

I've always wondered if people who were fluent in two languages were able to think in both or were constantly translating.

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: MacBaine
There's nothing wrong with you.

Well, other than you've been eating the wrong apples. Sour apples aren't for eating, they're for baking - with vast quantities of sugar, cinnamon, and pastry.

- M4H

I love eating sour apples, it's the best.

Granny Smith is where it's at.

 

[theplanb]

I've been in Australia for over 10 years.
And still, English is still "foregn" to me after all those years. hmm..
so there is no way to solve my problem?

 

[SSP]

Originally posted by: theplanb
I've been in Australia for over 10 years.
And still, English is still "foregn" to me after all those years. hmm..
so there is no way to solve my problem?

Move to another country. Half the world don't understand Aussie.

 

[theplanb]

Do any of you know any website that might be able to help me?

 

[Zee]

Originally posted by: theplanb
Do any of you know any website that might be able to help me?

www.webster.com

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: BatmanNate
Como te gusta estos manzanas.

me gusto las manzanas, estan muy buenas

 

[NickE]

It's really a matter of time and immersion - when I worked in Spain, for a while I felt like you, always translating back to English. After a while (6-12 months I guess), then it just 'clicked' and I realised that I was able to talk to people without the translation back and forth. It's still the same now, and I left there in 1994, so I think once you have it, it sticks.

 

[Svnla]

Originally posted by: fredtam
I've always wondered if people who were fluent in two languages were able to think in both or were constantly translating.

I speak several languages fluently. I think and speak on the fly with the spoken language at the particular moment. No need to translate back and forth.

 

[Vonkhan]

Sir, please turn around and get back into the boat so that we can deport u

j/k

keep at it, I hate the english language myself!

 

[flexy]

Originally posted by: fredtam
I've always wondered if people who were fluent in two languages were able to think in both or were constantly translating.

what he describes....i GUESS he just started to learn english. (?). You start to actively 'translate' and think (how he described it) after a certain while.
My first language is German, i started learning english in 8.th grade...school english. Not very helpful. Moved the the states and started "real english" about 4 years ago.

I definetly 'think' in English now (even after just 4 years not speaking German)..and calling my sis in Germany i had TROUBLE often re-translating into German. That's nuts !!! I have an english tought....and i am looking for the right word in my native language and it takes a while and mental work to 'find' the German word.

I also remember i had problems following TV w/o closed captioning.....i think CC helped tremedously because i often watched TV and saw the CC....one day (about one or two years later) i just switched CC off and now have no problems with TV....also..there is so much slang and stuff going on if you LIVE in a foreign country compared what you learn in school....

 

[flexy]

Originally posted by: theplanb
I've been in Australia for over 10 years.
And still, English is still "foregn" to me after all those years. hmm..
so there is no way to solve my problem?

THATS BAD ! 10 years !!! WHat are you doing then ? Are you talking english w/ family..watching english tv....or how is it possible it still sounds foreign after 10 years in Australia ?? If you live an life which requires constant speaking/listening to english this should not take that long !

 

[flexy]

Just some help.....if you have close captioning (subtitles) on TV in australia...watch tv with closed captions on.

Practice, practice, practice...in everyday life.....

btw. what is your first language ?

 

[theplanb]

Thanks..guys, thanks flexy.
yes we do have captioned programs, and Itry to use them as much as i can.

but what exactly can I do..
I mean, I've been reading writing and reading a lot during the years.. I didn't have much chance to speak in English though. I didn't have much chance to speak at all to be frank as I've been battling out chronic depression for a quite long time..

I watch a lot of TV and read a lot.. but they don't help much except my listening..

Is there any particular method I can use to target the problem..?

 

[Pepsei]

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