If you could wake up tomorrow and not know English(or your native language), but know another language fluently, would you do it? What language would you switch to? Why/why not?
Addendum 1= You cannot switch back to your original language ever, and the language is not just added to your knowledge. You would have the new language with you forever and not know or remember how to speak your native language.
Addendum 2 = Does the change in language affect a person? Would one person be perceived completely differently because of a different language? Is language a factor in who a person is?

I'm in a beginning linguistics class and my professor brought this question up to the class. Many of us gave some interesting and different insights to the idea and I was curious to see what others thought.

I would say yes, I would do it because I am curious as to what it is like to speak or think in a different language (I'm told its a very different thing, the whole thinking in another language). However, what makes me nervous to 'jump on the wagon' (if it was possible) is the fact I wouldn't even remember how to compare the two. I'd want to learn Italian.

I think language can be a huge factor in who a person is. When you look at language and how culture is tied in, by changing your native language you would be changing your culture and how you perceive things as a person. I know in my class that when the teacher asked the question, everyone was reluctant to switch languages; because they wouldn't be themselves anymore.

I'm curious to know if anyone else had another view on this as a whole.

it's an interesting point. I quite enjoyed learning Japanese, but like you said it's entirly different since I think in English and speak Japanese. I would definatly go through with it. ^.^ I would love to learn Latin, especially since it's a dead language

There are two answers to this sort of question:
-A language that is based on a better way of thinking. English is too patriarchal for my liking for instance.
Wo- man, fe- male, hu-man. Many other sexist terms. Not sure what I'd pick.

- A practical language that many people speak globally reguardless of the way of thinking that built the language.
Probably I'd pick Spanish here.

PS: Want to point out that Latin is not the only non spoken language. Many tribal type languages have been and are being lost. Somewhat recently, the last speaker of a language died.

I'd probably pick another latin-based language so I wouldn't lose -all- understanding of english :oops:

This isn't really a debate...

I figured it was a debate because of the question. To me it brought up the question of identity. Would one feel like a completely different person if they spoke a different language fluently. Would a language actually be a factor in who a person is? Unfortunately no one is really answering that question. *goes to edit original post*

I'd want to speak French/Spanish since I had a horrid time trying to learn in in high school.
They are both such pretty languages and commonly used (I personally think).

I think I might go through with it. Like you said, language does have a large impact on who a person is from culture to thought processes. I'd love to learn Gaelic, and it seems the only way I'd ever really be able to grasp it is if I were born with the knowledge since it's so sparse. However, I'd be really uncertain of being able to communicate with my friends. We're fairly multilingual, so I'm sure it'd be fun for them to teach me their languages and I'd learn new ways to communicate. But I'd be very afraid at first, because all of a sudden I wouldn't understand anything.

Interestingly enough, I have days where I just walk around and everything seems to be gibberish anyway. Not saying it's anywhere close to not knowing how to communicate with anyone (even in my friend's Korean-speaking household, there is still some to plenty of knowledge of English ).

But, yes. I think I would go through with it, despite my uncertainties. It'd be absolutely life-changing and mind-altering, but I think it would be worth it. I wouldn't necessarily see it as giving myself up for a new language. It'd be more like allowing myself the opportunity to grow into a better me. I doubt language would have any effect on my thoughts on certain topics. What I do foresee it affecting is how I think about cultures and broadening my experiences within them.

(Just a side Question: Are you *only* trading in English, or would you have to give up all the time you spent learning any side languages as well?)

Ah, well I'm not sure if I consider Japanese or English or both my native tongue. I'd be scared of switching though because I love both of those languages so much. o-O I do think that it would change who I am or at least how I feel because..well, to put it simply, there are certain expressions that are harder to keep in other languages. And yes, there is the whole culture thing. I just have fun with them both and love expressing myself in between the both of them.
It is strange, isn't it? If I see someone speaking a different language, I don't really think I can say who they are based on that. That's pretty biased I think. But if their actions go in line with the culture then there are easier hints to what they might be like. You can't know someone just right away from one tiny thing. Situations are more complex than that and can be taken at many different angles. The kind of things that are very common in a culture and language though, they truly do make up how the language is used. I see myself using sound effects a lot and, in short, asking for confirmation from people on what I am saying. I mean mostly when I am speaking Japanese. Rather than switch I'd rather just learn another language besides that. Which is really weird in my head o-o like, my friend was teaching me Norwegian for like an hour yesterday and then it was hard switching back fast so I could work on my Japanese lessons online hahah ^^" but anyways, that's how the cookie crumbles : p

No way. I wouldn't do it. All the people I care about in my life speak English and little to no other language. I couldn't bear to not be able to speak with them anymore.

Originally Posted by HappyStarr

(Just a side Question: Are you *only* trading in English, or would you have to give up all the time you spent learning any side languages as well?)

That I'm not quite sure on. The professor never brought that up. It is a fairly good question... Maybe I'll ask the professor tomorrow during class; that is if we're still on the topic of language death.

Originally Posted by strange_dreams_512

Ah, well I'm not sure if I consider Japanese or English or both my native tongue. I'd be scared of switching though because I love both of those languages so much. o-O I do think that it would change who I am or at least how I feel because..well, to put it simply, there are certain expressions that are harder to keep in other languages. And yes, there is the whole culture thing. I just have fun with them both and love expressing myself in between the both of them.
It is strange, isn't it? If I see someone speaking a different language, I don't really think I can say who they are based on that. That's pretty biased I think. But if their actions go in line with the culture then there are easier hints to what they might be like. You can't know someone just right away from one tiny thing. Situations are more complex than that and can be taken at many different angles. The kind of things that are very common in a culture and language though, they truly do make up how the language is used. I see myself using sound effects a lot and, in short, asking for confirmation from people on what I am saying. I mean mostly when I am speaking Japanese. Rather than switch I'd rather just learn another language besides that. Which is really weird in my head o-o like, my friend was teaching me Norwegian for like an hour yesterday and then it was hard switching back fast so I could work on my Japanese lessons online hahah ^^" but anyways, that's how the cookie crumbles : p

You do bring up a good point that it's a bit prejudice to automatically label someone as they are for what language they speak or culture they come from. I figured it would still have an effect though because of cultural backgrounds. There would be different thought processes (at least a little I believe), so I do think it would change a person somewhat.

This is a really hard question. It's my dream to be able to speak French fluently, but mostly because I want to teach English as a foreign language to French students. Without English, I wouldn't be able to fulfill my dream.

I think I would say no, because I'd rather not just wake up one day and be able to speak French but not English. Even if the question was if I wanted to wake up one day and speak any language along with my native tongue. Part of the beauty of learning a language is understanding it piece by piece.

Well I'd love to know Chinese fluently, since I believe it's [at least one of] the most complex current languages out there. However, English kind of ties many countries together and would it be harder to learn coming from thinking Chinese? Keeping my English-speaking boyfriend and friends out of the equation, I think I would trade it in.

Language does have a lot to do with identity. Otherwise we couldn't get the same vibe off of romance languages, etc.

And like, I feel funnier in French, like I'm able to tell better jokes.

One of the languages I speak, Bulgarian, doesn't use articles, but it isn't an ugly language. It's just very direct.

Some things might have to do with accent, like to me, Russians all sound drunk. Bulgarian is very similar, but has a lot of original (Asian) Bulgarian words and sounds a lot like Greek in accent.

Of course it's a factor in what people are. @__@; Language is culture, history, it's something that you're taught to by your family. Who are you without that accent or without that trace of culture identification? No one. I can't lose that.

Like Tropical Snowstorm says, there's a beauty in the time spent in learning a language that's not your own. It's an adventure. Slowly, you get the words, the verbs, the origins of words and what that means to them. You understand the people from a completely different perspective than they have. And also, it's not prejudice to make judgments according to what culture they came from.

I speak French "fluently" but all my teachers ever were from Quebec or Nova Scotia, so I have a tendancy of slurring all my words together and making harsh sounds. -___- Not a pretty sound.
And I speak a little tiny bit of Russian, but only enough to buy a sandwhich and other basic things.
I wanna learn Spanish, Greek, German and be good at Russian.
Not sure that's gonna happen. @__@;

If iI could switch and not know English, I would do it if I was living down in LA again. I was the only one in the south that didn't know spanish, I only knew the swears. When someone swore at me, I knew, I just didn't know how to reply. Finally I'm ina community where everyone speaks English! I can read the signs! I know where the butcher is and not the "carneceria." Now, I just want to stay in my English center.

Technically, my native tongue would be Spanish, so I could bypass the English thing everyone else is facing. I would trade Spanish easily for Polish. Yes, it's a part of my heritage, but I'm not interested in learning about my mother's side. They've been cold to me, and I'm essentially a removed relation... And the annoying thing about my fluency, I lack an accent. If that new language would help me gain one, I'd even more enthusiastically accept it.

Language affects identity alot. I believe the reason culture is not as prevalent or noticeable in other species is not because of intelligence but because of complex language. Our language enables conscious thought. All conscious thought is processed through the filter of our first language. Our language influences our worldview alot.

I'm surprised so many people would opt to switch languages. I would have to take into consideration so many things to decide. I speak English most fluently and Mandarin Chinese semi-fluently. And in my current situation knowing these two languages as much as I do is useful for communication. I mean I live in Australia, where most people speak English, in a Chinese speaking family, where the Mandarin comes in handy.

If however I didn't live in Australia, and say lived in a country where people predominantly spoke Mandarin Chinese or a different Chinese dialect then I may be tempted to switch languages.

Also if despite having forgotten the languages I speak now, I could possibly learn them from scatch.

Originally Posted by Ling

Also if despite having forgotten the languages I speak now, I could possibly learn them from scatch.

That's my reasoning. I could learn a whole new language and re-learn English. Which I also believe would give me a whole other view of the language than what I have now ("um..it's English...and I speak it?") I can see tons of people delighting at my sudden lack of English. It would just crack them up as I tried to relearn it. XD

Language is a huge part of a person's identity. the words that come out of a mouth aren't just words, but the weight of the culture they came from too. If that makes any sense? Kind of like....if you hear a certain accent, in a way it makes you assume certain thing about a person. It might not be a big personal impact on the person theirself, because they have been speaking that way since always, and it doesn't mean anything. But the way a person perceives you can affect how you perceive yourself...

as for whether or not i would do it... no. @_@ It's said that it's differen't to think in different languages. but if it was already as natural to you, you wouldn't be able to compare! and i'd want the fun of knowing a lot of languages.=3