Re: Native English

Wayne Brown wrote:


I probably didn't make myself clear again. At the age of 18, a person
is an adult with established language patterns. A gifted learner at
that age surely can still become proficient in English, or another
language for that matter, on a level that is native or nearly native.
It would take an evaluation of the individual to say which is the
case, if indeed such an evaluation was desired. What happens in such
cases, in my experience, is that even on a high proficiency level
there are gaps in English as a foreign language, language gaps of a
kind that a native wouldn't be expected to have. It's also been my
experience that such gaps can manifest themselves when the non-native
is, say, unusually tired or in a language situation where words,
phrases and constructions removed from his usual language environment
come up. But what's the big deal? Just academic. A non-native who's
reached such a level can be satisfied. Nevertheless, I believe, the
18-year-old beginner still lacks the native language experience that
began for the native the minute he was born and will influence his
language along native lines throughout his lifetime.

Another side to this, is the way people living in another linguistic culture forget their own language. I used to be on a German exam board. All the other members were native Germans, most of whom had lived in Australia for some time, but the bulk of our discussions were held in German. What amused me was the how, when it came to the latest edu-jargon, they would all use the English words and gradually slip into English. When I asked them about it, the answer was, of course, that the English expression was what came into their heads first. I have even heard Macedonian builders larding their own language with the English words for "roof", "window", etc. - ie very common words, but words which because of their work, they were used to saying in English.
--
Rob Bannister
.

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