Thinking beyond phonemes: at school, learning both French and German, I was acutely aware that whilst French simply sank in (the learning was close to effortless), most aspects of German felt alien. Teachers in both classes were equally good, and I was told that I was capable in both, but the experiences were extraordinarily different.
In German: it was like wheels of translation turning inside my head, cogs out of place and going in the wrong direction.
In French: I could think the language as easily, if not more easily, than I could speak it.
Why do some types of language sink in so easily?
For myself, I always believed that there's something genetic to it.
Later in life, I was identified as dyslexic. I wonder whether that played a part…
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Thinking beyond phonemes: at school, learning both French and German, I was acutely aware that whilst French simply sank in (the learning was close to effortless), most aspects of German felt alien. Teachers in both classes were equally good, and I was told that I was capable in both, but the experiences were extraordinarily different.
In German: it was like wheels of translation turning inside my head, cogs out of place and going in the wrong direction.
In French: I could think the language as easily, if not more easily, than I could speak it.
Why do some types of language sink in so easily?
For myself, I always believed that there's something genetic to it.
Later in life, I was identified as dyslexic. I wonder whether that played a part…
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