Languages: Aspie strengths & weaknesses

[zurb]

I know some of you are good with multiple languages. And some of you are not. I'd like to understand more about this. Some of it may be related to aspieness, or it may just be personal skills/weaknesses. What do you think? Specifically, ...

What about you do you think helps or hinders you in learning another language?
What did you find easy or hard?

To help understand where you are coming from, I'm interested to know:
What age did you start speaking your native language?
What age did you start learning the new language?
How many have you learnt?
Was it for academic study or real life?
How similar was the language to your own? (eg, German and Dutch are close. English and Japanese are not)

What is your short term/working memory like?
Can you remember new people's names?
Are you shy or extroverted?

Any other related comments?

 

[zurb]

Answering for myself:

I'm a native English speaker. Not sure when I said my first word. I was taken to speech therapy at four years because I wasn't speaking. But the conclusion was I had the ability, I just found no need to use it. I am one of those that struggles with languages. Even as a kid having to learn Maori at primary school, I had a hard time connecting the words to concepts.

I think one of my major hurdles is that my short term memory stinks. Sometimes I can't even remember how I started a sentence by the time I get to the end. I have to be very sure I am correct before I will use a word. At school, I might have learnt the name of the new kid in the class by the end of the year .
I also seem to have a major disconnect between motivation and getting started. But that applies to everything I do. Being extremely shy also doesn't help with practice.

I started learning another language very different to my native language for real life in my late thirties. In about six years I've reached an intermediate level. Beyond that has been very discouraging.

 

[AsheSkyler]

I speak English. I started talking... I'm not sure. My mom did say she was carrying on basic conversation with me at 1.5 years, so I presumably was doing the 2-3 word sentences sooner than that.

Between 13 and 16 I took two years of Latin and one year of Spanish for school work. Around 18 I started dabbling in German for my own curiosity, and I've paid a passing glance to French, Portuguese, and Italian. If I ever got serious, I'd probably go to a German forum and just jump in the middle with an online translator on hand as "water wings" until I got used to it enough I started typing fluently. My short term memory sucks and I'd have to do something nigh daily to learn it. I'm not fluent in any of them by a long shot. At most, I can have a bad accent and get a very loose understanding of what a sign says. Verbally, it's all gibberish to me. I might can pick out a number or something.

I don't know how similar English is to the other European languages. All their's seem pretty straight forward, and languages like German have enough sense not to include letters they have no intentions of pronouncing. And then you get to French, which has plenty of consonants when written and none when spoken.

Sentence syntax trips me up terribly, along with trying to remember word genders. I think Latin broke me with the ridiculous amount of declensions per word. Speaking is a whole 'nother problem, I can read a language sooo much easier than I can arrange the words in my head and tumble them off my tongue. Writing is a bit harder than reading, but still much easier than speaking. I need to learn Spanish (and not Spain Spanish either), my area has a pretty big Hispanic population.

My biggest gripe in learning a new language is a lack of proper translation. In example, "muy bien" does NOT mean "great", it means "very good". It maybe be the equivalent of "great" in Spanish, but I don't care. "Guten tag" is NOT "hello", it is "good day", even though it is also used as a greeting. Correct translation first, cultural education second. Let me get down the basics before we get fancy!

 

[Vinca]

What about you do you think helps or hinders you in learning another language?

The envirionment in which it is learn makes a difference to me.

What did you find easy or hard?

I found learning the spelling and grammar difficult. There were alot of new terms that came with learning a new language that I had difficulty getting to grips with, especially relating to the different tenses.

My french teacher would get us to repeat back to her what she said and I found this 'parroting' very helfpul in learning the pronunciation and remembering vocabulary.

When I went ot France and stayed with a French family I found that my ability to think creatively helped me to best use the vocabulary I new, rahter than only being able to repeat set phrases that we had been taught.

What age did you start speaking your native language?

At a rough guess, somewhwere around 2yrs.

What age did you start learning the new language?

In the first year of secondary school, so 11/12yrs old, I started learning french

How many have you learnt?

I've studied French and gGrman. (didn't learn much German tho as there were alot of students in the class, I was easily distracted and the teacher didn't control the class very well!)

Was it for academic study or real life?

Acedemic study

How similar was the language to your own?

My first language is english and I studied French and German

What is your short term/working memory like?

My short term working memory is 'pants' when it comes to spelling, languge and names. But better when it comes to pattern, shapes, textures, sounds and smells.

Can you remember new people's names?

It depends on the name and the circumstances in which I meet them eg if i'm stressed or there is alot of noise i would find it more difficult to remember but if they have a particulary unusual name or one similar to someone I already know I'd be more likely to remember.

Are you shy or extroverted?

Generally more introverted. If I feel comfortable in a situation I can be a bit less introverted, but never to the extent that I'd say I am extroverted.

Any other related comments?

The french teacher I had was particularly good at managing the behaviour of the class which made the lessons more conducive to learning. Her techniquies were very good as well.

 

[The Penguin]

I don't know when I first spoke my native language. I know it took me longer than an average child due to my language based learning disability. Because Canada is a bilingual country, you must learn both English and French. I learned French in elementary school. I could not make sense of the language as I was already having trouble learning my native language English. Having speech therapy and other support, I got better in English as I got older. In high school, I had to take French for grade 9. Because I didn't understand the basics of French, the made me exempt.

In my early 20's I had an online relationship with someone in Sweden. We had met in person. Anyhow, I did tired learning the language. The thing I liked about learning Swedish, there is only 3 extra characters äåö. With only with three characters with accents, I find it was easier for me to follow compare to French that have many accents for many characters. Though maybe French would be easier for me to learn now since I'm better in English, I found Swedish was easier for me to learn. Though I don't know Swedish well anymore since I stop dating the person in Sweden 5 years ago.

My short term memory is not good which relates to my learning disability.

I consider myself shy.

 

[inabox]

I know some of you are good with multiple languages. And some of you are not. I'd like to understand more about this. Some of it may be related to aspieness, or it may just be personal skills/weaknesses. What do you think? Specifically, ...

What about you do you think helps or hinders you in learning another language?

It helps if I can see it written down as well as hearing it spoken as my interpretation of speech is not great from time to time, especially if it's in a different language as my ears often hear one long word and I have to be able to mentally cut the speech into separate words so it is understandable (exactly the same in English)
It hinders to hear the other language in a different accent to what I am used to hearing if I am just starting to learn, because at that point, to me a different accent sounds like a different language, even when it's the same one.

What did you find easy or hard?

Easy was the written language and learning the French grammar for some reason got easily stuck in my head as I haven't been actively learning French for about 13 years but I can still remember the grammar far better than the vocabulary.

To help understand where you are coming from, I'm interested to know:
What age did you start speaking your native language?

I started speaking my native language (English) at about age 1.5 , so about the "normal average" age, but I had a lot more words that I used. I was using about 200 words at the age when the "average" would have been about 50

What age did you start learning the new language?

I started learning French in primary school, about age 8, I think. I took the after-school classes (sound like a right nerd) because I was interested and wasn't offered in school time.
Started learning German at age 13 , when it was on the school curriculum.
Started learning Latin at about 14
(Don't know if it's the type of language you are looking for, but I started learning sign language at about age 24.)

How many have you learnt?

3. (or 5, to include the sign language and native English)

Was it for academic study or real life?

English and sign language was for real life.
French, German and Latin was for academic study.

How similar was the language to your own? (eg, German and Dutch are close. English and Japanese are not)

I can see similarities in all of them, but I'd say the sign language was most similar, followed by the French, then German, then Latin.

What is your short term/working memory like?

At times, terrible, but I have devised ways to get around this or otherwise I would end up doing ridiculous things like travelling for hours to do a few things, then forgetting to do all but the least important thing that I had intended to do.

Can you remember new people's names?

Sometimes I can straight away, but only if I see the name written down, or they have the same name as me or it is a name that sounds like something else (say someone was unfortunate enough to be called.... "gloves", then I'd remember that no problem. Not that I think this would be likely, I'm just trying to make a point and don't know how else.) Usually I have to be told people's names a lot of times, unless I see them written down.

Are you shy or extroverted?

definately shy.

Any other related comments?

I like learning languages and when I go to a country with a different native language to my own I do not like feeling either out of place or looking like I am not trying.

 

[wyverary]

What age did you start speaking your native language?

I don't know, actually. Probably around average, and I have no idea what that average even is.

What age did you start learning the new language?

13

How many have you learnt?

Besides my native English? Just French.

Was it for academic study or real life?

Both, really. I had a language requirement to fulfill in high school, but once I discovered not only how good I was at it but also how much I enjoyed it, I think I'd be happy to use it in real life. I've gotten rusty, but I've started re-reading some books and listening to podcasts and using Duolingo which should hopefully get me back up to speed as far as vocabulary is concerned.

How similar was the language to your own?

Well, I suppose English being Germanic(?) and French being Romance, there are some things that are similar, and some that are incredibly different. And there are a lot of false homonyms (I.e. "assister" and "attendre.")

What is your short term/working memory like?

Hard question to answer. I'm not sure. Pretty good, I guess? Typical Aspie thing, I find it hard to switch tasks all of a sudden, and returning to the previous task.

Can you remember new people's names?

No.

Are you shy or extroverted?

Depends on the company and how I"m feeling.

 

[HappyHermit]

What about you do you think helps or hinders you in learning another language?
What did you find easy or hard?

It helps if I'm intested in the country and the culture. Learning a language for the sake of the language does nothing for me. If the language is aurally appealing, it helps. If the material and/or teacher/s are bigotted and try to sell me on -isms in the name of cultural relativism, it makes the language learning harder.

What age did you start speaking your native language?
What age did you start learning the new language?
How many have you learnt?
Was it for academic study or real life?
How similar was the language to your own? (eg, German and Dutch are close. English and Japanese are not)

I started learning different languages at different ages. My first foreign language was English, and I started learning it at age 4. In total I've learned five foreign languages to date, three of them to fluency (C2 level in terms of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and two to intermediate level, currently (B2). Three are close or relatively close to my native language, two are not.

Reportedly, I didn't start speaking until I was almost 3 years old, but then spoke in complete sentences almost immediately.

What is your short term/working memory like?
Can you remember new people's names?
Are you shy or extroverted?

Generally speaking, my short-term memory is fine, or so I think. But it depends on whether I'm at all interested in retaining a piece of information or not. I'm not particularly good at remembering people's names, short-term or long-term, unless I find them unusually interesting. For example, when a coworker says 'hi' to me, it's so often 'Hi, HappyHermit!', and I can't reply with a 'Hello, [coworker's name]', only with a 'hello', because I need a moment to identify that person and retrieve their name from my mental files. It only takes a few seconds, but it would still cause a noticeable delay that would likely make them think I was trying to signal something I'm not. I've now known most of my coworkers for several years. Same with films. I don't like films (or series or shows) with too many characters because a) I won't recognise all of them again throughout the thing and b) there's no way I'll remember even a fraction of their names.

Re shy or extraverted, I'm neither, I'm highly introverted.

 

[Spiller]

I know some of you are good with multiple languages. And some of you are not. I'd like to understand more about this. Some of it may be related to aspieness, or it may just be personal skills/weaknesses. What do you think? Specifically, ...

What about you do you think helps or hinders you in learning another language?
What did you find easy or hard?

To help understand where you are coming from, I'm interested to know:
What age did you start speaking your native language?
What age did you start learning the new language?
How many have you learnt?
Was it for academic study or real life?
How similar was the language to your own? (eg, German and Dutch are close. English and Japanese are not)

What is your short term/working memory like?
Can you remember new people's names?
Are you shy or extroverted?

Any other related comments?

-I started speaking English at about 1 year-old.
-I started Welsh and French out of interest/curiosity, but realised I'd have no-one to talk to and practice with in those languages, so figured it was pointless carrying on.
-I'm learning/tinkering-with Shona currently as I have a friend who emigrated from Zimbabwe. French was actually easier, being not too dissimilar to English in common sounds, but Shona language structure is straightforward, even if pronunciation is unusual to me.
-I fear my short term memory tends to hold onto what it deems important at the time, not necessarily what I want to remember, so I'm finding it a slow process, though I know I'm generally capable of learning much faster.
-Names are a good example.. some I'll never forget after hearing them once, some I'll never remember no matter how often I'm told.. what's that about?
-I'm a considerably introverted/shy person, attempting to 'come out of my shell'

Is there a trick or technique to learning a language? Is it down to constant repetition until it sticks, or a natural capacity?

 

[epath13]

My native language is Russian. I started saying my 1st words around 2 years of age. I wanted to learn English since I learned it existed (when I was about 4). I could only start learning in middle school and couldn't do it. I was terrible at it. When I turned 15 my mom bought me 4 books, they were absolutely amazing. They were intended for little kids and written by native speakers. I taught myself English during summer well enough to receive straight As and to help other students. After high school I attended English language school for 4 years but I think I only learned to speak and write property (more or less ) when I moved to Ireland and then to US. Talking, listening and writing in English all the time helped tremendously. I almoust never write in Russian anymore, only when I send emails to friends or parents.

 

[Progster]

What about you do you think helps or hinders you in learning another language?
I have a good memory. I'm able to pick out grammar patterns easily.

What did you find easy or hard?
Listening and speaking have always been harder than reading and writing. I often have difficulties with the pronunciation and I sound very foreign.

To help understand where you are coming from, I'm interested to know:
What age did you start speaking your native language?
I don't know.

What age did you start learning the new language?
The first one aged 10, my most recent at 42.

How many have you learnt?
In order most to least fluent: Greek, German Romanian, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish.

Was it for academic study or real life?
Both - or they were special interests

How similar was the language to your own? (eg, German and Dutch are close. English and Japanese are not)
Greek and polish are a bit different, but the others, Germanic and Romance languages, have many similarities.

What is your short term/working memory like?
I have quite a good memory for visual or written information, but not for verbal information such as instructions or directions.

Can you remember new people's names?
If they have a name I know and can visualise by writing in my head, then yes. If it's an unfamiliar foreing name, then no. I have to see it written down to remember it.

Are you shy or extroverted?
Introverted.

 

[Slothra]

What about you do you think helps or hinders you in learning another language?
I am hyperlexic, as well as an information sponge. If the rules for a language are written in English, I can have them down fairly quickly. Not sure if hyperlexia would work with other languages. Also, it's very difficult for me to retain interest in most things long enough for me to see them through. Having to recall the information can take some time.

What did you find easy or hard?
I find absorbing the information easy.
Recalling information in a timely way can be difficult.
I am easily distracted.
My attention span is low.

What age did you start speaking your native language? I didn't speak until past the time when normal children do, but I spoke in full sentences.
What age did you start learning the new language?
I made an attempt at learning French. I recall very little, since I quit early on.
How many have you learnt?
Still only fluent in English.
Was it for academic study or real life?
A passing fancy.
How similar was the language to your own?
Admittedly, I learned very little, but I found what little I learned relatively easy to relate to.

What is your short term/working memory like?
Slow, but functional
Can you remember new people's names?
Yes
Are you shy or extroverted?
Extroverted
Any other related comments?
Nope.

 

[Spiller]

I worked through a French language program on Nintendo DS and it was an excellent learning tool.. unfortunately can't find one for Shona
Anyones suggestions on other good language tools would be greatly appreciated

 

[HappyHermit]

Anyones suggestions on other good language tools would be greatly appreciated

I use movies and tv shows a lot. Starting out, subtitles in my native language or a language I'm fluent in work best, and then I switch to subtitles in the language of the movie as I become more proficient. Television tends not to have that option, but usually a few shows are out on DVD. Besides, just hearing a language often enough without understanding it can help you along because you become familiar with its sound and speech rhythm, and after a while the syllables sound less jumbled. So then, when you do study it in earnest, it can seem to come more easily.

Finding something that you're interested in, in a language you don't really speak yet can be a problem, though. Knowing a native or heritage speaker of that language helps enormously, but I appreciate that isn't always a given.

 

[JDartistic]

Not learning languages but I'm an encyclopedia when it comes to words & quotes I've read. I think it's a form of photographic memory but it's not the same...just able to recall w accuracy what I've read & my vocabulary is extreme. I read the dictionary often. Some people say I'm a Know it All when it comes to language...it helps me articulate well when I write. I've always had writing & editing jobs wo a college degree. Lucky in that regard.

 

[windowall]

What about you do you think helps or hinders you in learning another language?
Pattern recognition, logical thinking, rules of grammar and strategic memory patterns. My photographic memory helped because I could look at the characters and use it to remember things for tests. Study scheduling helped with reinforcement through repetition. I made a schedule for myself which was very structured and lasted several hours a day with continuous breaks of different times intervals.

It looked something like this:

Grammar (1.5 hrs)
Concept A (20 minutes)
---10 min break---
Concept B (20 minutes)
---10 min break---
Concept C (20 minutes)
---10 min break---

Vocabulary (1.5 hrs)
10 words written practice (20 minutes)
---10 min break---
10 words self-testing (20 minutes)
---10 min break---
10 words essay incorporation/sentence/phrase repetition (20 minutes)
---10 min break---

Reading (1~ hrs)
Read a passage (20 minutes)
---10 min break---
Review passage and unknown words, phrases, sentences. Write them down and answer questions (20 minutes)
---10 minute break---
Study notes (Free)

I would expand upon these schedules and get more detailed depending on what I was learning. This was helpful for me because I also have ADHD and OCD and love structure and alignment. It also made my language learning more well rounded because I could focus on the areas I struggled in for longer periods of time if I needed to.

What did you find easy or hard?
Learning the language itself was easy once I found a system and understood the rules but I realized that learning a new language was algorithmic for me and the social interaction portion was not easy as it isn't easy for me in English. Colloquial speech was easy to pick up through mimicking but without the social skills to back it up it wasn't exactly effective. I was much better at translation of legal documents where things are very logical or straight forward. Learning in school was difficult so I learned on my own.

What age did you start speaking your native language? The average age I think

What age did you start learning the new language? 18 years old

How many have you learnt? 1 but want to learn more and programming (Programming languages are a class of language learning)
Was it for academic study or real life? It was my special interest, I studied it in school and then applied it to my real life.

How similar was the language to your own? (eg, German and Dutch are close. English and Japanese are not) Not close, I learned an asian language and I am native English speaker.

What is your short term/working memory like? Short term memory is good when academic but bad when it comes to executive function.
I don't think I fully understand what working memory is, but once I've grasped a concept I have a good temporary log of it. Without reinforcement I'll forget. Associating words and context helps for longterm logging.

Can you remember new people's names? Not at all
Are you shy or extroverted? Introverted

Any other related comments?
I learned Japanese which is more culturally close to my personality. I am introverted, need systems and have a more collectivist outlook than an individualistic one. The structure in the education system was extremely helpful and the logical approach to studying was really good for me.

 

[Jersey]

I only spoke English as a kid, no idea when I started speaking. I took Spanish in HS/college for requirements but it was really difficult for me, always had trouble memorizing stuff, not just language though. I've also tried more immersive learning and it was even worse. I need a texbook/dictionary or something to learn anything. Being "thrown into the pool" does not help me.