| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Defining \"bilingual\" Thread poster: eams (X)
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blomguib (X) 
Local time: 13:27
English to Flemish
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| there are different sorts of the same language! | Nov 22, 2001 |
Language IS alive...and although I speak a few languages and am married to someone with a different mother tongue, which we use at home, I do not even begin to consider myself the least bit bilingual; the rich contents of having lived in a country, having been brought up in these surroundings and having been completely immersed is something, I think, is not something one can acquire at a different age than young childhood. Even our children (who perfectly speak 3 languages) will probably not be ... See more Language IS alive...and although I speak a few languages and am married to someone with a different mother tongue, which we use at home, I do not even begin to consider myself the least bit bilingual; the rich contents of having lived in a country, having been brought up in these surroundings and having been completely immersed is something, I think, is not something one can acquire at a different age than young childhood. Even our children (who perfectly speak 3 languages) will probably not be tri- or even bilingual, as they spend their youth in one particular linguistic environment. Even though they spend most of their holidays in the other languages, they will not be native speakers. They will be good (and perhaps even very good) at those languages, but native speakers they will not be!
What, on the other hand, one CAN acquire, is some kind of near bilinguism in a limited part of one\'s second language that is linked to specific vocabulary, specific sentence constructions,etc..I am thinking, for example, of my own speciality; translation of patent texts, which as some of you may possibly know, can be quite incomprehensible for even the most accomplished native speaker! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Misunderstanding? | Nov 23, 2001 |
Quote:
On 2001-11-20 15:21, taoweber wrote:
at I encounter proofreaders/editors evaluating a text which is not their mother language. All too often have I encountered persons with language degrees, fifteen years of experience, and a \"I-am-the-language-God attitude.\" telling me my translation makes no sense to a native????
Hi Tao,
My response about the MIIS degree was not at all an... See more Quote:
On 2001-11-20 15:21, taoweber wrote:
at I encounter proofreaders/editors evaluating a text which is not their mother language. All too often have I encountered persons with language degrees, fifteen years of experience, and a \"I-am-the-language-God attitude.\" telling me my translation makes no sense to a native????
Hi Tao,
My response about the MIIS degree was not at all an attempt to make the degree sound overly important - it was simply a response to Karintha\'s question about whether other institutions require translators to translate into their non-native languages to get the qualification. I had to for school, but I never translate into German professionally, because I am not a native speaker of German.
I agree that the results are what count, regardless of how you got there! 
Daina
(speaker of three languages - two of them since childhood - but not \"bilingual\") ▲ Collapse
| | | | Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Local time: 12:27
German to English
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| Dominant language vs. "native language" | Nov 25, 2001 |
There are many people out there who are truly bilingual, trilingual, etc - for example, children of diplomats who moved from country to country attending schools in different countries and languages.
However, apart from all this, it is a scientific fact that each person (even a trilingual one) has only one dominant language, and this dominant language may actually change over time due to new circumstances (eg, country of residence, marriage, etc.) in a person\'s life.... See more There are many people out there who are truly bilingual, trilingual, etc - for example, children of diplomats who moved from country to country attending schools in different countries and languages.
However, apart from all this, it is a scientific fact that each person (even a trilingual one) has only one dominant language, and this dominant language may actually change over time due to new circumstances (eg, country of residence, marriage, etc.) in a person\'s life.
Therefore, I think, it would be wrong to say, \"only work into your mother tongue!\". Instead, we should require professional translators to work into their dominant language only.
I believe that the concept of a \"dominant language\" would be less confusing than the \"jello-like\" \"mother tongue\". ▲ Collapse
| | | | transania (X)
English to Spanish
| Interesting... | Mar 5, 2003 |
Dear Collegues,
I must only add that after reading and studying a lot about bilinguism, I agree with Rotaetxe who said \'Bilinguism do es not exist\'.
Thank you all.
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