Filipino versus English

[afuna_archive]

I was talking to pauamma, and I mentioned that I tend to be more comfortable writing English, but speaking Filipino. He asked me if that was common -- I realized that I have no idea! So:


[Poll #1165118]

Comments

[pauamma]

And here's the other excerpt. Interestingly, my punnage has since almost entirely shifted to English. (And I got better at making original puns - at least, I like to think so.)

From: The Trinker
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Bilingualism and fluency (was Cultural Education was Texas...)
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 14:53:01 -0800

ElephantChild wrote:
>
> On Mon, 12 Feb 2001, The Trinker wrote:
>
> > ElephantChild wrote:
> > >
> > > On Sat, 10 Feb 2001, The Trinker wrote:
> > >
> > > > ElephantChild wrote:
> > > >
> > > > As in, "the conventions of Japanese don't allow me to talk to
> > > > my mother bluntly, and I don't have the vocabulary to dance
> > > > around the topic understandably, and in Japanese, I still sound
> > > > like a child, although I'm working on that."
> > > >
> > > > Oh, and yes. I can't swear in Japanese, I feel silly.
>
> I feel silly swearing in both English and French. Or more accurately, I
> feel that swearing sounds silly, no matter who it comes from. And biting
> sarcasm in a level voice is so much more effective... :-)

Ah. I prefer 'Elizabethan' cursing, myself, but sometimes there's
great satisfaction in a stream of conventional invective. But I
also have a problem deciding what language to scream 'OW!' in.
Depending on what language I was thinking in most recently, or where
I am, I'll either do it in English (OW!), Japanese (ITAI!) or in
ASL. I don't know how to do it in French or Spanish or Chinese,
I think I should probably be grateful for that...

> > > *nod* "The conventions of Japanese" sounds more like a culture issue
> > > than a language issue. If it's possible to separate the two, that is.
> >
> > A little of both. Notice I can talk to my mother bluntly if
> > I'm using English...
>
> I often have trouble *not* being blunt. But that's not a language
> matter, AFAICT. :-)

Alas, Japanese is a language which prizes circumlocution...

> > > Are you able to switch faster, say, between French and Japanese, or
> > > Spanish and English, than between French and Spanish?
> >
> > Yes.
> >
> > Any other pair is much easier than French and Spanish.
>
> Because they're more similar than other pairs? Or because you learned
> them at the same time? Or for some other reason? (If you know and care
> to explain, that is. :-) )

I *think* it's partly all of the above. I'm not sure. I don't
have any other language pairs that share any of the above, yet.
I learned elementary German and French at the same time, but
never followed up with German (for lack of opportunity). I
think I *might* try either learning Spanish at a more advanced
level, or learning Italian, as I've said before, to see if that
will reduce the problem. It's annoying, as I do use both Spanish
and French on a regular basis.

> > > Hmm, on second thought, I have to qualify what I said. I can reuse puns
> > > if the proper triggers come, or even adapt them to slightly different
> > > triggers, but I'm unable to come up with original ones. For some reason,
> > > I have much less of a problem with other kinds of wordplay, such as
> > > deliberate ambiguity or double entendres.
> >
> > Interesting. Y'know, I really should start polling the Thai
> > people I know for Thai tongue twisters...
>
> *blinks at the non-sequitur* (or nonsense-quitter, as I'm told I used to
> say it)

Umm...sorry. Wordplay, puns, I don't have any Thai puns or
wordplay in my collection.

> *muses* If they can knot the tongue as well as I heard Thai food can
> sear it, that could be... hmm, words fail me. :-)

<laugh> unfamiliar with Thai food, or too wise to attempt to
find out how hot it can get?

> *whimper* My head *hurts*, and it's *all* your *fault*. :-)

Uh oh. Sorry, BOYC in recompense?

The Trinker