April 02, 2003
Grammar complex
Swedish is a language amazingly like English: the sentence structure is basically the same, with a few minor exceptions, and there are countless cognates. Sure, there are a lot of long Germanic words that have no relation to English, and the way Swedish attaches the definite article to the end of the noun is disconcerting at first, and worst of all, the pronunciation isn't easy for an English speaker. Yet all in all, it should be easy for an American to learn Swedish.
But it just aint so. At least not for this American. It's the big shame of my life, that I've lived here four years and I can't make myself converse in Swedish with ease.
You see, Swedish people love to speak English, so it's a great place for great big lazy babies like myself. I start out in Swedish, but I just can't help switching to English when the going gets tough and the words won't come without a bit of effort. Or worse, I go back and forth, like at the office, which is undoubtedly confusing for all the people who work for me.
I keep waiting for some breakthrough, as if fluency will come falling out of the sky, hit me on the head, and I'll be brilliant, just as funny and articulate as I like to think I am in English.
However did I get to be so fond of my mother tongue? And why, why do I love it so?
It's hell learning a language at 42.
Posted by Francis at April 2, 2003 06:47 PMThe Dutch speak English as well, far better , in fact than I do. So I have never really bothered to learn to speak Dutch.
After , oh, my, 20 ( or is it 21 ?) years.
I simply get by on my 'oh, silly me' routine. It works very well.
Although, oddly enough, I teach our children Dutch vocabulary. What they do with the words once I have taught them is quite up to them.
It seems to work. Well, for me.
Posted by: sue at April 2, 2003 08:32 PMit very well may just smack you on the head one day. that's what french did with me. granted, there are still words I don't know (like the other day, the word for an eyelet, like on shoes... turns out it is the french translation for eye, plus "let", pronounced in french, go figure), but the understanding did sort of smack me upside the head.
Posted by: kim at April 3, 2003 04:34 AM