Hi guys! What's up? As you may know, I recently moved to Germany and learned to speak German - Now I'm trilingual... Yay, Whoopee.. I'm not showing off - Maybe you are even multilingual, and you can speak more than 4 languages. So you're asking why I wrote this article? Well, I'm pretty sure everyone feels that he's forgetting how to speak another language sometimes - And that's what's happening to me, and maybe even to you. It's actually very weird. I haven't spoken a lot of English for the last few months, because you don't really need English in Germany, just like you don't need German in England, or far off in Africa, you don't need Swahili in Egypt :). So that's why I wrote this article - To explore what's actually happening inside our brains, and if we're actually forgetting how to speak a language. And get ready, because this is gonna be a rough ride! But chillax, it will also be fun! So, on your marks, get set, GO!
1. What Does It Feel Like?
Just like you don't feel it when you forget something normal, like that you tripped over a pebble yesterday in the park or that you accidentally dropped a book on the floor, you don't feel it if you forget a language. You just start feeling like expressions are running away from you, and that you can't fully express yourself, or say what you want in a better way. That's the problem, if you don't take care, you don't feel it.
2. What Happens In My Brain?
If you're asking yourself right now what happens in your brain to make you forget or remember things, then OK, let's dive into the science behind it, and explain it fun!
How do we remember information?
The process of remembering is fascinating, and it happens 24/7. The first step is called "encoding". First, we obtain information, knowledge or facts with our senses, (sight, hearing, touch, etc.) and then the brain processes that data, and converts it into a form that can be stored. The next stage is called "storage", and there, information gets stored in various parts of the brain, depending on its type and importance. (Important things are names, birthday dates, personal info, etc.). And when you suddenly say: "Oh, what did I do last Sunday?", the brain recalls the previous information and just like magic: from the storage room to the world...
How do we forget things?
The protocol of forgetting is an utterly big topic, so I'll try to round it up: The first theory is called "the decay theory", and there, we suggest that data that hasn't been used or reinforced for a long period of time starts to fade away, or in other words, it starts to decay. The second theory is called "interference", and that one suggests that when new information gets into the brain, the older knowledge fades away. And if you read "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (Gregs Tagebuch, for my German friends), then you most probably already know this theory, because Greg (the main character in that book) suggests this theory too. The third theory (psychologists, actually) says that you forget things as if forgetting is a defence mechanism.
3. Is There Any Way To Stop Forgetting Languages?
Just like there's an answer to every problem in your math book, there is an answer to the question above: Try and practise the vocabulary every day, or even once a week, and try creating presentations about different topics, and present to your friends. Even though this doesn't sound like much, it really helps to always recap on everything you learn, so it stays stuck in your brain.
If you enjoyed this article, a comment and/or a review on the "Reviews" page on the blog would be 'languamazing'
Author: Yahia Ayman
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