If you’re anything like me, after living in a country where English isn’t the native language, you’ll start to a notice a phenomenon that I like to call “WTF is going on!?” You’ll notice yourself searching for words that were once at the tip of your tongue, second-guessing your spelling and experiencing somewhat frequent brain farts.
GO!
When living in France starts messing with your English
Challenging your brain by learning a second language is hard work. When you start using that second language more and hear it around you all the time, you may realize that funny things start happening to your native tongue.
Or maybe that’s just me?
To give you some background, I used to pride myself on excellent spelling. Words and letters were my thing, and growing up, classmates considered me the dictionary stand-in if one wasn’t available. When my 5th grade teacher told me to check the word “weird” in the dictionary to make sure it was spelled right (it was), I told her I didn’t need to and that I was 100% sure it was E before I. Words were my thing. I learned to read at a young age and even won my 4th grade spelling bee.
But now? Well, now I doubt myself and double check if I’m unsure of how to spell a word (that used to be a no-brainer). I’m slipping!
So about these brain farts. First, let me point out that my little brain farts in English aren’t because of my wonderful, majestic, perfect French. I wish that were the case! Nope, my French isn’t perfect by a long shot and I speak English a lot in my daily life with Tom and people back home. So it’s not because my brain is forgetting English or just tired after speaking French all day.
And on that note, even if you do speak French all day, you’re not going to forget English or start talking with an accent or anything like that. Our brains are very good at keeping the two languages separate… well, most of the time. 😉
I think this stuff is all normal for anyone who’s learning a second language — and even more so when you live in a country where that language is spoken. Little things will creep into your native tongue — nothing serious — so let’s have fun with this!
Those lovely WTF (welcome to France) moments >>
Here’s how living in France has started to mess with my English:
In speech:
You sometimes wonder how you say a particular word in English because you’ve used it more in French than in your native tongue.
What words am I talking about? For me personally, reportage. Environs. And the Leo DiCaprio movie The Revenant (there’s also a really good French show called Les Revenants). As dumb as it may sound, I wasn’t sure how to say revenant in English until I heard an interview with Leo and he confirmed it’s REV-uh-nint in English. In French, the only language I’ve ever said the word out loud, it’s more or less said like ruh-vuh-nah (equal stress).
You’ll blurt out the French word in the middle of an English sentence because it came to you quicker.
Franglish ain’t too jolie! When you can’t think of a word in English, just go with the French one. This works best when you’re speaking with someone who speaks both languages. Tom often says the English words make more sense than the French ones sometimes and it’s way easier to say “care” in English than look for a roundabout way to say the same thing in French. There’s no direct translation of “care” in French.
You’ll say something like “Explain me” before quickly coughing to divert attention and correcting yourself.
In French, explain to me is just explique-moi (and not literally explain TO me) so when you’re not paying attention, you might opt for the French construction in English.
Will you be fluent after living in France for a year? >>
You’ll search for words in your native tongue for what seems like an eternity.
“Yea we have to get one of those, you know, that uh, THING. We need one of those, crap what is it called, that THING!” You know what I mean,
Spontaneous reactions in French when you’re speaking English.
Instead of saying “what,” you’ve been known to say “Quoi” just as easily. Or instead of yes, you say “oui.” And vice versa. Happens more when you’re tired. Sometimes I’ll just say “yes” instead of oui or “hi” instead of bonjour. Sometimes the more trendy and hip French people say “yes” on purpose to sound cool.
One time when I was on vacation in the US, we were at Target and I went up to an employee and started my sentence in French before quickly starting again and trying to act cool. Also a few years ago I was sleeping over at my in-laws and upon waking, I went up to my mother-in-law and said a whole sentence in English not even realizing it. Her blank stare clued me in (she doesn’t speak any English). Woopsey.
Those strange sounds.
French people make weird noises. Really! They make these little linguistic tics that sound weird to the American ear. And no, I’m not talking about the French “r” sound, but actual noises. As time has gone on, I’ve naturally incorporated a few of them here and there. I particularly like the “raspberry” noise. I wrote a whole post on these strange French sounds so be sure to read it!
In writing:
You’ll scratch your head when it comes to spellings of words like apartment
The French apartment is spelled appartement. Or exercise/exercice.
You’ll make grocery lists in one language and realize a word or two in the other language has made its way onto your list.
Bananas, tomatoes, potatoes and pommes.
When writing emails in English, you might be a little over formal or polite.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The tone of professional French correspondence is overly formal and polite, in my opinion. You’ll be addressed by your last name, and phrases that sound totally bogus in English are the norm in French (Like in a cover letter: Veuillez agréer, Mr. X, l’expression de mes sentiments distingués.)
A few times I noticed that my emails in English are a little too “French” and I’ve had to scale back and remove the “Thanks for your reply. I’ll be awaiting your response. Have a good weekend! Cordially, Diane.” OK, I didn’t actually write all that, just an example, but in French, emails do take on a similar tone and it’s just not natural in English!
English variations.
Because I read a lot of blogs written by people all over the world, my dialect of English has gotten a bit fuzzier as I expand my horizons. Back in New York City, I was surrounded by Americans who pretty much spoke and wrote like me. Now after connecting with people from all over, I’ve heard and read so many different accents and variations. I notice I’ll second-guess myself when writing and here’s a quick example. It’s most natural for me to say something like “that’s different than what I’m used to” but I know many UK dialects of English would say “different to.” Or writing enrol or realise (which used to look wrong to me) instead of enroll or realize.
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What about you? Have you caught yourself messing up in your native language? Talk to me in the comments.
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These are so funny, and true, quoi. I find myself saying “pardon” in the U.S. and people give me strange looks. There are other terms that just are more precise in French or in English, and it seems only logical to use them, even in the wrong language.
And then there are dates. Is day/month/year or month/day/year backward? I forget.
I am totally in with the hand gestures. And the “Oh dit!”
The same thing happened when I lived in Kenya. Even though they speak English, they have some unique turns of phrase. My favorite was “anyhowly”–“in a random or chaotic manner.” What a perfect word. The students put away the books anyhowly. It was hard to give up.
Also, they point with their lips, and I started to do it. That got looks when I returned to the U.S.
I LOVE anyhowly… is it kind of like haphazardly? How long were you in Kenya and what originally brought you there? Sorry if you mentioned this before. Very interesting. I think I’ll start using anyhowly!
heehee, you don’t have to live in France to mess up your English ! I speak french everyday at home here in the US. We also watch french TV everyday during the dinner hour which is normally about 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. I normally speak a little fast and tend to run my English words together especially on the vowel sounds. I get weird looks from people and they will say: I’m sorry, could you speak a little slower, or what country are you from? So funny !
Oh absolutely, my list definitely doesn’t apply to just France or only those who live abroad. Anyone whose brain is on overdrive I’m sure messes up here and there and has brain fart moments. It really is funny sometimes!
Hi Dianne, I am happy I am not alone to forget some words of my French native tongue. As I do not speak in French here, because nobody speaks French around me, not even my husband. So when I speak to my kids through Skype, often time I am like : euhhh comment tu dis ca deja en Francais ? My kids always laugh and tell me that “it is time to go back to France, maman”. But like you said, when I am tired, and this happens most of time after work, I start my sentences in French to my husband or even I say a complete sentence in French, So when I see my husband looking at me like a chicken finding a square egg, then I realize that I was just speaking in French!
Oh no, you’re definitely not alone, Christine!! I’m glad you provide good entertainment for your kids. 😉 You sound like me talking to your husband in French and him not understanding (like me with my mother-in-law). I just got a blank stare and then a “hein?” Hope California is treating you well!
Have you ever seen one of those posters (or images online) that show a paragraph in which most of the words are scrambled but still readable? It goes on to say that the mind can comprehend despite the mix up because it links together the information. This reminds me of a similar situation, the mind grabs away at what it knows and out comes explique-moi!
Yup. those are fun. Our minds are really impressive. But I don’t know if my mind would connect the dots in French? It works because English is my native tongue but I’ll have to try and find one in French and see what happens!
Sorry to tell you, but it may also have something to do with age! I, too, have always been a word person. Have a degree in journalism. But in the last year or so, or maybe it even started earlier now that I think of it, I started having these episodes during which I cannot think how to spell fairly common English words. I’ve had some French but have no reason to speak it. Thank goodness for the computer. I’ve thought some of it might be that I rarely write by hand these days and that there might be some connection.
I think everyone is different and a whole lot of factors contribute to language learning (and everything else in life).
These days we’re all so busy and going in 100 directions that I think it’s only normal to have little brain farts, language related or otherwise. Like forgetting something at the grocery store that was on the list because your mind was thinking about a work presentation the next day. Or forgetting to run an errand. Or blanking on someone’s name. Or like you said forgetting how to spell a word. Happens to teenagers and happens to the elderly and everyone in between.
I think that sometimes when you live in another country where your mother tongue isn’t spoken, it’s only natural to have little brain farts — no matter one’s age. Or even in your own country!
I don’t think most people my age have age-related brain farts. You know I’m not elderly, right? 🙂 Probably more of a case of being tired or stressed or just multitasking. And yes, amen for the computer!! But like you said, rarely writing by hand can make us reliant on the computer. So both good and bad.
Diane, I have the same problem but with my French. Last summer I ordered a hot dog while I was in France for vacation but I had to repeat several time. My daughter explained to me that it was because I pronounced it with an American accent. I did not try to show off. It’s just that I got used to.
Great post!
Very proud of you for nailing the American pronunciation so much that when back home in your native country, they didn’t know what you were saying. I always feel dumb saying hot dog the French way, ut-dug. Really, good job!
I know exactly what you mean. I am bi-lingual and adding a third language (French) does play games with your mind. I just have to concentrate more when communicating in France.
Yup, it’s really a matter of concentration most of the time. If your mind is elsewhere or just tired, that’s when the funny little errors creep in. Congrats on adding French!
Oh this is so very true! Indonesian is my native language but know English quite fluently since 10yro, then I learned French and started living there for my masters and bam…messed up frang-ind-lish LOL!
Everything you say is so very true! It’s fun though, especially when I speak with those who knows French too “so, are we having dinner at chez moi?” “Oui?” “Oh merde!” 😉
Oh wow, three languages! I can only imagine how they get all jumbled up when you’re tired or just doing 10 things at once! Do you have any tips to keep them separate?
I have done a lot of the things you mentioned. Just this weekend, I couldn’t remember how to say “bought” in French. I used to know that. I was fluent in French, but am getting rusty by not using it much. I had to look it up today. Achete’ ! It’s kind of fun when you realize you know two languages so well. The first time you dream in another language is really cool! When I worked at a French Consulate, I got confused about how to spell certain countries in English because I’d seen them more often in French (Iraq/Irak).
Oh yes, can totally relate. Countries can really get confusing. Some are straightforward but then there are others that are just hard to remember!
Ha…this happened to me as well when we lived in Turkey and Poland. I had learned enough of the local language that sometimes the local saying seemed to make more sense! I still use Inshallah and Nazdrowie because I like the way they sound. Grocery store lists definitely included the words in the whatever the local language was so I would memorize them! 🙂
Yup, it’s so funny how our mind works sometimes. Glad I’m not alone!
My mother is French and my father is English. They spoke in English to each other and I lived only in France. So from when I started speaking to about 6, I spoke an interleaving language of French and English.
and I also tend to forget common (French or English) words from time to time.
Yes, I’ve heard that kids can sometimes get confused with multiple languages but around age 9 it all works itself out. That’s great that you were able to learn both languages from birth. Excellent! Have you lived in France your whole life?
Yep. I was born in the East Midlands but my parents moved to France before I was 1 (I did live in Holland between 2 and 4, but I was in a French school).
Diane, I followed a link from your latest post to this one, which is one I haven’t read before.
A very big thank you for making me laugh all the way through as I related to all that you were saying. I have a French friend,(F), who comes for English conversation lessons, and we both laugh when his ‘prof’ forgets her English and we have to use Google translate to work it out.
One of my many mixed-language stories: I was speaking English to an English visitor before a service one Sunday. I went to speak to T, who was preaching that morning,and he looked at me with a blank face while F, who had been speaking with him, looked at me and laughed – I had forgotten to do the ‘gear change’ from one to the other. (I don’t consciously speak one language or the other, but the language of the person with whom I’m speaking, which is almost always French).
I did the same with L, and she just looked at me and as I paused for her answer, said, (in French), “But you are speaking in English!” Again, I’d just been speaking to an English visitor.
The ‘vicious’ example: I didn’t know that! Thanks!!! 😀
Pronunciation: I remember when I asked my employer if I could take time off to visit some friends who lived a little way along the coast. They were at the dinner table with guests and they all fell about laughing. Later, she came and said to me, teasing, “I didn’t know you had a lover nearby.” ‘Amie’ had somehow been heard as ‘amant’… I was quite young at the time and horribly embarrassed, but I laugh over it (and other faux pas) these days.
So much more of what you have written has made me laugh and remember… Thanks!
By the way,
“It’s most natural for me to say something like “that’s different than what I’m used to” but I know many UK dialects of English would say “different to.”
This very common English ‘mistake’ sends me crackers, because it doesn’t make sense! The correct UK English (rather than US English) form is, “This is different from that.”, as in a similar phrase, “This differs from that because …” 😀
Hi there, Barney! Yes, like you, I’ve spoken English to my mother-in-law by accident and also French to my family. Just depends what speed the brain is moving at I guess hahaha. Makes for some funny stories!
It’s interesting what you said about “different to” being a mistake in British English. I’ve definitely noticed people (British Youtubers, bloggers, etc. I follow) saying “He is different to me” or something that phrases it like that with “to” when the most natural for me as a speaker of American English would be “different than” (or sometimes from). Just figured it was a regional difference and not an error!
Thanks for reading!
When living in France on exchange, my mum asked me what I was doing around the house with my host family to help out and I said to her (in English) “I put the table” (meaning to set the table for meals). Also when I got back home after a year in France, my host sister moved in with us for 6 months and she and I would speak to each other in a mix of French and English which my mum found highly amusing because I would speak mostly in French and she would speak mostly in English.