Can I forget a language?

LeandroMdO

Fair enough, but I forgot where I read it. A quick google turned up an article that kind of agrees with what I said.

http://www.behavioralandbrainfunctio...content/5/1/17

It's not what I had in mind when I first posted but I guess that for our purposes it will do. Depending on the reliability of the article itself, of course. I am no neuroscientist so I cannot judge or say anything about the journal it's published in.

In any case, since first language acquisition happens so early I would wager (completely non scientifically, mind you) that some serious rewiring needs to take place in order to erase the skill. It is not something you "forget", even if one might forget individual words or certain grammatical patterns. I have never heard of any case in which someone forgets basic grammatical features of their native language. I cannot imagine an English speaker forgetting that their language is SVO, that the future and subjunctive tenses are expressed periphrastically, and many other small features that essentially characterize the language.

The whole last paragraph was just an educated guess. I would love to hear of a case in which someone forgot something as basic as the essential grammatical structure of their native tongue, or walking, without an associated brain injury.

Edit: with the caveat of course that we are talking about adults proficient in their native language attempting to forget it. Cases of children moving to another country at an early age and forgetting their "native" languages are well known, but hardly relevant here. Unless the OP is 8 years old, which does not seem to be the case.

Bobbywhy

Pronghorn, I am surprised by such strong statements: "I abhor my native culture. And yes, absolutely, I've made up my mind; I'm beyond the point of no return."

Can you elaborate on this, or give the specific languages you are proficient in? Which is L1 and which is L2?

Here is some information on the subject you have asked about:

"The term 'First Language Attrition' (FLA) refers to the gradual decline in native language proficiency among migrants. As a speaker uses their L2 frequently and becomes proficient (or even dominant) in it, some aspects of the L1 can become subject to L2 influence or deteriorate.

L1 attrition is a process which is governed by two factors: the presence and development of the L2 system on the one hand, and the diminished exposure to and use of the L1 on the other that is, it is a process typically witnessed among migrants who use the later-learned environmental language in daily life.

Like second language acquisition (SLA), FLA is mediated by a number of external factors, such as exposure and use, attitude and motivation, or aptitude. However, the overall impact of these factors is far less strongly pronounced than what has been found in SLA.

The loss of a native language is often experienced as something profoundly moving, disturbing or shocking, both by those who experience it and by those who witness it in others: “To lose your own language was like forgetting your mother, and as sad, in a way”, because it is “like losing part of one’s soul” is how Alexander McCall Smith puts it (The Full Cupboard of Life, p. 163)."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_attrition

Edit: And see the references at the bottom...if you want to explore this in more detail.

WhoWee

How high a body temperature is required to cause permanent memory loss?

fluidistic

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...le/003090.htm:

Pythagorean

My post was mostly a joke implying that there's no controlled way to forget a language.

There's no guarantee that a concussion (whether induced by temperature or blunt impact) will damage memory, or especially the specific kind of memory you're targeting. We can't even expect different languages to be well separated spatially in the brain.

WhoWee

Mine was also tongue-in-cheek - but with a valid question.

Zamedy

I was 24 when I stopped using my native language English, and spoke pretty much only Danish for over 20 years, although I did read and hear it regularly. About 3 years ago I moved back to my country of origin.
We all have 2 parts to our vocabulary:-
Passive - these are the words we know when we see them, and can have a basic understanding of, which can be strengthened by context.
Active - these are the words we use every day and we have an indepth understanding of.
What I found was, my active vocabulary had shrunk dramatically and especially everyday words that I would never usually think about, like 'of', 'at' and 'to' I had to struggle to recall. More complex words that I had to actively learn originally like 'habitual' or 'onomatopoeia' were much easier to recall.
My Passive vocabulary was pretty much intact - I understood everything people said to me.
I had a few months where I stuttered a bit or had pauses whilst I dredged the recesses of my memory, or reverted unwittingly back into Danish :-/, but after about 6 months my language was generally back to normal. The only lasting effects are that my spelling is nowhere near what it used to be, and that by stopping speaking English for all those years, my Danish is near faultless.