Poll: How long did it take you to become comfortable with your second language? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How long did it take you to become comfortable with your second language?".
View the poll results »
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I felt very comfortable with my knowledge of French after finishing my studies until I decided to live in Belgium where I discovered that my everyday language was rather limited (things like going to the butcher or to the grocer’s). After 30 years in the francophone part of Belgium I speak French fluently with a Belgian accent.
[Edited at 2022-01-26 08:36 GMT]
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[Edited at 2022-01-26 08:37 GMT]
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[Edited at 2022-01-26 08:38 GMT]
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I studied Spanish from high school on and sounded like I had a good command of the language, but like Teresa, I didn't become fluent until much later. I made my first trip to Latin America when I graduated from University. I hired a coach to prepare me with the phrases that I would really be needing. After that, I traveled a lot and also picked up fluency with friends.
Portuguese was also bookish until I met my husband. We decided to speak Portuguese only between us because his Engl... See more I studied Spanish from high school on and sounded like I had a good command of the language, but like Teresa, I didn't become fluent until much later. I made my first trip to Latin America when I graduated from University. I hired a coach to prepare me with the phrases that I would really be needing. After that, I traveled a lot and also picked up fluency with friends.
Portuguese was also bookish until I met my husband. We decided to speak Portuguese only between us because his English was very weak. It didn't take long before I became fluent! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Liena Vijupe 
Latvia
Local time: 20:13
Member (2014)
French to Latvian
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I could speak 4 languages by the age of 10 (it wasn't my choice), so I don't even know how to answer this...
I am generally quite comfortable with any language I use regularly and become less comfortable the less I use it.
[Edited at 2022-01-26 10:20 GMT]
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:13
Member (2008)
Italian to English
ProZ.com Staff wrote: This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How long did it take you to become comfortable with your second language?". View the poll results »
A long time.
But now I'm more comfortable in my second language (Italian) than I am in English. I can express myself better in Italian.
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It depends on what you mean by 'become comfortable'. In my opinion it takes more than 10 years to become a good translator.
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I have 2 second languages and 2 first languages.
One of the first 2 (French) is now becoming a mix between 1st and 2nd (not exactly first, but not second) I cannot answer this question
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I ended my second year of high school Spanish with a perfect score on the end-of-the year test, after I had to do catch-up all during that time, because my first-year teacher was much more an intellectual than the nurturing type that my second year teacher was. She worked with me a lot after school and then would drop me off at my parents' home, on her way back to her place. I did not have to work during the summer before my third year of Spanish, so I took advantage of that to study one chapter... See more I ended my second year of high school Spanish with a perfect score on the end-of-the year test, after I had to do catch-up all during that time, because my first-year teacher was much more an intellectual than the nurturing type that my second year teacher was. She worked with me a lot after school and then would drop me off at my parents' home, on her way back to her place. I did not have to work during the summer before my third year of Spanish, so I took advantage of that to study one chapter from my second-year textbook, each and every day, once in the morning, and once in the evening, by reading and completing all of the exercises out loud. One of my friends, who was a year behind me in Spanish, laughed when she realized that I had, it seemed, actually memorized practically everything in the book, including the page numbers on which specific lessons or readings appeared. The very first day I showed up for Spanish III, much to the delight of my kind and caring teacher, and to me, too, it was obvious that all my hard work, with her the previous year, and during the following summer, was going to pay off for me. And indeed it has, and for many years beyond. So I was already quite fluent in Spanish by the time I arrived at college, although I was still learning new vocabulary, and of course, even now, occasionally am compelled, but very much want to, and had no fear whatsoever about living independently (the other students from my college in my group did not) when we went to study in Madrid for a semester with our professor. He told me once, while we were over there, after I shared with him, after class one day, what a great experience I was having, both with my courses and with the Spanish people, and how much I was enjoying the Spanish culture, in general, that "you were champing at the bit for this experience". How true! He was right on the money with that comment!
[Edited at 2022-01-26 20:45 GMT]
[Edited at 2022-01-26 21:02 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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I started learning English when I was 4, and I loved the language!!
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 19:13
Member (2009)
English to German
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Living in a bilingual world helped to speed up learning English (American) quite a lot. After several months of learning - and having made somewhat embarrassing mistakes - I felt quite comfortable with my second language before one year had gone by.
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