I had different thoughts to the articles so I'll bullet them below. Overall, I think these articles were an interesting look at the things we take for granted.
How the Brain Handles Language
- Neurolinguistic Processing section really stuck out to me because I feel that the more languages you know, the harder this process can be to control. For example, after coming back from Korea (and still to this day) whenever anyone expects me to say "yes" regardless if it's in English, German, or Croatian, I want to say it in Korean. It became such a habit for me over the time I was there that I haven't been able to separate the languages well enough.
- I read a study recently that children who grow up as bilingual are better at paying attention in class because they have to pay extra attention when switching between languages. I wonder where that might play into the brain and Crystal's research.
How We Mean & How We Analyse Meaning
- I think this is always the hardest part of language learning, getting to the point where the words make sense instinctively to you
- Consider learning idioms in another language! How would you even begin to teach "break a leg" or "whole nine yards" to someone who doesn't know English? For a native speaker, it seems clear, but these idioms come packed with cultural references that aren't inherent to someone outside of the culture.
- I think these articles really makes you stop and appreciate the complexity of language.
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