How commonis it to forget a language you were fluent in?

Question

I've completely forgotten spanish, which i learned living in south america.Is this something other people experience?I've heard a case of someone forgetting french.

Answer 1

It's all too common I'm afraid.

I used to speak very good French, through lack of use I forgot a lot of it and could not hold a proper conversation in French, so I thought, that's it - gone. A few years later I went to France and had a hard time understanding the language for about 3 days. Then it all came back to me!!!

If you want to brush up your Spanish go to a Spanish speaking country for a holiday - I guarantee that within a few days you will remember. It's all there somewhere in the dark recesses of your brain. Bon Chance.

Answer 2

♡I'm not sure how common it is, but it definitely happens!
I speak from experience...
English is my first language, then I studied Spanish and was pretty fluent.
BUT! Nine years ago I moved to Japan and learned Japanese as well. I haven't had much use for Spanish these 9 years and I feel as I've forgotten it.
I speak English and Japanese all day. But when it comes time to use Spanish, I can't remember!(*^o^*)
Unbelievable!
☆I try to keep a journal in Spanish and sing some Spanish songs to 'help me remember'.(^_-)-☆ I even answer some Q.s on Yahoo Answers Mexico...
I guess if you don't use it, you loose it!\(^∇^)/

Answer 3

I lived in China for a year, studying Chinese. After being back in the states for a couple years without any Chinese influence, I started to forget it. When I went back to China finally, I could barely communicate an idea. However, after about 1 week, it all started coming back to me, and now I'm fluent again. I don't think you forget the language...but during a period of disuse, your brain seems to relegate it to a storage locker. Spend a while in a Spanish-speaking country and I think it will come back to you naturally.

Answer 4

I totally forget the German when I leave there after 6 months. Before I live there for almost 3 years

Answer 5

I guess it happens when you haven't spoken that language in quite some time. I have fogotten speaking Spanish too... but not completely...still remember some part of it.

Answer 6

Yes. It always happens if you don't keep speaking.
But it always comes back, sometimes it can take as long as a month of living in the country again.

Answer 7

so you must be fluent in another language, if you move to live in diffirent country and no longer use Spanish again

Answer 8

It depends on how much you learned and how long ago and was it your mother tongue, if so then its not common, but if the gap is very long then its ok to forget

Answer 9

yes...if you don't speak or read in a foreign language you forget it...but start reading, writing, singing in this language and you'll be back on track!