Don't want to lose English?

Question

Hey,
I am Brazillian, and I have lived in the US for 4 years, my english is perfect and fluent. When I move back I really don't want to forget it. Please don't say that once you are fluent you wont forget, because that is not true. Many Brazillians that come to the USA forget Portuguese, their home language!

Any one has any ideas of what I could do to keep my english?

Answer 1

I don't know about that... You see, my English is pretty good (both writing and speaking), but I have never been to any of the English-speaking countries and the language of my people is very different from the English language. I leaned English without talking to native speakers. Then I moved to another country, where neither English, nor my own language are spoken, and I still speak both of them (i.e. English and my own language) at the same level (I moved here 6 years ago). The people who forget their own language are not educated enough. If you are educated (and, by the way you write, I think you are), then you won't forget English because I am sure that you'll find ways to keep in touch with it (the Internet, music, movies, books etc). Nowadays it is so easy to actually talk to your American friends using Messenger with voice or Skype. So, you see, there's nothing to worry about.

Answer 2

To keep up with my Spanish, I have found it helpful to listen to songs in that language and to also read books and magazines. If there are English stations on the television in Brazil, you can watch those so that you will get to listen to the language. Try to hook up with a friend or someone else to talk to in English occasionally--maybe set a date for once a week or month so that you both can converse in English together. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

you wont forget it entirey, but yes your ability will slip a bit.but it will be easier to pick it back up next time. i doubt that you would have forgotten your native language in four years though.

some suggestions are using chat rooms to maintain your ability, perhaps finding some work as an english tour guide on weekends, watching english movies, reading english books and magazines ( these are readily available on the internet).

conversational fluency is probably the hardest to maintain, but skype and various other programs can help with that!

another possibility is to take up a course at a local university/ social centre for english conversation- perhaps even offer tuition to portugese students learning english or english students learning portugese.

Answer 4

Keep a friend here in America as an online pen-pal. Write to them using English. Speak English every day to English speaking people you meet over there. Say simple things like hello, good morning, have a nice day, etc.

Find an American living in Brazil that you would like to date. Then you'll have a reason to speak English.

Answer 5

Find an English speaking friend in Brazil

Answer 6

Try to speak it regularly, if you're around other people who speak English in Brazil just call them up and have a conversation (I wouldn't suggest making a long distance call just to keep up fluency)

Read English books and listen to English music.

Answer 7

I agree, I regret losing French. I spoke it very well as a child with my grandmother. I lost it from not using it as I grew older. I think you just have to practice it, buy books written in English to keep reading it. Keep a journal in English. Find English people to talk with locally, by phone, or talk to yourself out loud. Try to think in English on a regular basis. HTH!

Answer 8

I'm not sure what you can do to polish up your english skills once you are at home. I just wanted to compliment you on your English. Yours is better than about 85% of the Americans I see post on here.

Answer 9

Occasionally phone a good friend in the US, and they speak Portuguese to you, and you speak English to them.

Answer 10

Read a lot of books in english, watch tv shows in english, stuff like that. If you see/hear it every day you won't forget it.