Does your second language affect your first language?

Question

How does it affect it?

Answer 1

I learned most of what I know about grammar while studying Greek. Some bits of English spelling made more sense after I spent some time with the Gaelic.

A lot of English vocabulary is actually French in origin, so learning French widened my English vocabulary considerably. The Greek helps too, just those words tend to be less common.

Languages also give you different ways to think. You can say things in one language that you just can't say in another. French is fluid and heavy on context for meaning, while English's strength is its precision. English is an omnivorous language, sucking in words from every culture it encounters -- learning a second or fourth language will always help an English speaker.

Answer 2

No does not. I am speaking from experience. I am tri-lingual. Grew up bi-lingual.
However, when living in the pre-dominantly language culture of that particulary society, I have no problems with speaking, thinking, reading or even dreaming in English.
I learned the English language when I came to the USA when I was 27 years old. I had some British English. I come from a family that spoke multiple languages. So no neither a second nor a third language or multiple language does not affect your first.
It is common that folks that belong to different culture speak languages belong to such clubs like the German club, or Irish club or other languages. Hope that this helps you!

Answer 3

The most interesting thing that i found when I began learning my 2nd language was when I couldn't think of a word in English, but I could think of it in the second language. I don't think it was an effect of the 2nd language on my knowledge/memory of English, just an interesting effect.

Answer 4

My husband went on a mission to Brasil. When he came home, he spoke Portuguese fluently and when he would try to talk to me in English, he would often slip and say something in Portuguese. He tells me he still thinks in Portuguese (eight years later). It's still a good idea to know a second language. Makes you cuter to the ladies.

Answer 5

If does for me. Often, in trying to find the right word to use, my mind shifts in between languages and I often find it "easier" to use a word from the other language to describe what I am try to say....

Answer 6

No it doesn't, if your first language is English, then no other language that you learn should affect it.

Answer 7

No, but my third lanquage affected my second. I learned french then tried to learn spanish, and to this day i will be ...say....counting, and say half the numbers in french and half in spanish. wierd. it doesnt mess with my german though. Maybe its because french and spanish are very similar.

Answer 8

Well, sometimes I say a word in english when I am speaking Spanish

Answer 9

Yes!!! I lost a lot of my good English grammar when I learned Chinese. I don't really care though...if I could, I would speak Chinese all day every day.

Answer 10

ABSOLUTELY!!!!
I am Polish, but I am living in Canada all my life. I speak both Polish and English very well. However, I use english much more than Polish, and therefore, my Polish grammar is getting pretty rusty. Sad, but true.