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ESL forum >
Message board > Dreams
Dreams
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Jayho
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Dreams
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Hi all
Just out of curiosity, if you dream in a language other than your mother tongue, when did you first realise this? And, are they totally in that other language or a mixture of both?
My mum said it took her about 30 years of speaking English as a second language to finally dream 100% in English. Me, well I can�t say. Not only am I basically monolingual but I can�t even remember my dreams.
Cheers
Jayho |
27 Mar 2013
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SaraMariam
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Hi Jayho
hmm interesting question. I was born and raised in Germany, lived in Canada for a while and now I �m in France for about 3 years.
I remember when I came to Canada it only took me a few weeks to totally dream in English - which I found quite astonishing at that time. But I think that was due to being exposed to the language with no interference. At that time I spoke nothing than English at all.
Once I came to Paris everything totally changed since now I have to speak 3 languages every day. I mix them already when I �m awake (leave alone sleeping or dozing off :p) and I don �t even realize when I mix the languages sometimes (when speaking at home for example).
My husband sometimes tells me in the middle of my speech " God, just speak English so I can understand you!" but I actually thought that �s what I did (was French though) lol
So my dreams are all a mix as well and I don �t really realize when I woke up which language it was �tonight" ;). I think it depends on how much exposed you really are to the language. If you speak more than just English it may take longer than if you just spoke English all the time. But that is just my theory ;)
Have a nice day Sara
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27 Mar 2013
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maryse pey�
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Hi Jayho, I love your question ! I was born both Italian and French, then fell in English at 11, as soon as my very 1st lesson. I have some humble notions in Japanese (I terribly miss this wonderful language...). I can dream in French as well as in Italian or in English. The fun is that when I feel Engish or Italian words suiting better the French idea I am speaking about - with my husband or friends - I mix the 3 languages I am ordinary speaking and teaching ! So I completely agree with Sara : when you love a language, several languages, you speak it or them naturally... And in fact you remember your dreams when they deal with a very funny or a serious matter... I �ve unfortunately been experiencing this for years now... And when you dream in other languages that means that you have accepted them ! Let �s make our students dive in the foreign pleasure of new languages ! What a challenge, isn �t it ? |
27 Mar 2013
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ELOJOLIE274
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the first time I dreamt in English was when I was in England, a few months after I started working as an au pair... I haven �t stopped ever since :) sometimes I dream in French, sometimes in English and most of the times the language in my dreams depends on the situation I �m dreaming about or what I did before going to bed (if I watched a video in English, if I read a book in English...)
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27 Mar 2013
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anitarobi
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Such an interesting post, Jayho! Fantastic - missed posts such as this one. For me, although I have never thought about it (till now), when I dream about sth that involves my family (who are not teachers of English;)), I dream in my mother tongue. But when I dream about anything other than that, anything abstract, a new story I should be writing (instead of dreaming it), or about myself travelling somewhere or experiencing sth new and different - it �s absolutely always in English. I believe it was in English even back when my English was at a teenage level (my imaginary English covered up the gaps of unknown words quite nicely). I think in English most of the time. |
27 Mar 2013
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teresasimoes
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I do dream in English and in German sometimes. I would say it has to do with our experiences and feelings. I have good English native friends very well locked in my mind�s safe. I also lived in Germany for some time in my younger years. This is part of me and it happens that sometimes the present links to the past somehow. Again in this case it seems to me senses and feelings are a kind of whimsically woven web, our mind can�t make out.
Teresa
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27 Mar 2013
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valentinaper
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Very intriguing question, Jayho!
I always tell my advanced students that they need to "think in English, breathe in English, even dream in English" since I started dreaming in English as an advanced learner. I was 16 at the time and English had conquered my world (and my subconscious, obviously!)
Now, I dream in both Greek and English...funny thing, though, I use English (in my dreams) mostly when I am upset or cursing or talking to myself(which sometimes happens while I �m awake,too!)...I don �t know why!
English usually finds its way into my dreams during stressful periods, when my students have to sit language exams etc.
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27 Mar 2013
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mariamit
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Great post. I don �t get to visit the site as much as I used to so I really enjoyed reading this. Personally, I mostly dream in English. I tend to dream in Greek only when it involves people I know who do not speak English. When upset, praying, begging or being in a really ecstatic mood I always dream in English. Also there are times when the language in the dream fits a cultural aspect. I mean if I dream of a holiday like Christmas I dream in English but Easter- as the celebration is a big part of Greek culture - I always dream about it in Greek.
Maria
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27 Mar 2013
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dutchboydvh
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This was a GREAT post! I tell my students that when they begin to dream in English, is when the really "have it". This being said, i �ve based this only on what i �ve been told, as English is my mother language, and I dream in English. I have only a basic grasp of Spanish, Chinese and a little less Malay. Though, I am fairly good with sign language and sometimes I do dream i �m signing to friends who are deaf. This being said, i probably still use English as i formulate what i �m trying to say. Still this was very interesting! I think i �m going to make a reading on this subject! Thanks for the ispiration! Dar |
27 Mar 2013
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douglas
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My dream language, just like at home, is usually a mixture of German and English(my native language) and some words or phrases from other languages I have some knowledge of (I �ve lived in Greece, Italy and Spain as well) . I don �t usually notice the language I am using in my dreams. Sometimes this happens in real life too, especially when there are three languages involved. I have been known to turn to someone and ask "What language was I just speaking?"
Anymore, my thought processes are a mix of languages. There are simply some words and concepts that fit better in different languages and have deeper meaning for that culture. For example: Greek filotimo- translates to "hospitality" or "friendliness", but it has a much deeper meaning in Greek culture that you have to experience in order to truly understand.
I can �t really say when I first dreamed in a second language, but I know that Spanish words would sometimes slip into my dreams when I was growing up (I grew up in a latino area and was exposed to Spanish a lot).
As has already been said by others, I do notice that when I am in a "full immersion" situation I tend to think and dream more in that language.
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28 Mar 2013
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MarionG
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At home we are all tri-lingual (English-Hebrew-Dutch) and me and my husband manage nicely in German as well and my husband can carry a conversation in French...We speak a mixture of all languages, sometimes within the same sentence.
I usually don �t remember much of my dreams, I think the language changes according to the characters/situations in my dream. I do know I rarely dream in Dutch (my mother tongue)because sometimes I wake up really surprised about the fact that my dream was in Dutch.
Nice topic.. I asked my husband and my son as well, they can �t say for sure either in which language they dream, they also seem to switch languages depending on who they meet....
I don �t remember when I started to first dream in Hebrew.......
I do remember once in a while dreaming that I do not understand the language around me, frustrating!!! |
28 Mar 2013
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