The Meaning of Language

Out of Class

Revisiting my previous discussion about language, I want to talk about thinking in languages. In general, we say that language is a means of communication. But of course, it is also a form of thinking. Has it every occurred to you that we also think in certain languages? (Maybe this doesn't apply for those who only speak fluently in one language.)

When I was born, the first language that I learnt to speak was English. Although both  of my parents were Chinese, they studied Chinese in school only until elementary standard and studied in the United States for their university courses. As I turned 7, my parents understood that speaking one's mother tongue was very important, so I was sent to study at a Chinese elementary school. I had a hard time. Although I understood Chinese, I was very slow in responding because in my mind, the words were all in English.

From 7 to 16, my Chinese improved a lot and English, hmm, not as much. One thing that I did not realize until I came to Vietnam, was that I was no longer thinking in English. I thought in Chinese most of the time. I feel in the Chinese language. For example, if there were two people who said "I love you" to me and one person said in Chinese whilst the other said in English, I would feel the love more from the person who spoke in Chinese. English, to me, was merely words.

After two years of studying in Vietnam, I am ashame to admit that I think the language that I'm thinking in is changing again. I don't know how much it has changed, but the lack of speaking in my mother tongue, especially when I don't live with my family anymore, I realized that phrases that I used to say are not being substituted by English sentences. I like English, but I love Chinese. I am afraid of the change. Is it possible to be able to think in two languages? When I don't think in Chinese, does that also affect my ability to speak it?

Source of image:
http://commonsenseatheism.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/intro_to_language.png