Those of you who speak a foreign language, but are not bilingual will probably know this phenomenon (or maybe it’s just me); I find it very easy to “switch off” the foreign language. I’m not great at German, but I think in it, dream in it and occasionally find that when someone talks to me, but I’m slightly distracted by something, I’m unaware if what they’ve just said was in English or German and I have to go through my little list of “do I speak German or English to this person” (because there are some Germans to whom I usually only speak English), before I reply.
Anyway, and despite all this, I can (and do) turn off the part of my brain responsible for comprehending German, it means I can sit in a train carriage, be surrounded by people talking and not hear a word of it. If however, there is a couple at the other end of the carriage, speaking English, even if I don’t want to, I “get” the whole conversation.
It’s actually quite useful, for example on busy trains (that don’t have English speakers on them), or at dinner parties when the person sitting next to you is an awful bore, I just switch off, remember to nod my head in agreement every now and again and say “ja, genau” at random points. As a result I’m sure there are several people who think I’m insane, but it’s got me through what would otherwise have been a couple of interminably dull evenings, and they got to talk to someone about Roland Koch for two and a half hours.
There is (and isn’t there always) a downside. I’ve learnt, for example, that if you want to ask someone a question in their non-native language its a good idea to prefix it with their name, to get their attention.
Compare and contrast…
[1] Background talk in foreign language, yada, mumble, yada, blah, blah, your name?
[2] Your name, do you have that new and really exciting data to show the important, but very busy person who chairs the committee which decides whether or not to extend your funding?
Or yesterday’s example: I was walking to the local shopping centre, minding my own business, thinking “remember Monday is a holiday, buy extra milk etc.” Now to get to the shops is a 10-12 minute walk, however there are about 6 sets of traffic lights on the way – and I’ll let you into one of my dirty, little secrets – I don’t always wait for the little green man, before crossing (I know, I know, there is surely a little circle of Hell set aside for me and my ilk, but I’m a busy/impatient/non-German man). It was only by the time he got really angry and started shouting that I turned around and realised that a police van had been following me at walking pace for at least 200 yards, and the man in the passenger seat had been talking to me, explaining that “I’d just done a naughty thing and we were just going to tell you off and be on our way, but as you’ve been deliberately ignoring us, we’re going to fine you and see what else we can do you for whilst we’re about it. Can I see your ID card please?” Oh dear.
German Phrase For Today: “Wie ich schon 217mal erwähnt habe, Roland Koch ist einfach klasse, und hat wirklich geholfen das Image Hessens zu verbessern.” - Ja, genau. Does your wife have to listen to this every day?
Song playing as this was published: Herbert Grönemeyer “Neuland”
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