Newsgroups: alt.usage.english,sci.lang
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!newsfeed.pitt.edu!gatech!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!nntp.coast.net!zombie.ncsc.mil!news.mathworks.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!inet-nntp-gw-1.us.oracle.com!nntp-hub.barrnet.net!parc!rocksanne!ivor!jslewocz
From: jslewocz@ivor (John S. Lewocz)
Subject: Re: What is a native language? was Re: Rubbish Speak
Message-ID: <1996Mar1.144018.13522@news.wrc.xerox.com>
Sender: news@news.wrc.xerox.com
Organization: Xerox Corporation
References: <4fff1v$3kh@copland.udel.edu> <rte-2202961339370001@mac-118.lz.att.com> <1996Feb26.141743.27001@news.wrc.xerox.com> <rte-2702961825010001@mac-118.lz.att.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Mar 1996 14:40:18 GMT
Lines: 45

In article <rte-2702961825010001@mac-118.lz.att.com>,
Ralph T. Edwards <rte@elmo.lz.att.com> wrote:
>In article <1996Feb26.141743.27001@news.wrc.xerox.com>, jslewocz@ivor
>(John S. Lewocz) wrote:
>

>> 
>> Not really.   My parents spoke only Polish to me my entire life, and I
>> spoke it exclusively until I entered kindergarten.
>> 
>
>So, you only spoke to your parents until you entered kindergarten,  or
>were there other Polish speaking folk around?  

Apart from my grandmother till I was two, no.

Of course my parents had many friends from the old country, but they were by
no means around on a daily (or even weekly) basis.

>Was this in the US or somewhere else?

US.

>If you have specific memories of this period, it would be interesting to
>know what you thought of the surrounding non-Polish speaking world.

I can't say I remember all that much about the surrounding English speaking
world before I was five.   During kindergarten I learned enough English to
become part of the surrounding community and could switch between linguistic
"worlds" very easily.   

If you speak a language as a toddler you develop an ear for the sounds and
structure of that language, and I don't believe you ever lose it (at least
you won't lose most of it).   

Of course, depending on your surroundings, you may not develop the kind of 
vocabulary enjoyed by people your age back in the old country.   For example,
as a kid, I was often asked by the neighborhood kids for translations of 
their favorite slang expressions and expletives into Polish, and they were 
dismayed when I told them I didn't know (or there were no literal or even 
approximate translations).   However, I find I'm able to pick up new Polish 
expressions and vocabulary -- and use them appropriately, for the most part 
-- because my folks gave me that background years ago.

--John
