Do you think in your mother tongue?

by goodcitizn Mon Nov 18, 2013 5:52 pm

I am not sure how the thinking process works. I don't think in my mother tongue when I speak in English ... the words just flow automatically. However, when I have to calculate something in math I seem to resort to my Tamil memory table. I wonder how it is with people who know multiple languages.

by Guest Mon Nov 18, 2013 5:57 pm

I think in Hinglish. Talking pure English, even if grammatically incorrect or limited vocabulary, comes easier than talking pure Hindi, which takes some effort. Talking Hinglish is easiest.

by bw Mon Nov 18, 2013 6:19 pm

goodcitizn wrote:I am not sure how the thinking process works. I don't think in my mother tongue when I speak in English ... the words just flow automatically. However, when I have to calculate something in math I seem to resort to my Tamil memory table. I wonder how it is with people who know multiple languages.

good question. i almost always think only in english. sometimes, when i call people names under my breath, i use words like manDu, paithyam, etc.

by goodcitizn Mon Nov 18, 2013 6:24 pm

bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:I am not sure how the thinking process works. I don't think in my mother tongue when I speak in English ... the words just flow automatically. However, when I have to calculate something in math I seem to resort to my Tamil memory table. I wonder how it is with people who know multiple languages.
good question. i almost always think only in english. sometimes, when i call people names under my breath, i use words like manDu, paithyam, etc.

LOL! How about multiplications?

by bw Mon Nov 18, 2013 6:30 pm

goodcitizn wrote:
bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:I am not sure how the thinking process works. I don't think in my mother tongue when I speak in English ... the words just flow automatically. However, when I have to calculate something in math I seem to resort to my Tamil memory table. I wonder how it is with people who know multiple languages.
good question. i almost always think only in english. sometimes, when i call people names under my breath, i use words like manDu, paithyam, etc.
LOL! How about multiplications?

multiplications? meaning?

by Guest Mon Nov 18, 2013 6:49 pm

bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:I am not sure how the thinking process works. I don't think in my mother tongue when I speak in English ... the words just flow automatically. However, when I have to calculate something in math I seem to resort to my Tamil memory table. I wonder how it is with people who know multiple languages.
good question. i almost always think only in english. sometimes, when i call people names under my breath, i use words like manDu, paithyam, etc.
LOL! How about multiplications?
multiplications? meaning?

while solving a math problem if you have to do some mathematical calculation like .6 *.6, then do you use english or tamil? I use only english in thinking when working on a mathematical problem. I believe this is because i went to an english medium school all through high school.

GC did you go to a tamil medium school, or an english medium school?

by goodcitizn Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:00 pm

bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:I am not sure how the thinking process works. I don't think in my mother tongue when I speak in English ... the words just flow automatically. However, when I have to calculate something in math I seem to resort to my Tamil memory table. I wonder how it is with people who know multiple languages.
good question. i almost always think only in english. sometimes, when i call people names under my breath, i use words like manDu, paithyam, etc.
LOL! How about multiplications?
multiplications? meaning?

Like when you calculate 14X12 etc or when you add numbers. I was taught the multiplication table in Tamil so that's how I calculate.

by goodcitizn Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:03 pm

Rashmun wrote:
bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:I am not sure how the thinking process works. I don't think in my mother tongue when I speak in English ... the words just flow automatically. However, when I have to calculate something in math I seem to resort to my Tamil memory table. I wonder how it is with people who know multiple languages.
good question. i almost always think only in english. sometimes, when i call people names under my breath, i use words like manDu, paithyam, etc.
LOL! How about multiplications?
multiplications? meaning?
while solving a math problem if you have to do some mathematical calculation like .6 *.6, then do you use english or tamil? I use only english in thinking when working on a mathematical problem. I believe this is because i went to an english medium school all through high school.

GC did you go to a tamil medium school, or an english medium school?

Rashmun: My grandfather taught me the multiplication table in Tamil when I was 4 or 5. I had to recite the table all the way up to 16. I used to get candy as a treat for it.

by Guest Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:07 pm

goodcitizn wrote:
Rashmun wrote:
bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
bw wrote:good question. i almost always think only in english. sometimes, when i call people names under my breath, i use words like manDu, paithyam, etc.
LOL! How about multiplications?
multiplications? meaning?
while solving a math problem if you have to do some mathematical calculation like .6 *.6, then do you use english or tamil? I use only english in thinking when working on a mathematical problem. I believe this is because i went to an english medium school all through high school.

GC did you go to a tamil medium school, or an english medium school?
Rashmun: My grandfather taught me the multiplication table in Tamil when I was 4 or 5. I had to recite the table all the way up to 16. I used to get candy as a treat for it.

we were made to rote tables in english, like say in a sing song manner "2 1s are 2, 2 2s are 4" and so on... of course it used to get shortened to "2 1 sa 2", "2 2 sa 4"....

When I teach my kids that, I go... "so, 9 9 sa?" and they go, "what?" Then I have to correct myself, and go, "9 times 9 is"?

Edit: We also got used to they way my parents did tables in Hindi, "do ekam do, do dooni char, do tiya chhe"... don't remember the rest now.

by bw Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:30 pm

goodcitizn wrote:
bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:
bw wrote:
goodcitizn wrote:I am not sure how the thinking process works. I don't think in my mother tongue when I speak in English ... the words just flow automatically. However, when I have to calculate something in math I seem to resort to my Tamil memory table. I wonder how it is with people who know multiple languages.
good question. i almost always think only in english. sometimes, when i call people names under my breath, i use words like manDu, paithyam, etc.
LOL! How about multiplications?
multiplications? meaning?
Like when you calculate 14X12 etc or when you add numbers. I was taught the multiplication table in Tamil so that's how I calculate.

oh, always in english. i studied tamil at school only for a year. i learnt all the hindi numbers through cricket commentary.

by goodcitizn Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:40 pm

I presume how you feel (angry, sad, happy etc) has no relationship to any language.

by Guest Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:44 pm

goodcitizn wrote:I presume how you feel (angry, sad, happy etc) has no relationship to any language.

funny we were just talking about it today. Older thinks a-s-s-w-i-p-e is the biggest insult ever (she is too scared to say exact words to me, so she always spells it out). Then she goes, 'mommy what's your fave?'. No response from me. She goes, 'i think your favorite is b-i-t-c-h'. Sad

by Merlot Daruwala Mon Nov 18, 2013 11:50 pm

I think in English and cuss in Hindi.

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:22 am

goodcitizn wrote:I am not sure how the thinking process works. I don't think in my mother tongue when I speak in English ... the words just flow automatically. However, when I have to calculate something in math I seem to resort to my Tamil memory table. I wonder how it is with people who know multiple languages.

Exactly... I have joked often with chinese and messicans about reverting to mother tongue or the language you learnt in when it comes to arithmatic and tables.

by Kris Tue Nov 19, 2013 1:59 am

goodcitizn wrote:I am not sure how the thinking process works. I don't think in my mother tongue when I speak in English ... the words just flow automatically. However, when I have to calculate something in math I seem to resort to my Tamil memory table. I wonder how it is with people who know multiple languages.

>>>Think in whatever language I speak. It comes out awkward otherwise. Math- in English.

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