News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Ask HN: To those who became fluent in a second language, what did you do?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: To those who became fluent in a second language, ... by rmsaksida on Sunday October 16, 2016 @08:56AM (#12718393)
> Explain to someone in the language you claim to be fluent in how you'd go about making a fire without any matches. (hint: you need to use words like tinder, kindling, flint, etc.)

I wouldn't be able to do this in my own native language (aside from "stone" and "stick", I'm clueless about the tools involved), let alone in a foreign one. I think this is way too specific to be a good test for fluency.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: To those who became fluent in a second language, ... by adrianratnapala on Sunday October 16, 2016 @01:39PM (#12719794)
The problem is not (quite) with the concept of "fluency", it's that we we confuse it with being good at a language.

Given your situation, I would just launch into a German explanation complete with the bit where I say I don't know the real German words. Then I will muck about with hand gestures and phrases like "smaller bits of would" etc until they get it.

I would do all of this while screwing up my declensions and conjugations. And I would do most of the screwing up fluently. Less fluently if I notice the error.

[ Parent | on HN ]