On Thu, May 8, 2008 at 4:41 PM, Jim Grisanzio <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Interesting. I've noticed that my western friends who have lived in Japan > for a decade and gained totally fluency actually lose a great deal of > capability with just a few years living outside Japan. I guess you can never > leave. :)
Maybe languages are like that - they demand constant usage or perhaps the human brain is wired to demand superior left ear monitoring skills. http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2002/05/01/lang_learn020501.html One person had the ability to speak (not read and write new scripts) his wife's native tongue within a year but another person couldnt even after a decade. I guess besides early exposure, interest, curiosity and urge to learn also counts.
