Everything I have Forgotten

Driving into school today, the six year old piped up from the back seat 'Who decided the first words?' Good question. We talked about how different languages developed in different parts of the world, and how people learn to communicate. The two year old is returning to nursery with some pretty fruity new vocab: 'Mama Mia!' said with a nonchalant shrug. (Thank you Meryl Streep). A cool 'Lo Dude' and a less desirable sing-song 'B****r, b****r, b****r ...' which he of course learnt to pronounce perfectly the moment it popped out of the pilot's mouth in the car.

It was one of the things I loved about being expat, the background hum of a foreign language. Because I was never perfectly fluent in Spanish let alone Valenciano, I had to really concentrate if I wanted to understand what people were saying. I learnt basic market Spanish - in fact have variously learnt French, German, Italian, Latin. I read this quote from the US writer and professor of literature Brander Matthews in the FT magazine: 'A gentleman need not know Latin, but he should at least have forgotten it.' Well I have, every single word - out of all the languages I can get by in French and understand but barely speak Spanish. It's amazing what I have forgotten, and what's more I really have to work hard now to memorise anything new. I always admire people I've met who can slip effortlessly between languages. Children are like sponges, you need to catch this early on - it is dazzling to see how quickly they pick up new information and skills. The six year old already corrects me about things I have forgotten or mis-remembered. Do you think everything we learn is still in there somewhere? You do hear about people who sustain head injuries suddenly speaking fluent languages. Shame the whole Harry Potter/concussion incident didn't result in fluent Italian returning. Have you heard that saying that you become a different person speaking a different language? If you are bilingual, do you think language affects your behaviour?

Today's illustration made me laugh - in my case it is entirely true, and it would have been longer if I had managed to do the fantastic MA course in creative writing in East Anglia. Between Philosophy, Anthropology, Sociology, Art History, Arts Management, Interior Design and writing I have spent over seven years studying since school. Some of it was balanced with working full time. What about you - did you enjoy studying or couldn't you wait to get out of school? Because of their responsibilities both my father and father-in-law didn't have the chance to go to university - they are two of the brightest men I know, and interestingly both studied for degrees with the Open University once they retired, and loved it. I really think lifelong learning is the key to staying interested and alive - I don't know about you, but it's what I love about writing.

TODAY'S PROMPT: What do you wish you had learnt? It's never too late - at this time of year when all the kids are returning to school, how about you? Evening classes, correspondence courses or degrees, even picking up a book on the subject from your library. Learn something completely new, give yourself a fresh start! If you have the opposite problem and feel you have too much going on, why not try a news/information fast? Put the newspapers and books away, switch off the TV and radio, make a deliberate attempt not to take anything in for a few days until you feel refreshed. If you've never tried it, I recommend it - it's amazing how much we are bombarded with the visual/audio equivalent of junk food, and how much mental space it takes up.