Dreaming in non-native language?
By ap0calyptic
@ap0calyptic (921)
Slovenia
December 21, 2011 5:58pm CST
Have you ever heard of this or experienced it? as I did. for the past few years I'm having mixed dreams and most of time in my dreams I speak english language while its not my native language, but its strange, sometimes I'd dream my family and I never hear them speak only I apeak always and always in english. I've read in some magazine once that people call this that 'one has assimilated' which in other words would mean you absorbet or got used to that language to the point you kind of took it for your own, similar as your mother tongue which you learn from the kindergarten?
It's very strange and I never really met anyone who would dream like that, but when I read about it in this magazine a few month ago I was a bit relieved to nt be the only 'weird' one or how'd you call this experience. i was wondering too that it may be from that as on computer usually when I'm on I don't talk to native people and here on mylot obviously I write in english tho, but then again this can't be the impact...no?
What do you think about it and has it ever happened to you?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@cotruelove (1016)
• Denver, Colorado
22 Dec 11
As a citizen of America, born and bred, I speak and write fluent English, however, I do not speak but a few words of Spanish. Many years ago, I worked with a man from Spain who spoke fluent Castillian Spanish, and very rapidly. I remember dreaming then about going to Spain and speaking Spanish as I toured the countryside. Unfortunately, when I tried to take Spanish classes, the instructor told me I would never master the language because the words I tried to say had the wrong accent or inflection to them and it would get me in trouble and cause misunderstandings. He meant what I said would be misinterpreted by a Spanish speaker and was not what I meant to say. So, I only speak English fluently and a little German which I seem to speak fine. Continue your studies in English, you seem to be progressing from what I read.
@ap0calyptic (921)
• Slovenia
22 Dec 11
hello! and thanks a lot for your response. it's good to get a firsthand response from a native speaker. thanks a lot for my english I actually never studied it like professionally, I only learned the basics in elementary school which didn't even cover the very basic genders, so later I learned that all by myself simply by being online on forms more and starting to listen to american music more and watching tv shows etc. so all this is actuall self learnt, but still slang causes me problems sometimes and professional english phrases. however, back to the topic. that is very strange and kinda rude for a person to tell you you will never master some language as accents can be learnt too, so I don't know why they'd say that to you. And I know some spanish myself too and I have to say for me it was way easier to learn than english, though I almost forgot it all now. and german, I have german ancestry, but I barely know it, though I will have to shape it up for my exams this year want it or not. soo back to those dreams, for you I would say that was normal you having such dreams as you were working in such circles, communicating and hearing that language daily, so it could happen, but I don't really travel so far, but I always had love for the US ever since I was 8 years old when my fathers cousin invited us to come live there which we didnt then and I was very sad, but I don't think this has any importance, though it could impact my dreams somhow I think, cause I can't really find other reason behind it and its also so strange cause in english most of time when I hear new words I know how to write them mostly without even looking in a dictionary, its like automatic, like with my native language, so strange...
@cotruelove (1016)
• Denver, Colorado
22 Dec 11
Thanks! I think you are doing well with no formal language training in English. The dream I had I was just talking like I knew what I was doing. It was pretty strange at the time. I know I enjoyed the conversations with my friend, who also spoke fluent English. I think the teacher told me that because he was actually from Mexico and a university professor and thought it would be easier for me in a different language class. My husband speaks fluently seven languages, and he just chuckles when I try to say much in Spanish, so I've accepted the idea that I'm not going to speak Spanish. The good part about English is it is phonetically based and if you learned what letters form the sound you hear, you usually can spell the word correctly. I do know learning any language is better learned when you immerse yourself in the language, and I'm not around very many people who speak Spanish frequently enough to learn the sound of the language. Thanks for the topic, I know I've dreamed of other places where I was speaking the native language of a land, and had no clue in real life how to speak that language. It would be nice if it was that easy to learn another language...... sleep it into your head!
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
22 Dec 11
As you mention,it's a sign that a language you have learned has been well assimilated,when you have got to the stage when you can dream or think using that language.I had similar experiences when learning German while living and working there.
@ap0calyptic (921)
• Slovenia
20 Feb 12
thank you, thats actually the easiest clue I could come up with too - assimilation and it seems it indeed is true. :)
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
22 Dec 11
Well English is my first and only real language, but when I was taking lots of Spanish classes and studying really hard I would have dreams of spanish talking - but not necessarily all in spanish. I think it makes sense that you dream in English if you spend a lot of time talking and writing in English now.
@ap0calyptic (921)
• Slovenia
22 Dec 11
hmm another american learning spanish? interesting, guess you really like spaniards hehe however, you may be right, but at home I speak still in my language, I only write in english when I'm on laptop otherwise everything from news, magazine, books, everything is in my native language, so I'm still more 'in touch' with my own language despite writing in english online
@sijabatnaburjut (2171)
• Indonesia
22 Dec 11
I am coming from non speaking English country where English is thought to be foreign language. English language is hailed by everyone and they dream of being able to speak it fine and I was one of them who used to dream of speaking English when I was about a little kid. I started learning English when I was about 9 year old. I learned by myself. I remembered I was give an English book by my uncle. He never taught me how to read the book, but I was nine years old and was very curious. The book contained with lots of picture and sentence with them, so I just follow my intuition by seeing the picture and tried to pronounce the word as shown in the picture. That's fine. I like it thou.
I started to communicate English when I was fourteen years. I spoke with a foreigner who came from UK. I was very glad to be able to speak even if I knew only how to ask his name, country and destination. I was with my friend and he was so surprised because I could speak and be brave enough to speak with the foreigner.
I also studied German, but I speak very little of it. I wish there was someone who would be pleasure teaching me German, because I love German language as I love English as well. Thank you
@ap0calyptic (921)
• Slovenia
22 Dec 11
that's nice we share same passion for english language then. and again your dreams are explainable, you spent so much time learning english from that book that it was with you and in your mind constantly, so that affect your subconscious too sometimes, thus dreaming it then. and that's nice too you spoke with foreigners, its always a nice feeling when you can speak with a foreign in person with non-native language and feel like you're talking with a native from your town. I'm quarter german as I have 3 more origins from dad's and mom's site and I don0t really like german that much and I think it's very complicated to learn with some pronounciations and writing, but it can get fun when you get into it, so I hope you have a chance to learn it. nowadays there's so many torrents online with self learningprograms that you can learn it from there and I even know for one good site if you'd ever need it.
@Zskyla (39)
• United States
23 Dec 11
English is my second language (first one's french), and I came to america when I was really young--about five--and it wasn't until six months later after I've arrived that I only dreamt in the English language. I found it awkward at first, but it's grown on me since then.
@areskya (398)
• Indonesia
22 Dec 11
Hi, there.
I ever felt it before, I don't how and I don't why. On my dream, I talk in non-native language with non-native person too, such as the western artist or popular person from abroad. As I know, dream is an unconscious activity which are out of control the brain. I suppose that it has a relation with our deep intention or thought which visualized on our dream
@ap0calyptic (921)
• Slovenia
22 Dec 11
well after all they say dreams somehow are our suppressed feelings, desires and wishes, so a little of this it may be true, but still I can't find the exact cause for foreign dreaming, if I could call it like tha? it just seems so unnatural and strange and as I see you are first that can actually relate and I never met anyone like that, so it must be some connection behind it for us having dreams like that
@nezavisima (7408)
• Bulgaria
22 Dec 11
Good for you, this is something quite amazing.
not happened to me to talk about a dream in another language.
But also I dreamed of some discussion and how I write how answer.
so this is normal.
Yet I now think I'm addicted to this site.
maybe you are addicted like me.
Thank you very much for this discussion.
nice day!
@girl_thinking (1959)
• Philippines
22 Dec 11
Hello ap0calyptic :)
I come from the Philippines and our native language here is Tagalog or "Filipino" but most of us can speak and understand English. I cannot think of a dream where in I spoke other languages than Filipino and English. It would be quite weird. In most of my dreams, I usually do not talk. Haha that I remember very much.
I would like to experience dreaming that I speak fluently in Nihongo or the Japanese language. I am interested to learn that language :)
