13557979173 (一三五五七九七九一七三）

I am beginning to speculate more and more frequently about the affect learning a second language has on thought processes (or perhaps vice versa). Curiosities naturally show up all over the place when you look into alternate forms of communication, but are often looked over as one-offs, oddities, etc. For monolinguals, there is no option but to contrast unfamiliar linguistic concepts to those that already exist in our brains, that of our mother tongue. (From my understanding, bilinguals also have a fixed reference point). While learning we only have one reference point from which to decode novel stimuli, and it is from this origin that a process of translation takes place. Children acquire language instinctively, and as each phonemic input is intrinsically novel, they have no option but to bank it is an anchor. With no reference point, input becomes the reference point. (There is a giant can of worms regarding the real argument for language's instinctive nature that I dare not open...see "The Language Instinct" by Steven Pinker). That being said, the ultimate goal for the post-pubescent language learner is to shed the responsibility of their mother tongue being the primary point of reference, and allow the newly acquired language to flow out uninhibited by the cumbersome translation process. To put it metaphorically, once the transition takes place it is like finding the elevator where you have previously taken the stairs. As a post-pubescent (thirteen years of age finds the critical window for language to be learned instinctively closed) how do you find your way to the elevator door? Many people don't. To do it voluntarily is quite difficult, but I strongly believe that a combination of interest, determination, submersion, and intelligence are capable of prying the elevator door open. (I also believe that of these four, interest and submersion are profoundly more important).

At the risk of sounding self-glorifying, please read the following with these things in mind: Numbers are among the first things anyone will learn when trying to acquire a new language, they receive the most rehearsal, and have a strong basis in mathematics which is a concrete science. Conceptually, numbers are not abstract. Also, the following is a curious event with implications that I currently do not know but would like to know. I am trying to approach it with the goal of answering questions in mind.

While joking around with my friends, likely about the absurdity of cell phones, I was reminded about my time spent in China when I actually owned one. In previous posts I have mentioned the frequency of information exchanges that foreigners inevitably encounter is very high. Nearly everyday you will find yourself in a situation where you are dictating your phone number to someone. These exchanges would invariably be in Chinese.
Since I have returned, the amount of Chinese I speak in any given day has been cut in a seventh. Our having a laugh at cell-phone users' expense somehow brought up the question: Do I still know the cell phone number I was subscribed to in China.
Of course I do, I said it thousands of times! However, when I attempted to relay it to my company, nothing came out. I kept saying the first two digits, the only two that I was sure of, in English, waiting for the rest to just flow on out. They didn't come out. It was only until I started thinking in Chinese that I could accurately recall my number, and it happened quick-snap. As soon as I said the first digit the rest were ducklings after a mother duck. I realize there are elements of repetition that play into fluidity of language, and the fact that I could only remember my cell phone number in Chinese doesn't mean I can project this fluidity onto other, more complex parts of speech (unfortunately), but does this scenario have implications about second language acquisition in terms of memory storage? or brain plasticity? or activation areas? transformation from noninherence to inherence? I do not know, but I would like to know.