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PaperclipPerfector  5mo ago (text post)   3839 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 19, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Even a few months of disuse is enough for them to feel significantly sluggish retrieving words and forming sentences in their native languages, albeit still highly proficient. If they know they'll need a particular one soon (like they'll be traveling to [insert country] next month), then they can review for a week or two and revive the quick access (like putting it in RAM), but trying to keep all of them active simultaneously makes organizing thoughts a bit chaotic.

This is also my experience, but if the question is "how many languages can you have stored in your brain in some form?" rather than "how many languages could you have a political debate in right this second?" I don't think anyone has demonstrated a limit, and seeing as even polyglots have to spend time doing things other than practicing languages it may as well be infinite. Of course, people may have different opinions on what counts as "knowing" something. If, given two days to prepare, I could pass a linear algebra exam by recalling what I learned in college, but I would fail miserably if presented with one right now, in what sense do I "know" the material?

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