Language ability

Post Reply New Topic

Hi,

I'm 34 and have recently been refered via my GP for a formal Diagnosis for AS. My main obsession has always been computer graphics (I'm a web/graphic designer). An other obsession of mine has always been cities (Tokyo, Berlin and Moscow in particular)However I have recently found that I Seem to have a natural ability with language. This was never noted at school (probably because I hardly went;)).

I have learned over 100 russian words half an our a day and about 30 full phrases in a week (just half an hour a day)

I have also learnt the cyrillic alphabet in under 8 minutes!
I hope this does not sound like boasting too much;)

I'm also interested in learning germen and polish.

Does anyone else on here find they have an ability with language? I just wish I had found this out a lot sooner:(

That is really impressive. I read that the acquisition of additional languages is very difficult after the age of 14. You may not be interested but I think the military desperately needs Arabic translators.

and...Welcome to Wrong Planet

Hi and Welcome. I am also new here. I also do well with languages. (except for English apparently I didn't speak for years as a child) I was actually going to be a Spanish major in college until I switched to nursing. Also took French in HS (along with spanish) and skipped a year of the program because I taught myself. Must have been from all the speech therapy I had...

Jennifer

I started studying Spanish this semester and found an ability I never know I had. It is now turning into an obsession and that is a good thing because being bilingual is almost mandatory for most decent jobs now. Once I've gone as far as I can with that I am moving on to Chinese and Arabic.

I study Russian, Spanish and Italian from home (they only teach French and Spanish at school, and I joined school too late in the year to start learning Spanish at school). I have a natural ability for learning languages, and languages are my main obsession at the moment.

All the music I listen to is in different languages. This is probably why I could learn the Cyrillic alphabet so quickly, because I am used to seeing the letters transliterated on YouTube videos, etc.

I want to be a translator when I'm older, so I can get paid for knowing languages.

I don't know if I might start learning more languages in the future. It would depend on whether something sparks my interest in a particular language. I started learning Italian because I want to live in Rome when I'm older. I started learning Spanish because other people in my class were learning Spanish and I wanted to as well because it's a nice language. And I started learning Russian because I really like Russian music, and because I'm interested in Russian history (especially the Soviet Union).

I am able to pick up languages fairly quickly. I took two years of Spanish in high school, and after a week or so the first year, I was told I should be in a higher level (though I had never studied it before), and the same happened during my second year. I have taught myself a bit of French and I can usually get the "gist" of a written language with which I am not totally familiar (this came in handy when I accidentally downloaded a program to my computer that included instructions only in Italian. I am also rather fluent in sign language, though I am rusty from lack of use.

Thanks for the relpies guys. I have moved onto being able to write Russian in cyrilic without any reference material today (I find I'm about 95% acurate - which is odd as I'm also dyslexic). If only I had been aware of this ability at a yonger age - school had totaly let me down:(

ah well, if I get bored of web design in the next few year (I turned 34 this Halloween) I reckon I might aim for a carear in translation - maybe my goal before I turn 40:)

I have a 2 year old son who can already say hello and goodbye in Russian and count to 10 in French. I don't think he has AS. It was my wife who first noticed it in me (she has worked with young autistic children) took me 10 year to see about it though:)

my GP (doctor) reckon's I'm a textbook Case (he has sent others for diagnosis). Just have to wait for my referal to come through. Not sure if this sounds strange but a positive diagnosis would make me happy. I have had many difficulties my whole life, having one 'box' to put them all into would be such an imense relife, almost like being born again.

I tried explaining this to my GP with the following analogy:
imainge living 34 years never really understanding those around you, your environment not quite making sense, always feeling luke everyone else knows somthing you don't. Then one day somebody says to you "you know what's wrong? It's because your Greek, and this country your in isn't Greece!" a diagnosis of AS to me would be like finding out I'm not mad and the world isn't mad either I'm just Greek, not literaly of course. The doctor totally got this analogy and he made reference to it throughout the consultation.

Sorry this post has been so long:)

I like your analogy
Funny you say that. I lived 25 years in what I thought was the wrong country. Then I moved to another country and realised I wasn't in the wrong country but the wrong planet

On the languages subject -this is just IME- I find that those languages where there's a clear gramatical structure and letter-sound correspondence seem easier to learn. Based on a correspondence table, I was once able to read something in Serbian to a Serbian guy and he could understand what I was saying, although I didn't.

Welcome to WP and good luck with your new special interest

I study Japanese. I'm not fluent yet, but I will be one day. I find a lot of aspects of the language to be very easy. I took a french class and didn't do well, but i think that may have been because I had a bad teacher. The Japanese teacher I had was very nice, and it was a nice learning environment where all the students were on the same level and so when one of us made a mistake we didn't feel embarrassed and could laugh at the silliness of ourselves. While the french class, it seemed I was the only true beginner, all the other students had taken french classes before and they were just taking another to sort of jolt their memory to life, therefore I was the only one who was a complete beginner. The french teacher didn't spend enough time explaining things because most of the other class almost instantly knew what she meant. I like many languages, I have been toying with the idea of taking a Spanish class because it is very practice and useful, not to mention and interesting language in itself. If it was possible I would like to learn dead or rare languages too, but the problem with that of course is finding people to speak with in that language.

Hi Inuit, welcome, and enjoy your stay on the Wrong Planet!

I think this is an interesting thread here.
I like your analogy story about being Greek.

I have always been good at languages, and I have always liked learning languages. At school I learned Dutch (obviously ), English, French, German, Latin and Ancient Greek, and I did well. I was always the best in my English class, better than a class mate who was half British. I also had the idea of doing a Bachelor for English translator, which I didn't do; I'm now a MSc in experimental psychology, doing PhD research. But it is an advantage that my English is good, since everything I read and write for work is in English and I speak English quite a lot. I also visit England regularly, especially since my sister moved there 13 years ago. My mind also often switches to English, I've had that since I was about 12, and then all my thoughts are in English. I like it

Hi Scientist, I'm pleased you like English and England so much. I live in the North East of England (Newcastle). To the North of Newcastle is Northumberland, It's quite a beautiful county full of castles, ancient ruins and spectacular scenery. It's well worth a visit:)

I'm finding at the moment, that interest in languages (particularly Russian, It's all I can think about) has overtaken my old long term primary interest (computing, Design, Web Design). This has became very intense over the last month. I have almost no interest in designing websites, which is a bit difficult as it's my job!

I think this has been 'on the cards' for a while, a change in interest. It's a shame that it won't be so easy for a change in career.

Anyone else ever felt this drastic change in a special interest?

Nice to hear you're from Newcastle. I visited Newcastle, when my sister was living there. And I travelled by train through Northumberland, to Edinburgh. But that must have been about 12 years ago. Now she's living in the Lake District, also really beautiful. I think you're lucky, living in a country with such beautiful areas
I never had drastic changes in interests myself. But don't you think your change in interest might also change back? I hope you'll find your way with your special interest anyhow.

I guess it may change back (interest) or blend in with my language interest.

I think I am at a difficult part of my career. I have been in this industry for nearly 10 years now and Have had a set way of working. Howver, now as a senior member of my discipline I'm expected to do partake in more project management tasks, supervise junior staff, manage contractors and even be more client facing. These shifts are highlighting my weaknesses I guess. I much prefere working 'in my own space'

Pleased you like Northumberland. The Netherlands is also beautiful. Well I have only been to Amsterdam, but really liked what I saw:)

OK, I understand that's difficult. I also read that sometimes a boss doesn't understand that an (ASS) employee doesn't want promotion, but prefers to remain in the job he / she is doing.
I can't give you any advice on this...
:) Thank you. The PhD research I did was in Amsterdam, and I lived near Rotterdam, and before that I lived in Nijmegen, but now I'm living in the South (Limburg) again, where I come from (right between Belgium and Germany), which I think is the most beautiful part of the Netherlands, with small hills, near the Belgian Ardennes. It is very different from the rest of the Netherlands, which is really flat. I think Limburg is also worth a visit e.g. Maastricht, Valkenburg and Vaals (where the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany meet) are popular among tourists (I'm starting to sound like a tourist promotion person now... ).

After my ramble on:

'To the North of Newcastle is Northumberland, It's quite a beautiful county full of castles, ancient ruins and spectacular scenery. It's well worth a visit'

I think a little promotion of limburg is fine:)

been nice to talk to you btw. You're the first AS person I have had contact with.
I see that you were only diagnosed recently, how long have you suspected you may be AS? I have always felt different, had many issues and perculuar traits my whole life, though it was my wife (who had read up on AS) who brough it to my attention. Your the same age as myself and have found out about yourself at the same point of life (though I have seen my doctor, I'm still waiting for my full diagnosis assesment). Be interesting to see what other parralels there are:)

OK Thank you, I also like talking to you Well, I didn't really suspect I had it. The diagnosis came pretty much as a surprise to me. But it explained things that had happened in my life. And I also always knew I was a bit different compared to most other people. But I never really had big problems in my life, no problems at school (I always did well and was always eager to learn) and having friends or relationships, though I never had many friends. But since I know I have it, I recognise a lot when reading about Asperger's and Autism. I like recognising things when reading about it and talking to other ASD people. Some friends of mine who know me really well and also know much about Asperger's and Autism (careerwise), said they weren't very surprised, they could imagine me being AS. But I think it's difficult to notice yourself.

I was wondering, do you have an appointment for your assessment? Or did you only talk to your doctor so far or are you on some kind of waiting list for getting diagnosed?