What is your worst/most constant language comprehension...?

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I answered "I understand language only by the pattern of what situation I have heard what sequence of words in, in the past. I would have real trouble defining or understanding most single words, or words without context." When I'm listening to someone talk, sometimes it's hard for me to keep up with what they're saying. Usually I just have to think about what they said for a minute. I don't have much of a problem with literal thinking and no trouble with metaphors.

this is a great list.

i voted worst out of all is ability to remember words as more start piling up after the first ones.

but i also mishear things alot and have trouble understanding what someone is saying while trying to understand anything else at the same time.

on the topic of taking things literally i think my worst problem there is failing to understand when questions are rhetorical.

also i do a lot of word puzzles (finding words from jumbled letters) and i sometimes find it easier and faster to discover the words i've missed by trying different combinations in alphabetical order (as the blank spaces that indicate words left to discover are listed alphabetically) than by thinking up words on their own. i will discover a very simple word i know and pronounce it wrong or fail to remember the definition when it isn't being used in conversation, with no context. it becomes about the patterns of the letters, more like a number puzzle than a word puzzle. yet i persist.

i can't remember anything else from the list to comment about it without referring to it or quoting it directly, so that also indicates whatever it indicates.

edit: after referring to the list again, i do also often have to translate to pictures and can't follow a description or directions until the picture becomes clear. if i don't catch up quickly with the visuals, i have to ask someone to start over or even draw a picture as they are explaining something.

edit #2: the inverse of the above is also applicable: i have trouble retrieving the appropriate words to use when trying to express myself and sometimes draw in the air with my hands before the word will show up.

more:

i sometimes repeat whole sentences that i am aware of having already said, and though aware of it, cannot figure out why.

i occasionally miss something being said because my focus is elsewhere, and there is a delay and then i hear it, as if my brain has recorded it and then waited until it got my attention to play it for me. < this is weird. does it happen to anyone else?

this too. it seems people read into things i've said often, then i have no idea why because i've been so direct. and i have no idea what it is they think i've meant to imply. i give up on this one now. if someone takes something the wrong way and doesn't clarify, i don't know what to do and just stop the communication. it's too hard to sort out what happened. i can't figure out what i've done wrong.

I wanted to check half of the list, but I could only check one, so I chose the one about translating words into pictures, but most of the time lanuage sounds like gibberish to me and I have to guess what people are saying then try to translate it into pictures which my mind uses as thought...it is a mirricle I understand much of anything...buthat God I have a sense of humor about my misunderstandings, or I would just give up

I voted for not having enough memory capacity to hold onto all of the speech before the beginning starts to fade away. It's like dealing with a data stream that's coming in too fast and overflowing the buffer (resulting in 'dropped frames').

I think it's both an issue of short-term memory and slow processing, rather than one or the other.

The 2nd place problem (besides tuning out noise/interference) would be that at times strings of words won't mean anything that I can recognize. I can tell what each of the words means individually, but as a sentence there's nothing; no recognition or reaction. It happens a lot more often when I'm reading, though. I guess it's the opposite of only being able to understanding groups of words meaningfully, while not being able to understand the individual words.

...Though with idioms, I do end up thinking of them as if they're one giant word. I can use them fine, but have trouble remembering/explaining the 'story' they're supposed to represent. I tend to mix metaphors because of that.

I could have chosen at least 2 of those options, was a hard choice lol

My worst and my most are too different things. My worst is being exhausted and hearing my native language like gibberish but that happens rarely. My most is simply mishearing words, which sounds like the same thing but it's a matter of mishearing one word but it's in my language rather than the whole sentence in gibberish. I could also pick a number of other things too.

Reading some of these posts, I realize how many of these quirks I have. On the poll, I checked taking things too literally. I often don't understand the difference between what's said and the intended meaning. When someone gives me vague directions, I have trouble deciphering what needs to be done. I also have trouble processing when there's too much background noise. My brain has trouble figuring out what to focus on. Ditto on too much information at once. I can't process fast enough to get the entire meaning of a long speech.

Wow. I've seen people on here talk about struggling to communicate, but hadn't seen anything that laid out the issues so clearly. I have problems in several of these areas. In approximate order of importance (to me), these are the ones that apply to me:

I constantly miss things, but if I ask someone to repeat themselves, by the time they start to do so I no longer need it, as their first statement has sunk in by then. It isn't that I didn't hear the comment, it isn't even that I didn't understand it - it just, sometimes, takes a second or two (or 5 or 10) for it to make sense to me. Drives my BF absolutely bonkers! He has started to reply to my "What?" with "What do you think I said?" 90% of the time, I am able to accurately restate his comment/question, at which point he asks, irritatedly, "If you know what I said, why did you ask me to repeat it?"



Ohgoodgod, yes! Probably the main reason I hate going to parties. I'm not good at the kind of aimless, useless chit-chat that goes on at them to begin with, but when I can only pick up on 25% of what someone says, it becomes pretty much impossible. Throw a moderate serving of face blindness into the mix, and I'm a faux paus bomb ready to go off at any moment!



I seldom have problems with this in my day to day life, as few people want to discuss anything in enough depth to require sentences that oveflow my buffer. It does cause problems when someone is giving me some sort of instructions: an assignment at work; directions to a location; explaining a recipe.



This applies to all of these issues, but I put it in this place because it particularly effects the last two items I've listed. When I am tired or under stress, my processing speed slows down, background noise seems more prominent, and my "buffer" is partially full to begin with, so the above problems are all enhanced. If these last two appear, however, I know that I need to look for a way to disengage, because they are (for me) signs that I'm getting close to meltdown/shutdown. The worse they get, the closer the shutdown is. Actually, I'd have to say that they are indicators that a shutdown has begun. I might be able to hold things together for 30 minutes - or maybe only 5 - but it's time to get out of wherever it is at the earliest possible opportunity.



May randomly affect a sentence and cause minor inconvenience. If it becomes prominent, likely indicator that shutdown/meltdown is approaching.



May randomly affect a sentence and cause minor inconvenience. If it becomes prominent, likely indicator that shutdown/meltdown is approaching.

Of course, these only apply to understanding others. Then I have to respond, which is a different set of hurdles entirely.

I have little trouble with the written word - after all, it's easy to re-read something if it wasn't clear the first time, and the words are usually chosen more carefully to begin with. Replying in written form is easier, too because, again, one can take more time to choose one's words. For example, this reply has taken an hour or so to compose. I know that many here would need far longer, but most people I know could have composed something this length in 5 or 10 minutes - other than the fact that they would have simply chosen the first option in the poll, and not needed to write anything on this topic to begin with!

I selected "None," but I do tend to miss certain sarcasms. I can usually get sarcasm if there's a blatant sarcastic tone of voice. But I tend to miss sarcasm when it's said deadpan and you're supposed to catch it because the statement is so overly absurd. Like if a handyman jokingly estimates my repair to cost $10,000 when really it's something like $500 then I'll instantly go into panic mode about what alternatives could be done to reduce cost. Even though the $10,000 number is absurd, my first reaction is to take it at face value.

Once I get to personally know someone's style then I get recognize such jokes just fine. It's never caused me real problems, just a mild annoyance every rare once in a while. Since I interpreted the question as relating to things that cause one problems, I didn't think it was correct to select "Other" (for certain sarcasms) or "Too literal" even though those could be said to be true of me.

I'm learning a foreign language and I find it difficult to hear that language. I can say something in Italian, but if you say the same thing to me then I often hear gibberish. And if I read it then it's perfectly clear! It's a strange sensation. But this is not a problem with English, though, so again I didn't think that should count here. I assume that it's a side effect of learning a language as an adult instead of an infant, as opposed to a general language comprehension problem.

Now that I've read the thread I wish that I could change my vote from "None" to "Too literal". I forgot that I've also been burned and put into awkward circumstances by the dreaded "What's going on?" question as co-workers pass in the office halls and similar such social expressions. I definitely consider that to have qualified as a problem.

1. I hear language and I know it's language but often it just sounds like noise.

2. I have trouble hearing language through background noise.

3. I mishear words a lot.

4. I can spot metaphors and other nonliteral language but can't understand the real meaning.

5. I have trouble noticing language involving double meanings.

^ These. Number one generally happens to me when I am looking at someone's face... Probably because I'm focused on not messing up eye contact/expressions.

I voted for number four, though these five are pretty close to equally problematic...

"How is your day going" still gives me pause. I freeze, thinking "how am I possibly going to explain the nuances of my day in a reasonable amount of time?".. Then of course I remember that Im just supposed to make soothing noises or a short positive remark. And it's very rare that I will remember to ask them in return. I just don't care and I'm not playing that game.

The biggest for me is the third option. Currently my biggest problem is people with certain accents; much of it depends on individuals. Additionally different tones and volume of voice, speaking at a certain tempo, describing things too abstractly, or using slang or lingo I don't quite understand can throw me off easily to where I don't understand a thing that's been said when I know I wasn't that far away from getting at least most of the message.

Some people I can understand virtually all the time unless there are excessive external distractions.

My vote: translating language into words/ideas I understand. That takes me awhile, and once I get it, I have to take even more time to think of something either sensible or snappy to say, depending on the context, even if it's just a simple exchange.

I have difficulty with language comprehension/responses/not giggling all the time.

I was reading this really outdated book on schizophrenia at the library the other day, and came upon something like 'schizophrenics may respond in an inappropriate way, such as shouting, one-word replies or constant laughter.' I thought, this sounds so much like me and the way that I am very disconnected with the patterns of ideology that most people express.. then it went on with, 'This is thought to be largely because of auditory hallucinations that others cannot hear...' I put the book down. No auditory hallucinations here, unless you count other people's voices echoing in my head.

If I am very comfortable with you I might try to have a conversation with you, but expect me to express multiple conflicting ideas in the same breath and to double-back on myself almost constantly. Following my train of thought is probably exhausting for most people and not worth the effort.

I checked that I don't get double meanings. People love to tease me about this... sexual innuendo, you can pretty much guarantee it'll be missed and I'll take the statement literally. Much hilarity will ensue, at my expense. I know that statements CAN have double meanings. I just never pick up on them.

But I don't think that's my biggest language problem...

Mainly I have trouble just translating what people say into a working understanding. It's like there's a built in delay in my brain. Processing... processing... done! Lag, anyone? I don't really think in pictures, though. I guess it's be more non-verbal than anything, but not sure of the proper terminology.

Understanding instructions is a huge problem for me. If somebody tries to explain to me where something is, I'll never find it. And when I do find it, I may not even realize I've found it and keep looking! I've been told to go to another room to find some household item and I'll come back with something entirely different. Or if I really can't find it, they'll show me... and it's almost always in plain sight. I saw it there, but my brain didn't process its existence enough to say "Ah-ha! That is what you're looking for." This happened in my chemistry lab the other day too... someone asked for a magnetic stir bar and I handed them a beaker. They looked confused and I had no idea why until they explained.

I also have some word retrieval issues... I'll sometimes say the wrong word. It's grammatically correct, but the sentence doesn't make sense. Sometimes I realize what I've said and sometimes I won't.

Oh, and stuttering... it's gotten better over time, but I used to have a significant speech impediment.

My biggest problem with language is picking up on the intended context.