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the loss of mother tongue
Thread poster: 633310 (X)
B D Finch
B D Finch  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 15:56
French to English
+ ...
Linguistic communities Aug 31, 2010

As has already been said, the internet and satellite TV (though I don't use the latter) have made it far easier to keep abreast of changes in one's mother tongue. However, there is the problem of specialised linguistic communities. As I specialise in construction and engineering, and used to work in the industry, I am aware that it has now been a few years since I was in that day-to-day environment. Terminology can fairly easily be kept up-to-date, but some of the subtleties of expression are... See more
As has already been said, the internet and satellite TV (though I don't use the latter) have made it far easier to keep abreast of changes in one's mother tongue. However, there is the problem of specialised linguistic communities. As I specialise in construction and engineering, and used to work in the industry, I am aware that it has now been a few years since I was in that day-to-day environment. Terminology can fairly easily be kept up-to-date, but some of the subtleties of expression are harder. On the other hand, there is the problem of agencies or clients who don't appreciate such subtleties, such as the (English mother-tongue) agency proof-reader who corrected my "having insurances in place" to "having insurance", failing to understand that there is a very important difference of meaning in the context of a construction contract. Style within a linguistic community also changes over time and it can be difficult to keep up with that.

I am seriously considering trying to spend a few days in a workplace on my next trip to England, in order to re-immerse myself in the day-to-day language of the construction industry. ▲ Collapse
 
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the loss of mother tongue






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