Inside My Brain

It's a scary place sometimes.

Not the kind of place to which I'd just throw open the doors and say, "Welcome anytime!"

But, just this once, come in - so you understand that language learning can truly mess with your brain.

In a session, Marie-Claude uses the word ancêtres.  As we're playing back the recording of the story, I hear the word and hesitate.

This is what goes through my mind: Is that a new word?  I know what it means from the context, but I don't know for sure that I've heard it before.  Although...I feel like I've been through an explanation before.  Ancestors.  People who came before you.  Wait, wait, wait!  That wasn't in a French session.  That was back home, in Sunday School.  Months ago.  We were teaching the kids the difference between ancestors and descendants.  It IS a new word.

At this point, I pause the recording and confidently state: "Ancêtres - c'est nouveau."

Marie-Claude writes it down in my word log.  We carry on.

But now you know.  Now you've had a peek inside my brain.

Language learning - it messes with you.  (Not that it's the only thing that can have that effect...)