I feel like I'm getting kind of frustrated interacting in non-language subs on Reddit.
You know, sometimes when you master the grammar but for things like the way you think and write, it's really difficult to complete change or mould into the practice of the L2 from your L1. You almost always just leave a piece of you behind. This is more so when the L1 and L2 you speak are inherently very different.
And you know, people often say one of the things you could do to improve your language is to use it in a real-life, non-classroom setting. So I was doing that. I'm quite interested in metaphysics so I sometimes hang in the metaphysical pages on Reddit, you know, lots of abstract thinking. Sometimes I say something in the non-language subs here, people don't understand where I come from (pun not intended); my intention of writing. They might be confused, think that I was ill-informed or even ill-intentioned, even after I disclaimed that I was a non-native trying to explain my situation, which is relevant to me on a personal level. They would just continue to talk in their perspectives somewhat 'shadefully'. After some effort to explain myself, I later found out that in one of these instance, that person thought that I meant I was a non-native in the culture I was writing about, so it's not like I was trying to write up a "Minority Report" here for no reason.
As a language enthusiast, I've always appreciated the possibilities speaking an L2 could bring me. But experiences like that make me think that sometimes I might have an easier time being understood in an English-speaking environment, speaking completely broken English, because then it would be impossible for people to miss that I'm a non-native and account for the fact that the things that I say might be nuanced or something might be lost in translation, extra effort to understand me is needed.
I don't mean I'd give up on English. It would be impossible anyway because it's in my blood. I have dreamt in English before. But when I think about it, it seems like experiences like these are a very significant demotivator for me to use English.
Any of you here get me?
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