Hard way to learn a foreign language

[Shadowman]

Englishman wakes up from stroke speaking fluent Welsh

Alun Morgan, 81, was evacuated to Wales during the Second World War but left 70 years ago.

During his time there he was surrounded by Welsh speakers but never learned the language himself.

He left the country aged 10 and lived his life in England and recently suffered a severe stroke.

But when Mr Morgan regained consciousness three weeks later, doctors discovered he was speaking Welsh and could not remember any English. Full story at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9767191/Eng...

[Zochitl]

That's an amazing story, Thank you.  How interesting how his subconscious mind reacted and brought this language back to the front because of his stroke. A child is like a sponge retaining information up to a certain age and since he was eleven when he left Wales, the memory part of his brain retained what he had learned and stored it. Until with the stroke it evidently somehow brought it back. Wow!  The mind is such an interesting and complex  organ of our body.

[Woody Woods]

The mind is an amazing thing..............

[ozzieowl]

It is truly incredible, thanks.

I know that it's our heart that keeps the life-giving blood the ability to keep 

circulating within our bodies, but the mind holds as yet, unknown or untapped discoveries

of it's seemingly endless capabilities and miracles that it performs

without us so much as lifting our little finger, what a fantastic piece of news

about Mr. Morgan.

[carol machulski]

I wonder if this is a form of aphasia that a lot of stroke victims suffer from. Maybe his brain couldn't access the english words but could do so for the Welsh ones.