Is English my primary language

[tle1093]

I didn't start speaking in English until I was 13, but I've been immersed in the environment ever since. I'm pretty much fluent now (my fluency positively correlates with the amount of sleep I get). However, traces of my foreignness surfaced when I got a 6 VR on my first MCAT. I'm still waiting for my 6/18/09 scores.

While I'm inclined to put English as my primary language on AMCAS, I'm worried that I would not be able to explain a potentially low VR score. What should I do? I don't want to pretend that I'm some kid who confuses football with soccer. But I don't wanna downplay the second language factor on the MCAT either.

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[dw2158]

it doesn't sound to me like english is your primary language. by "primary" i think they're referring to the first language you learned. anyway, i'd put that it's not you're primary language.

 

[alibai3ah]

it doesn't sound to me like english is your primary language. by "primary" i think they're referring to the first language you learned. anyway, i'd put that it's not you're primary language.

No, by primary they mean what language do you use the most. Which is not necessarily your mother tongue.

 

[dw2158]

No, by primary they mean what language do you use the most. Which is not necessarily your mother tongue.

oh. well... still. i think the OP is right that answering that question is the only way to convey that there might be a reason for his 6 on VR without making it look like he's making excuses. but i don't know.

 

[Narmerguy]

If you took a comparable test in your first tongue, do you think you would have scored above a 6? If so, English is not your primary language. I'm inclined to believe it isn't, especially considering you've been speaking another language for 13 years longer than english when you're (likely) not even 23 yet.

 

[tennisball80]

English should be your primary language. You received secondary and post-secondary education in English. Therefore, your English skills should be more fluent than your mother tongue.

 

[DocDrakeRamoray]

English should be your primary language. You received secondary and post-secondary education in English. Therefore, your English skills should be more fluent than your mother tongue.

 

[Rendar5]

Generally, your primary language is the language you speak at home (i.e. your fallback language)

 

[MossPoh]

English should be your primary language. You received secondary and post-secondary education in English. Therefore, your English skills should be more fluent than your mother tongue.

I had a year's worth of college courses in German, yet I would never dare say that German is my primary language. People can do surprisingly well in certain areas without a solid foundation in the language. "Primary language" is a vague term. The language spoken at home is usually considered the most important. A LOT of language development happens early on. You can be equally proficient in two languages and maybe have a larger vocabulary in your second language, but it can still be accented. For the sake of secondaries, I'd say that English was your second language.

 

[dmblue]

If you have to ask...lol

Primary language has many definitions and can refer to your first language, preferred language, most proficient language, language used at home, or any language that you can speak as well as a native speaker.

On every website i checked, it says that the term is vague, so put whatever you want. I'm sure you can defend your answer in an interview. And if you can't, then english is obviously not your primary language. You win both ways.

 

[vickpick]

I had a year's worth of college courses in German, yet I would never dare say that German is my primary language. People can do surprisingly well in certain areas without a solid foundation in the language. "Primary language" is a vague term. The language spoken at home is usually considered the most important. A LOT of language development happens early on. You can be equally proficient in two languages and maybe have a larger vocabulary in your second language, but it can still be accented. For the sake of secondaries, I'd say that English was your second language.

he said secondary and pot secondary.... that doesn't in a bit compared to "one year's worth" worht of german courses...... u didnt study ur bio's and chem's and physic's in german, did u?

To the OP, english should be ur Primary Language.

 

[FSAP]

I don't think it matters. I put English as my primary and I started speaking it when I was 14, but now it is my every day language.

 

[bashir]

The fact that you've become so fluent in English that it might not be immediately obvious that it's not your first language is amazing, but it doesn't change the fact that English wasn't the language you first learned to speak, read or write. If I were in your position I would not hesitate to answer "no" to the question and reap whatever benefit goes along with that. The only possible exception would be if you never or almost never read, write, or speak your native language. That might change the answer, but even then I think you could easily make a case for saying "no."

 

[Mattabet]

It's not. Primary, in the sense of languages, refers to the language(s) that you picked up during your "sticky language years". You can still be proficient at a language that you pick up in your teens, but no Speech Language professional is going to characterize that as primary.

That said, I do kind of see the point above. The definition is sufficiently vauge that if for some reason you want to define 'primary language' as the one you use the most (ie, English); you could do so. I think it's probably more to your advantage to list your first language as primary though, as given your post, you have only minimal problems with English as a second language (plenty of native speakers can only manage 6 on VR).

 

[tle1093]

Thanks for the input. I believe AMCAS also meant to be vague about this topic. But I don't think how I answer this question will greatly affect my chances. If I pulled a 6 on VR again, I'll be in deep trouble no matter what my primary language is (unless I was raised by wolves and only started speaking human languages at 13).