I know this topic has been posted before, but I think that enough time has elapsed to revive it once again.

Here's the problem: My ability to listen to English decays rapidly. I tried watching The Big Bang Theory and Star Trek Voyager and started getting headaches after less than an hour. This is not an anomaly. This type of situation occurs whenever I go back to work as an ALT (Japanese is spoken all day M-F). What has changed, at least since the last time I wrote about this, is that it is now much easier to listen to simple Japanese than it is to watch American TV shows. It feels relaxing to listen to Japanese while I have to make a conscious effort to follow along with sci-fi shows! I fear this problem will get even worse as time goes on. Any thoughts?

Be happy, that means that you have been become a AJATT (All Japanese All The Time):-) I guess that where your goal in the first place. My native language is Swedish but that is seldom used anymore . Here it is Chinese ALT but i never feel relaxed with this. Honestly, Chinese still sounds nasty to me . Japanese makes me feel calm and happy. I still think I have a Japanese soul in a Swedish body. Anyway, we do become good on what we practice so it is natural that it will eventually become our comfort zone. I did some 10+ UN missions back in the days and then Swenglish become my comfort zone and Swedish unfamiliar. Now I have no comfort zones left....

My example to show how this may develop:

In the case of personal conversation, I'm more fluent at both Chinese and English than at my native language. Talking casually is easiest in Chinese.

If I spend enough time, I'm still quite good at writing formally in my native language. I would also be good at talking if conversations were slower. The time required to find the proper words for personal conversation has increased too much. (can be easily prevented by talking enough)

Your native language is English, so I don't see a problem. There's no way to escape English for an extended period of time.

After being in china for 8 months trying to be exposed 100% of the time to chinese in conversations(reality being around 90% chinese 9%english 1%native language).
I have noticed my native language to deterior quite a bit, or maybe it is that I never had that true fluency? it's a question I've been asking myself from time to time.

Sometimes I feel I can best express my ideas or thoughs in chinese than in my native language, not to say english, even though I still have trouble with many aspects of grammar.

Makes me realize that when I return to my country I should spend time both studying english and my native language.

Do they have a Skritter for Spanish?! ;-)

So you're comfortably listening to simple Japanese and feeling a little overwhelmed by native level English? I haven't experienced this problem regarding listening to TV shows, but it does to a degree show in my speaking.

For example, I'd put my Chinese speaking level somewhere in the intermediate range. I still use elegantly crafted sentences to get my point across just because I lack the ability to say some things in a more concise native way. I've noticed that I start mimicking this style when I speak in English from time to time.

@ 湖安马林: I don't think you ever had a problem with fluency. Almost everyone can speak fluently in their own native language. You probably are just more aware, and self-conscious, of your language use after studying multiple languages. I know that when I get tired my English starts to turn into gibberish even though everything I am saying is grammatically correct.

@ josh: Yes. (I have maintained my ability to be succinct in English.)