Loved the essay. The 'How many languages do you speak?' is probably a question that many Internet polyglops always have a ready answer (Eight! Twelve! Sixty!) but for many of us it's quite the can of worms!
Yes I suspect that for most people its complicated. It's hard to keep them all at the same level if you don't use them regularly, and unnecessary in my opinion, unless your main goal is to impress people.
This essay is so rich and interesting to read. LOL at polyglop! What would be a better word to replace that, you think? The end pulled at my heartstring. It's poignant, heartbreaking.
Sometimes I get asked how many languages I speak. I'd usually proudly list them, but beyond the pride, what "good" does that question do? (I can only be proud in the U.S. coz most people speak only English. If I go to any other continent, being able to speak 3 or 4 languages would be quite normal.) Except, perhaps, when you speak an obscure language that person also speaks, then it'd be fun!
Just now I chatting with my Mexican neighbor who speaks limited English. Sometimes I wish I could speak Spanish to communicate with her better.
not sure what would be a better alternative to 'polyglot' :) I think the problem with any word is that it soon becomes a label that assumes certain expectations and then we have to find a new way to describe things and so on :)
Can we ever truly have “enough” of anything, including languages and skill levels? There’s always more but sometimes, I’m trying to tell myself, where we’re at is already an amazing place to be 💪
This is a wonderfully oddball essay, Tanya. (Do we want to know the language or communicate?)
What I like most about speaking more than one language is mixing them, as in Spanglish. I'm a native Spanish speaker with most of my higher education in English. When you are fully fluent in both, you use whatever comes out that best describes the situation or makes better contact in your language brain. It's an especially creative experience--and it has its own music. Musicality of languages--that's another fantastic topic.
I'm going to try to map my conversation next time I am talking with someone else fluent in both English and Spanish. It's exactly right that moments fraught with emotion will spill out in our native tongue.
That was both entertaining and refreshingly honest and it sums up my French, German, Latin and, sadly, my Scots. Even if you are born into a language it seems to become suppressed by your everyday language if you don't use it for 50 years.
Yeah, I always have to answer 'Define speak'. Cause I can go all day in English or French, can buy things in Spanish and German if I get people to speak slowly enough. And can greet you in another few languages :)
I love teaching people, especially Americans, how to learn languages.
Loved the essay. The 'How many languages do you speak?' is probably a question that many Internet polyglops always have a ready answer (Eight! Twelve! Sixty!) but for many of us it's quite the can of worms!
Yes I suspect that for most people its complicated. It's hard to keep them all at the same level if you don't use them regularly, and unnecessary in my opinion, unless your main goal is to impress people.
This pieces takes you every which way, I loved it!
Thank you, Rebecca!
What a wonderful essay! Yes, the point of language is to connect with people. You made your point so beautifully.
Thank you, Maya!
This essay is so rich and interesting to read. LOL at polyglop! What would be a better word to replace that, you think? The end pulled at my heartstring. It's poignant, heartbreaking.
Sometimes I get asked how many languages I speak. I'd usually proudly list them, but beyond the pride, what "good" does that question do? (I can only be proud in the U.S. coz most people speak only English. If I go to any other continent, being able to speak 3 or 4 languages would be quite normal.) Except, perhaps, when you speak an obscure language that person also speaks, then it'd be fun!
Just now I chatting with my Mexican neighbor who speaks limited English. Sometimes I wish I could speak Spanish to communicate with her better.
not sure what would be a better alternative to 'polyglot' :) I think the problem with any word is that it soon becomes a label that assumes certain expectations and then we have to find a new way to describe things and so on :)
Such a fantastic read! And am very impressed by your language skills. Makes me feel like I don’t know any by only being able to list a few
I also most of the time feel like I don't know any :) or at least don't know them 'enough'
Can we ever truly have “enough” of anything, including languages and skill levels? There’s always more but sometimes, I’m trying to tell myself, where we’re at is already an amazing place to be 💪
that's a good point!
This is a wonderfully oddball essay, Tanya. (Do we want to know the language or communicate?)
What I like most about speaking more than one language is mixing them, as in Spanglish. I'm a native Spanish speaker with most of my higher education in English. When you are fully fluent in both, you use whatever comes out that best describes the situation or makes better contact in your language brain. It's an especially creative experience--and it has its own music. Musicality of languages--that's another fantastic topic.
yes! mixing languages is the best. when i'm angry I speak Russian. and when I talk about something complicated I prefer English :)
I'm going to try to map my conversation next time I am talking with someone else fluent in both English and Spanish. It's exactly right that moments fraught with emotion will spill out in our native tongue.
That was both entertaining and refreshingly honest and it sums up my French, German, Latin and, sadly, my Scots. Even if you are born into a language it seems to become suppressed by your everyday language if you don't use it for 50 years.
Yeah, I always have to answer 'Define speak'. Cause I can go all day in English or French, can buy things in Spanish and German if I get people to speak slowly enough. And can greet you in another few languages :)
I love teaching people, especially Americans, how to learn languages.