Growing Up Bilingual

Last week I got to spend some much needed quality time with my niece. She just turned three. You should also know that she’s being raised bilingual. My family is from Argentina and my sister-in-law’s family is from Colombia. Needless to say, they are not only teaching my niece two different languages, one of those languages, Spanish, could be argued as being two different languages or dialects. My niece, at the age of three, has the capability of understanding and responding to three different dictions: American English, Argentine Spanish and Colombian Spanish. It is a marvel to watch. She knows exactly what language to use depending on who her audience is. If she does not remember a word in the language she started using, she will quickly and most often effortlessly, insert the same word in the other language. She switches languages but keeps the structure of the language she is using. Nobody taught her that- it’s simply the way language develops.

I wanted to share this story because I often hear from our clients how hard it is to learn a new language and how quickly they can become intimidated by their peers or instructors if they (the learner) feel like they are not pronouncing the words correctly or using the appropriate vocabulary. I’d like to say to all of you, who feel this way (I used to as well), to think about my niece next time you’re in front of your foreign language instructor or international colleagues. It is not the goal of the instructor or your colleagues to judge you but it is their job to help you. If you show them that you’re making the effort, chances are you will be rewarded. You do not have to pronounce words perfectly and you do not always have to have the correct word for every sentence you create. Making mistakes can only enhance your learning experience.

On a side note, if you’re parents and live in a bilingual household, please don’t fret, your child will do just fine.

Bilingualism: Lost in translation? Or plain laziness?

I was riding the MTA on my way to an appointment. Like most of us on the subway, I was looking up at the advertisements and trying not to look directly into anyone’s eyes. I had forgotten my book and had no iPod to keep me entertained. It was then that I spotted the NYC Dept of Education posters advertising the many “so called” improvements to the system’s education for our youth. I applaud them for their effort to inform the public in both English and Spanish but I have to fail them on their translation. They were inconsistent at best. Although the messages were understood, to this native speaker, who suffered grueling spelling and dictation quizzes as a youth in South America to learn that omitting accent marks, can and does, in some cases, affect the meaning of a sentence, the missing accent marks on the translations, were enough to frustrate me all the way home. If we’re going to speak to the public in their language, shouldn’t we do it effectively and without undermining their education?

Bilingualism: A Self-Improvement Tool For Business & Health

The experts say that there are many activities that people can participate in to enhance their brain power and maybe even help delay dementia, Alzheimer’s, or the everyday forgetfulness that some of us experience already in our 30s. Such activities can range from knitting, to crossword puzzles, to Sudoku. In 2007, Canadian scientists found astonishing evidence that the lifelong use of two languages can help delay the onset of dementia symptoms by four years compared to people who are monolingual. I remember that information being presented to me in the form of propaganda for a language school. I also remember thinking to myself, what if I was older and hadn’t lived a bilingual life through my twenties and into my thirties? Would this piece of information still inspire me to look past the time and effort that is required to learn a new language as an adult and into the classroom? So, I looked into it more, and the answer is yes. Though I have yet to come across sources worth citing (promise to continue to look into this), the overwhelming response seems to be that, yes, learning a new language at any stage in your life may help keep your brain healthy into your golden years. So why not try it? There are so many other reasons besides this one to do so—but this one has to rank number one in my list of ways to stay healthy and self improve or transform. For more on transformation, see Jill’s blog in this week’s Perfromance Tip of the Week.

Bilingualism: A Reality In Today's Workforce

Bilingualism in the workplace is a reality. Today, there are many more international professionals in New York City than ever before. Local businesses are doing business overseas and international businesses are making our city their own. Barack Obama says that Americans should strive to learn a foreign language. Giuliani responded by stating that Obama "reinforces Anti-American feelings". When you go to work tomorrow, take a look at the people who make up your team. What would that picture look like without them? How does that picture look with them? Where do you fit in? Chances are that on your way to work today you heard more than one language—that is, if sound wasn't completely drowned out by your ipod. How many of those languages you heard did you understand? One, two, or more? How many times have you wished you knew what language was being spoken? And of those times, how many did you wish you could actually communicate in? Think about it. Then try it.