On language

One thing I did not expect to get out of this experience was the realization of how lucky I am to be a native English speaker.  But, after some reflection it seems a bit silly to me that I would not have seen this realization coming.  As a native English speaker one is already ahead of the game- English is in the top three of most spoken languages and has quickly become a global language, some even considering it lingua franca.  The bottom line is that English is everywhere and to have grown up speaking it makes me, and all other Anglophones, really lucky.  As I’ve witnessed various people struggle to try and learn my mother tongue I have found a whole new appreciation for English.

I see my students struggle every day to remember how to construct simple phrases and questions, or get stuck on certain vocabulary words.  One major issue students have is with sounds including (but not limited to) the hard “r” sound, the “th” sound, and the “h” sound.  English does not come easily to most of them but with some encouragement they continue to try.

A science teacher at the high school offered me a small tutoring job to help her improve her English as part of the new curriculum is requiring certain science classes be taught in English and she wanted to get certified to be able to teach these courses.  I would consider her to be almost fluent in English (although she would disagree!) but one of her trouble areas is with our use of prepositions.  For example, she will say “I will explain you” instead of “I will explain to you” and every time she gets so frustrated with the tiny words tripping her up.

Through my tutoring at the university in Dijon I met some students who needed a native English speaker for an interview project they had to do.  They had to make a video interviewing a native English speaker about certain issues to their class.  They sent me the script to review it and as I made corrections to little errors here and there (mainly verbs) it really hit me how lucky I am to just know simple things like English verb conjugations without thinking twice about them.

I know anyone can make these comments about their native language but being fluent in English, and especially being a native English speaker, has the potential to open so many doors in today’s global community due to the constant use of English worldwide.  And while many Americans are lucky to have English as their first language I still strongly encourage and support Americans to study other languages.  Learning a language is a direct gateway to learning about another culture and way of life.  The world is only getting smaller and the more we learn about each other the more united our world will be!  As I’ve been on this journey in France I am so thankful to continue learning about French language and culture but also thankful for the time this has given to reflect on my native language and culture, too.

Word of the Post:  l’anglais -- English