There really is no such thing as a pure language, just as the idea of a pure race is a myth. We humans are simply too connected to each other to live -- or speak -- completely insular lives. Everywhere we go, we pick up bits and pieces of the people, language, and cultures we visit and carry them home with us. We also emigrate, taking with us our ways and words to our new home.
Her name is Emily.
A very English name, although her father is Chinese. And in spite of dad's nationality, in spite of the fact that he was standing right there when she was born, Emily's birth certificate says she is white.
One of the joys of learning other languages is the chuckle you get when you learn an idiomatic expression that is hilarious when translated literally. The hours I've spent in such pastimes...well, everyone has their hobbies, right?
Can you look back at a single moment or experience that set the tone for the rest of your life? Not everyone can point to something that dramatic, but I'm fortunate enough to be able to say I can. Sure, there have been many defining moments in this full life of mine, but I'd like to tell you about one that actually helped determine its course.
When we hear the phrase "learn a foreign language", some of us break out in hives, perspiration, or just have an unpleasant taste in our mouths. Unless you're among the few like myself who actually think it's FUN, it might just sound like hard work. I get it. I'm the same way when you mention computer programming or accounting.
Try learning a word or phrase in someone’s mother tongue and see how it makes their day.
A dear friend gave me a copy of Trevor Noah’s book, Born a Crime, for Christmas this past year. Whatever you may think about Trevor and his views, the book is a series of one poignant story after another, told from the viewpoint of a mixed-race young man growing up in apartheid South Africa. Among other things, Trevor became a linguistic chameleon.
You don't have to be a news junkie to hear interviews with people all over the world, and I dare say you're almost always listening...in English. I'm stating the obvious to make a point: as English has become the lingua franca of the world, we native English speakers tend to take completely for granted the fact that the world is learning our language (unfortunately for my profession as a foreign language teacher 🙂).