What Does It Mean To Be Bilingual?

Summary

The speaker reflects on their journey with multiple languages, including English, Italian, German, and a bit of French. They discuss the challenge of becoming truly bilingual, emphasizing that fluency and seamless communication go beyond simply speaking the language. The speaker questions the role of accent in defining bilingualism and explores how fluidity in switching between languages is key to feeling truly bilingual. They express the hope of achieving this fluency in the future and ponder the deeper meaning of bilingualism beyond just speaking two languages.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The speaker's native language is English, and their mother tongue is Spanish.
• 🌍 The speaker has studied multiple languages, including Italian, German, and a bit of French.
• 🇩🇪 The speaker has been learning German for four years and can communicate in it, though they don’t consider themselves bilingual yet.
• 🤔 The speaker wonders what defines being bilingual, suggesting it's not just about speaking multiple languages but also about fluency and confidence.
• 💬 The speaker mentions they often have to navigate around topics when they lose language proficiency, even in English.
• 🧠 Bilingualism for the speaker means not translating in their head and being able to communicate fluidly without hesitation.
• 🗣️ The speaker believes accent is a key factor in how people perceive bilingualism, but shouldn't necessarily determine language proficiency.
• 🏁 The speaker sees bilingualism as the ability to seamlessly switch between languages, rather than just having lived in a country or knowing some vocabulary.
• 🗣️ The speaker suggests that bilingualism is often used too loosely and can involve different experiences for different people.
• 💪 The speaker hopes to eventually achieve bilingualism, finding satisfaction in being able to fluidly switch between languages.

Q & A

What languages does the speaker mention knowing?

The speaker mentions knowing English (native language), Spanish, Italian, German, and a bit of French.

How long has the speaker been learning German?

The speaker has been learning German for four years.

Does the speaker consider themselves bilingual?

No, the speaker does not consider themselves bilingual yet, although they hope to be in the future.

What does the speaker believe is a key aspect of bilingualism?

The speaker believes that being able to switch between languages easily and fluidly is a key aspect of bilingualism.

What challenges does the speaker face when speaking different languages?

The speaker sometimes loses the ability to talk about certain topics in a language and occasionally has difficulty in English as well.

How does the speaker define fluency in relation to bilingualism?

The speaker defines fluency as not needing to translate in your head and being able to communicate your needs seamlessly in a language.

What role does accent play in the speaker's perception of bilingualism?

The speaker acknowledges that accent plays a role in how others perceive bilingualism, but they argue that having an accent does not mean one is less fluent or bilingual.

Why does the speaker think the term 'bilingual' may be used too easily?

The speaker believes the term 'bilingual' is sometimes used too easily when people have some knowledge of a language but may not have the full expressions or words that come with complete fluency.

What would be satisfying for the speaker in terms of language learning?

It would be extremely satisfying for the speaker to feel truly bilingual and seamlessly switch between languages.

What does the speaker see as the challenge in becoming bilingual?

The challenge for the speaker is to be able to fluidly communicate and switch between languages without losing meaning or expression.