First off I want to say I love being here--this isn't going to be a post about "woe is me." Yet, there are certain things that are difficult about living abroad. Being caught between two languages and two cultures is mentally exhausting, and once the novelty of living somewhere new wears off this exhaustion becomes very evident. The first week or so in a new country everything is new and exciting. There's new food, a new language, new friends, and uncountable new cultural norms. I was gung-ho about speaking Spanish 24/7 upon my arrival and couldn't wait for all the experiences I would have. Other than Facebook and Skype I was determined not to use English (even my journal is in Spanish). However, I learned that there is a breaking point. This past weekend I took a bit of a linguistic break, and because I was spending time with Americans I slipped back into English. I don't regret it; I truly needed the break because I was exhausted (and as it turns out a little homesick). Despite the fact that I needed to let my brain rest, speaking English actually made both languages harder. Switching between languages (in my opinion) is harder than struggling though a language that you may not know that well. I am constantly frustrated by my limited vocabulary and find it hard to express my thoughts adequately while speaking Spanish. I don't know the translations for words such as serendipitously, coincidentally, delve, impulse, and many others that I don't even notice using in English. What makes it worse is that when I'm thinking in Spanish I can't access the words that I want in English either (the other day I had to sound out independent to spell it in English). Interestingly, your native language and second language are stored in different parts of your brain: "'A second language acquired during the teenage years, which is late in developmental life, is represented in the brain in a separate location from the native language,' says Dr. Joy Hirsch" (Nature). So when it feels like you are trying to access a word in a filing cabinet somewhere in your brain you aren't that far off--you actually are trying to access a different part of your brain. As difficult and frustrating as being limited by language may be, that is why I am here. It doesn't take much time to realize that there is a vast difference between speaking Spanish for an hour in class and using it 24/7. I can't promise that everything I say will be in Spanish over the next few months. Sometimes the need to communicate clearly will get the better of me and I will slip into English--everyone on the program does. That being said, in the long run it will be easier to stick to one language as much as possible, and I will truly try my best to use Spanish the majority of the time. If you want to understand what it is like to not be able to convey your thoughts and feelings then go to a foreign country. In just over a week I've gained an appreciation for how natural communication is and how much we take it for granted. I'll finish things off with a little comic relief from I Love Lucy. It is one of my mom's favorite scenes--anyone who has tried to learn a foreign language probably knows this feeling! Hasta luego! p.s. I had to change the video (the other link was taken down) and this version doesn't have the best sound quality, sorry! Citations:
Nature (1997,388(10):171-174). Accessed 18 Sep 2012 https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:QoAmIP7N9d0J:www.biu.ac.il/hu/ef/home/rp2/How%2520The%2520Brain%2520Organizes%2520Language.doc+&hl=en&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiAxQxmgD9HzQYYgKJmRXNHKoRFzB9wvHAffDozfs7qA4uwbohPv6RRbCWLcp2am3A__N1nujqzOZsYLV6cFRmG8Ci-b-qGWXAGfsZjPiJtyPK1iY0OOFgayxWBFTP_wcKmqLLP&sig=AHIEtbT1O2lECcFxOjV03C4Oxn5Lfw-AbA
3 Comments
Margarita Muñoz
9/18/2012 05:32:08 am
Gracias, Claire, por compartir tu blog. Ha sido muy útil leer sobre tus primeras reflexiones al estar "entre culturas y entre idiomas".
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Ernie
9/18/2012 07:16:32 am
I love lucy...and you...thanks for the update...I think that part of my brain that learns a new language is too full of music lyrics to make room for anything else...
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Gauntie
9/20/2012 06:29:09 am
Oh, Claire! I can so relate to you! Being in France really rings true with trying to switch from one to the other...my suggestion, do what feels right, especially in the beginning! Homesickness is so natural... I was homesick on the last trip to France, then when I got over that I bawled when we left France... Go figure!
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Claire AngelineI am traveling the world from October 2017-October 2018, and the plan is to visit all seven continents. I'm a vegetarian foodie, a baker, a dance enthusiast, a nonprofit co-founder, and a huge travel addict. When I'm not traveling I'm putting my MPH to good use and doing public health research. Archives
September 2016
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