When I was a child, my mom took my sister and me to Spanish lessons each week for something like a year or two (I honestly don’t remember). She was determined that we would grow up to be bilingual. Well, after Spanish lessons as a child, Spanish 1 and 2 in high school, and Intermediate Spanish in College, I’m still not bilingual. I’ve had trouble explaining to my mom why that is, especially since I spent a summer with my best friend’s family, who is Hispanic. After marrying The Chancellor (who majored in Spanish in college and is bilingual) and reading this book, I definitely understand why. Language is nuanced and complex. Read the full post on my blog, and tell me: what was the language acquisition process like for you? Any tips on becoming fluent?
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Jhumpa fangirling here! This is totally going to the top of my list! Also I’m interested in language as I’ve been working on refreshing my French again.
Hurrah! If you are a Jhumpa fangirl, this will be at first disorienting, and then profoundly lovely.
I’ve been thinking about Jhumpa a lot lately — mostly since our book club debacle — and about what a master of language she is. I adored The Namesake and there’s one of her stories from Unaccustomed Earth (the one about the tsunami) that I think about all the time. I had no idea this book existed and I’m really look forward to reading it.
Ohhhh, YES, that story wrecked me. I didn’t love Unaccustomed Earth as much as her earlier stuff (and I liked not loved The Lowlands), but oh, that story. It’s stayed with me. Thanks for reminding me! It might be time for a re-read.