“Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run in and out of which they grow” – Oliver Wendell Holmes.
I am a native French speaker. I was born in Haiti. I grew up speaking French and Creole, my ancestry’s language. My first contact with English was at 5 years old, when I first came to the United States. Few years later, I started learning Spanish in school and by traveling to the Dominican Republic. But my relationship with languages has always been affected by many factors: education, society, and my surrounding.
Everyone have a different relationship with languages; especially those who are bilingual or multilingual. They communicate in different languages but they do not use the same with everyone and everywhere. I do speak, read, write and understand English, French, Spanish and Creole. However my ability to speak or perform in each one is at different level.
As a multilingual, I have a preferred language to communicate with different group of people. When I was in my country, I used to speak Creole with everyone. But French I usually speak it in school, with older and important people, like my teachers, doctors or my friend’s parents. Since I was studying English, I started speaking it with my friends, at school and with my family. Now that I am a check-in agent at the airport, I meet people from different countries in a daily basis and they speak different languages, so I’m called to do so.
Speaking in your native language is always something you feel comfortable to do. I personally rather speak French or Creole even Spanish, than speaking English. I am still in the process of learning English. I make a lot of progress speaking with my family and being in contact with people who speak English around me every day at school or at work. And Spanish, I learned it in school but my brother who lives in Dominican Republic has influenced me a lot too. We used to have long conversations in Spanish only. So that helped me improve my skills and helped me expand my vocabulary.
I think that everyone have a special way in whatever the language they speak, to express themselves. And I think it’s where all the creativity comes from. I can put words together to say what I want to say in each language that I speak. But to create something really amazing, so far French is the only language in which I am able to.
Like everyone I have my own experience with languages. I learned different ones and can express myself in them. I know languages will have a major role in my career. After obtaining my associate degree, I want to do my bachelor in International relations. And I believe that languages are fundamental to get alone with the world, to make more connections with other nations. Because the more languages you know, the more opened the world’s opportunities will be to you.
Language in my country is a sign of good education. Socially, I received a different treatment there. The better you speak a foreign language, the more you are welcome to the community. In fact, languages were for me a form of identity. Based on my own experience, I could say that languages are everyone’s access to more and better opportunities.
Since I was a kid, languages have always fascinated me. I always wanted to speak more than the ones I know, which were French and Creole. Being able to speak all these languages gave me more confidence. When you can express yourself in different languages you don’t hesitate to take initiatives or to corporate with other nations. For example I won’t be afraid to be a part of a French or Spanish group, or even to take the lead, because I will be able to communicate with them. And that is essential. Although Creole is my favorite, I express myself better in French.
I grew up speaking French and Creole. As the year went by, I learned new languages which are English and Spanish. They have exposed me more to the world. Through them, I discovered more cultures and learned how to get alone better with people from different origins. Languages are for me to the world’s access.
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