Sunday, February 14, 2010

Chapter 1: Language

I could relate to many of the topics Mori discusses in this chapter. When I first learned Italian, I remember feeling limited by my small vocabulary and frustrated that I could only communicate simple ideas and thoughts. I worried that people would think I was stupid, instead of the intelligent and well-educated person I thought myself to be. I wanted to express my feelings and make jokes, but I didn't have the fluency to do so. I love how Mori describes fluency as the ability to "weave and dodge our way through the obstacles and get to the difficult thing we want to say". Instead, I was like a bulldozer going straight to the point, without any subltety or finesse. I definitely felt like another person when I spoke Italian, and even today, after becoming relatively fluent, I feel a little shift in how I communicate when I am speaking in Italian, but at least I don't feel as incompetent as I did in the beginning.
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7 comments:

  1. MiwaFebruary 19, 2010 at 4:33 PM

    Hi, this is Miwa. I like the phrase "Language is like a radio. I have to choose a specific station, English or Japanese, ane tune in"(p17). Whenever I speak English, I feel like I switch on "the English button" in my brain. Once pushing that button, the voice volume, expression and gesture are changed.

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  2. JenniferFebruary 19, 2010 at 5:04 PM

    That is so true Miwa! I find myself using more hand gestures when I speak Italian. I think I am also more animated in my speaking, maybe a little louder too. How are you different when you speak English? Louder or softer? Do you use your body differently?

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  3. MiwaFebruary 19, 2010 at 5:14 PM

    When I speak English, my voice becomes louder and the gesture gets bigger. In addition, I become more aggressive!

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  4. JenniferFebruary 19, 2010 at 5:33 PM

    I think it's fun to experiment with different communication styles and to exaggerate certain traits. We have a lot more freedom to do this when we are speaking another language.

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  5. Dana RFebruary 24, 2010 at 1:18 PM

    Hi Jennifer and Miwa,
    This idea that a different language brings a different side of yourself interests me very much. I remember when I was in Germany at a language institute, I felt more confident speaking in German (I'm usually shy in a big group setting, especially a classroom). But for some reason, I felt more confident speaking in that language than I did in English. I think it had something to do with the fact that everyone in that class was also learning German as a second language, and so everyone was making mistakes, so it was more comfortable for me.
    However, I have always lamented how difficult it was to make a joke and to understand humor in another language! In Germany and Austria, I felt that my humorous side was missing!

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  6. SandraMarch 1, 2010 at 2:16 PM

    I also like the radio analogy. After living in the States for so long, I found myself tune to the white noise most of the time. It surprises me sometimes when I have to mix both language in order to fully explain myself. Different from Mori, I feel the most comfortable talking to Taiwanese in U.S.

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  7. JenniferMarch 2, 2010 at 2:13 PM

    I agree Sandra - sometimes there is a word in Italian that explains my feelings or thoughts more completely than I can in English.

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