Living With Multilingualism |
Multilingualism BLOG
I had an interesting experience in an Uber a few days ago. None of the maps were picking up on the address I wanted to go to, so I had to direct the driver to the mall myself. He hardly spoke English, but was fluent in Italian. Luckily, I currently take Italian at Emory. Between his little English, my little Italian, and some hand gestures, we were able to make our way to the mall and discuss what living in Italy was like on the ride.
Toward the end of the reading we did in class, Vershawn Ashanti Young makes a very valid point regarding code meshing. It really is found everywhere. Young believes it “allow writers and speakers to bridge multiple codes” even though Fish states that languages are unmixable (71). I very much agree with Young, the idea that languages are not mixable is inaccurate. In my personal experience mentioned above, the mixing of Italian, English, and non verbal communication allowed for me to learn about my Uber driver’s home and for me to communication where I would like to go with my Uber driver.
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Being a first generation American-Persian, I've had a bit of a different experience than most of the kids I grew up with. Growing up in a predominantly white, “family money” area, being the child of immigrants was a little bit different. In our home, my parents are constantly speaking to those around them, including myself, in Persian. Yet, I always choose to respond to them in English. Although I have a basic understanding of the Persian language, much of what I pick up on is based on inflections in their voices, their hand gestures, and the reactions of others. With my parents, they have the ability to converse with a mix of Persian and English, but my grandparents do not speak a word of English.
This is very similar to Rajani, in the Canagarajah reading, as she picks up on what her family is saying and responds in English. Both Rajani and her mother have a receptive competence in each other’s native tongues. Canagarajah points out that without this ability to converse, there would be serious consequences in terms of the ability to create family relationships. Personally, my relationship with my grandparents has enhanced my upbringing as I learned of and participated in many things that make up the Persian identity. We did not do this through verbal communication, but rather though a certain receptiveness that is based on “context, gestures, and objects in the setting”. Welcome to my Blog! I will start posting in the next few days!
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AuthorAnusheh Kafi, a freshman at Emory University Archives
April 2015
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