Goal #3 : Self-Discovery

Scene from Mami's Project

Building My True Character by Christine Boehm

I began studying the Japanese language and culture from high school and continued to study it in college. Then after graduating from college, I lived in the countryside of Japan for three years. I grew to love my little 'city' and made many friends there. I learned more than I ever expected, but not about Japan. I had studied it for so long that the surprises were not that big. Nor did I learn a great deal of Japanese Language. Instead, I learned about myself.

During a period of severe culture shock, I started wondering why I was feeling so terrible. After all, I knew more information than necessary about the Japanese language and culture. Then, I realized that it was because I didn't know about myself or where I fit in there. I was trying to be American in some ways, and Japanese in others. I was trying to live up to others' expectations and could not do it. Once I decided to live up to my own expectations, life became easier. I learned not to care what others expected of me and just started being myself. I also learned not to put expectations on others. I found that by doing this, I had more friends than before and they opened up to me more than before.

I'm in America again, and I still continue to live up to my own expectations. My friends and family say that they admire me for being so "carefree," "independent" and "confident." They often say that they want to be like me. But, I do not want to be like anybody, I just want to be myself.

As for why I wanted to study Japanese, it just struck me. But, as for why I would consider studying another new language, I would have to say to further build my character and create a new direction for myself. I would be able to better communicate with people of different cultures that may have original ideas. I can discover new things I wouldn't have thought of before. To do this, I need to be creative and express my feelings when I speak the language as well as understand the true meaning of what the other person is saying. With textbook drills and repetition, it is what you are expected to say. That's not real communication.

Bringing Out the Best Bilingually by Christina Bolter

I grew up in a culturally homogenous town. Except for hearing a few words of Spanish from migrant workers in the grocery store, as a child I really was not exposed to different languages and cultures. My family is Irish on both sides, but 7th generation, so they are about as "American" as you can get. I remember thinking that other languages and cultures were simply "off limits" to me when I was little. Being a monolingual English speaker was just part of my identity. Thankfully, I was introduced to different languages through music. This led to a desire to find out about the cultures from which they came. So, I did a student exchange to Austria, the birthplace of my favorite composer, Mozart, when I was 15. I was at a young and impressionable enough age that what I learned there, in terms of language and of culture, became part of me. Naturally, I filtered new information through my existing framework of knowledge. I compared aspects of Austrian culture with aspects of the culture I'd grown up in--especially in the beginning. Sometimes I balked at accepting certain habits or ways of thinking I encountered, but I soon began to understand and internalize Austrian values. I came to the realization that there was more than one way to think, act, and of course, speak. Speaking German became natural to me, and as it did, my awareness of my new conceptual framework grew. I no longer had to think, act, and feel in one language. A whole new world was opened up to me, expanding the scope of my thought processes and my range of problem-solving abilities. I had heard that for every language one learns, a new world opens up, and I found out for myself that this was true. As a bilingual, I could function in two different cultures and languages. The limits that I'd grown up with as a monolingual, monocultural child had been lifted. Through learning a new language and culture, I became a new person with a broader, more open outlook on life.

But my language journey did not end there. My experience in Austria left me hungry for more knowlege. If learning one language had done so much for me developmentally, what would learning another do? To find out, I went to Brazil to participate in a social work program. The beautiful Portuguese language opened up yet another world for me. I immersed myself in the vibrant, warm Brazilian culture and felt embraced by the people there. The culture was totally different than the ones I had lived in. It brought out and developed different aspects of my personality than the others had. I discovered a social side to myself I had never known before. It was like a new person was emerging all over again through the assimilation of this culture and language. I felt completely different speaking Portuguese than I had speaking German. Portuguese was less cerebral and more emotional. Still today, I recognize a change in myself and even in my personality, to some degree, when I switch between these languages. Each of them brings out a different side of who I am.

What I learned about personal development through language, I am now applying in the upbringing of my children. Having realized the benefits of being able to think and function in more than one language, I am raising my daughter and son bilingually with Portuguese and English, so they'll have this advantage from the start. Since my daughter was born, 51/2 years ago, this has been an incredible experience. Her language acquisition has been a fascinating thing to behold. She already has an incredible advantage. For example, a young, monolingual child knows that a table is called a table. If you call it a "mesa," they will vehemently defend that it is not a "mesa," but a table. Their ability to remain open to other possibilities and viewpoints is severely restricted. My daughter, as a bilingual child, has always been very objective open to different ideas. She is also, because of this, an excellent problem-solver. Being bilingual has allowed her to approach situations in a more open manner. Even my son, who is only 2 and just beginning to experiment with language, recognizes that Mommy speaks differently than his teachers at preschool, and makes distinctions between the two languages when he speaks. In addition to the Portuguese language, I also expose my children to Brazilian culture as much as possible (especially since they are half Brazilian) through Brazilian parties, music, films, books, and trips to country itself. I consider this one of my greatest gifts to them. They have the opportunity to develop their personalities and belief systems in a different way than if they were being brought up monolingually, like I was. As bilinguals, they have an advantage I wish I had had as a child. Because my learning of other languages was later in life, though, I value it perhaps even more. I'm fully aware of the role it has played in my personal development and the new horizons it has opened up to me. It has been an invaluable part of my life and progression.