What is it like growing up bi-lingual?

Growing up bi-lingual is significantly different from someone who has grown up with one language. We live in two different kinds of worlds and often have to deal with things that mono-lingual people wouldn't have to deal with. I was born and raised in Scotland to my Persian parents and here is my experience. 

1. Helping your parents 
English isn't my parents' first language so being the only native speaker in the house I'm often bombarded with tasks such as proof-reading my parent's texts or emails. In addition to English not being their first language they live in Scotland of all places, where English is hardly even spoken properly, so I often find myself giving Scottish slang lessons when I get home from work or uni.

2. Getting asked a lot of stupid questions 

The two most common questions I would get asked as a child are "what language do you dream in?" and "what language do you think in?" to me, the answer is obvious - if I speak both languages fluently then why would I not dream and think in both languages just like in real life? I also had people who thought I was French because they would mix up "Persian" with "Parisian". Some people even look at me and say "Persian?, isn't that a cat breed?"

3. Twice as many presents
In the UK, we have Christmas, Easter, Halloween. But in Iran we have NOROOZ which is undoubtably my absolute favorite time of the year. Orginally a Zoroastian celebration, It is essentially our version of new year as the word norooz translates to "new day". This usually takes place on the first day of spring to symbolise a new life as this is the time of year animals are born and flowers are blooming. Gifts are normally exchanged and the whole family gathers round for a huge meal, followed by a picnic on the 13th day after Norooz.

4. Mixing the languages up 
If you live in a multilingual household, you know that it is VERY HARD to stick to one language and you will inevitably mix the two languages up. In my household we have Penglish, and in my friend's household there's Greeklish, Franglais, Denglisch and so on...

5. Your name is always pronounced wrong
Always.
I've been called Say-ah, Sara, Serah, sa-yeh, funnily enough, only foreign people get my name correct the first time which is "Sa-yah"


There's a lot more that I can add to the list but this is all we have time for Today.
This is my final blog post so if you enjoyed this have a look at my other blog posts on the right hand side of this page.

Saya

Living Abroad to Learn a Language

You're now further along in your language learning journey and you're considering living in the country to completely submerged yourself in the language and culture.
Maybe you're a student who is about to have a year abroad and scared of what might come.
Or maybe you now unexpectedly live in another country and need to learn the language fast.

Whatever your scenario, this blog is filled with tips for you.

During my first year of Univeristy, I decided to apply for a life-changing internship to work in a 5 star camping site in Lacanau-Océans, which is around 30 mins West of Bordeaux, where I spent 4 months. I was given the daily task of accompanying clients to their designated pitch or cottage and assisting in their queries and problems in their language. This was either in English, French and even German!
A year later I then spent 1 incredible month in Strasbourg doing a summer business course with students from all around the world, from Mexico and the US all the way to Cyprus and Hong Kong! Here is what I have learned...

All the girls in Strasbourg summer school

1. Don't expect results fast 
learning a language will not come overnight, even if you are completely submerged. For me, I noticed significant differences in my language skills after each month.


2. Don't stop studying 
Although you will inevitably pick the language up by ear, I recommend mixing studying vocabulary & grammar at home with then applying it into your everyday life in this new country rather than just relying on your ears to do all the work. This speeds up your learning process and it's an opportunity you don't have back home so you might as well make use of it now while you can!

Meeting new friends in Strasbourg!

3. Don't be picky with friends 
It's good to have friends who can speak English but make sure you befriend those who can't speak English as well so you are forced to speak their language. This means that if there's a word you don't know you are then forced to explain what you mean instead of just simply saying the English and thus further improve your language skills.

The people I worked with in Lacanau

4. Get to know the culture 
Listen to all the popular songs and music in the country you're living, and definitely learn what artists are cringey to avoid all embarrassment (a lesson I had to learn the hard way - do not admit you listen to Kendji Girac if you're in France, you will get slaughtered).

The people I met during my time in Strasbourg

5. Enjoy yourself 
You're in a new country so take this opportunity to visit all the best bars, museums, restaurants, clubs, everything to make the most out of your time. The last thing you want is to regret all the things you didn't do when you return back home.

Amazing beer in Petite France, Strasbourg 

I hope some of these tips come in handy for you!
My next blog is about what its like being bilingual.

Saya