I’m starting high school, it’s the first weeks of school and that yellow folder is sent home. But this time it’s in english? Huh. Normally someone like me, who speaks Spanish at home, gets it in spanish. Or at least that’s what I thought. Turns out that just came with the elementary school I went to.
Growing up, I went to Beacon Hill International School. An elementary school with three different language immersions; English, Mandarin and Spanish. Naturally as a daughter of latino immigrants, who wanted their kids to embrace their roots, i was signed up for the spanish immersion.
From a very young age I’ve been told how lucky I was to go to a school where I could learn in both English and Spanish. How I had parents who influenced me and encouraged me to speak my native tongue. I personally didn’t realize this until switching into a non-international school. And I no longer had the chance to take some classes that are usually taught English in Spanish.
The average world history class in sixth grade tends to be English because living in America, English is the standard. Well, I took mine in Spanish and I thought it was normal. I didn’t think there was anything all that special about it.
Nowadays I realize how lucky I was, because amongst my other Latino peers I’ve had the opportunity to learn Spanish in a much more diverse way, not just the comfort of my home, and not just an environment of casual language.
Taking classes that tend to usually be in English in Spanish, has given me the opportunity to build my Spanish vocabulary at a more professional and academic level. I’m Able to translate scientific terms and historical terms that plenty of other children of latino immigrants who didn’t get the same opportunity.
I’m able to easily read a complex chapter book or a classical book in Spanish, but most importantly I’m able to build a bigger sense of self that I don’t think I could have if I didn’t know Spanish to the level I know it and that I am grateful
I’m able to perfectly express myself in English being that I also learned English at a young age, Spanish being the language I speak at home give me a boost of confidence in Spanish, I’m significantly more extroverted.
And that’s not to say, I know Spanish perfectly. But the way I learned Spanish gives me a security and comfort in it that I don’t have with English. because Spanish is a language, I speak with those closest to me and I have done so my whole life.
Spanish to me is quite literally a mother, a blanket of encouragement and empowerment. Because living here in America, the norm is to speak English and I’m fine with that. Because that’s also what makes communicating Spanish so powerful.
It connects me with my people and distances me from the ignorant. The people who want everything easily accessible to them. Because being bilingual is even harder when the common language isn’t your first.
There’s plenty of words to Translate in my head before I say them out loud or words that ask somebody else if they know. That applies to both English and Spanish, but I feel less embarrassed, asking how to say a Spanish word..
Because when I ask how to say Spanish word, I get more curious, I feel the need to learn more because compared to English people understand a lot easier why I don’t know certain words When I ask how to say a word in Spanish, I usually get multiple answers because the words that confuse me are the words that change from region to region, country to country.
So when I ask how to say a word in Spanish, it’s a learning experience. Rather when it in English, I simply feel a little silly for not knowing it because I’ve been learning English for almost as long as I have Spanish
