Polyglots tend to be revered by society. They’re masters of many languages, able to comprehend the speech of different countries and cultures. As you stand there, listening to the trained tongue of a polyglot listing off language after language that they have in their arsenal, your eyes begin to glaze over from the continuous rhythm of their words, lulling you to sleep. You fool! How could you fall asleep? Wake up! They have the ability to speak six or more languages, and here you are, you average monolinguist, falling asleep to their greatness. Oh, but I’m so inspired, you say. I wish I knew six or more languages. I’m going to work harder in Spanish/French/German/other-language-offered-by-my-high-school-that-I’m-required-to-take. And you do.
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Whether we respond in English or Chinese, the parents will never waver in their unspoken rule to always speak in Chinese. And they’re right to do so, as this is the quickest way to learn a language. Another common theme is to be sent to Chinese school. Language is one of the most important parts of keeping Chinese culture, and in Chinese school, we retain the speech while learning the history. We’re in a class full of other Chinese Americans, and we start to make connections with each other: the only people who fully understand what we are experiencing. It’s an amazing win-win situation. Lastly, we are fed Chinese food every day. Food is a huge part of any culture, so this is another important measure of maintaining Chinese culture. China is a large country, so food varies depending on the parents’ locations of origin. Through their food, we also learn about subcultures within the whole of Chinese culture.
So if Chinese culture is learned at home, American culture is learned at school. We arrive on the first day of school, and we only hear English. Thus begins the learning process. Lunchtime. We’re handed forks and knives, along with spaghetti and meatballs. Here’s a juice box and fruit cup. How different this is! We learn more about American culture through our classmates and teachers as we listen to them ramble on about their home lives or watch how they play children’s games with each
Whether we respond in English or Chinese, the parents will never waver in their unspoken rule to always speak in Chinese. And they’re right to do so, as this is the quickest way to learn a language. Another common theme is to be sent to Chinese school. Language is one of the most important parts of keeping Chinese culture, and in Chinese school, we retain the speech while learning the history. We’re in a class full of other Chinese Americans, and we start to make connections with each other: the only people who fully understand what we are experiencing. It’s an amazing win-win situation. Lastly, we are fed Chinese food every day. Food is a huge part of any culture, so this is another important measure of maintaining Chinese culture. China is a large country, so food varies depending on the parents’ locations of origin. Through their food, we also learn about subcultures within the whole of Chinese culture.
So if Chinese culture is learned at home, American culture is learned at school. We arrive on the first day of school, and we only hear English. Thus begins the learning process. Lunchtime. We’re handed forks and knives, along with spaghetti and meatballs. Here’s a juice box and fruit cup. How different this is! We learn more about American culture through our classmates and teachers as we listen to them ramble on about their home lives or watch how they play children’s games with each