ELL 101
POST
CRISTAL WILLIAMS
LINGUISTIC BACKGROUND
Knowing more than one language has helped me break barriers in life, it has allowed me to engulf into different cultures. Growing up knowing two languages has been very beneficial. Having parents that only spoke one language at home and learning a different language in school allowed me to take part in two different heritages. Our linguistic practices at home consisted of trying to speak Spanglish more often once we started taking bilingual classes in school. Learning different languages at a young age affected the way I communicated with others, many said they could not understand me in Spanish while others said I spoke broken Spanish (whatever that means). Being bilingual made me a stronger contestant when it came to defending myself, whether it was for job interviews or when it came to translating for someone that needed help. My bilingualism has helped me achieve many goals professionally when it comes to networking and my personal life as well. Everyone has a different point of view when it comes to dialects, at home I speak Spanglish with my family. As discussed in the classroom, the U.S does not have an official language, from my experience many foreign people think English is the main language because the majority of people speak it. When it comes to school and work, I speak English to communicate better with my fellow co-workers. Majority of my family has a slight accent, when it comes to speaking English, I’ve learned how to rotate my social and professional accent when needed. Living in the U.S you encounter people from many different backgrounds, so it would be beneficial to know more than one lang