K.
asked
Elizabeth Wein:
You seem to have a multicultural background. How many languages can you speak at varying degrees?
Elizabeth Wein
Alas, my language ability is pretty typical of native English speakers: I am essentially monolingual. I *can* read fluently in French, and speak and understand enough to get by. The only other language (or rather, dialect) I've ever been able to speak fluently was Jamaican Patois! Sadly, I lost my Patois (from lack of use) at about the age of 20. I can still understand it pretty well.
Living in Europe, I think, has made me less scared of language barriers in general. English and French are a useful pairing. But I know that I'll never be fluent in anything unless I'm immersed in it. I work at maintaining my French because that's the closest I have to a second language. But I don't speak it with anything like fluency.
Living in Europe, I think, has made me less scared of language barriers in general. English and French are a useful pairing. But I know that I'll never be fluent in anything unless I'm immersed in it. I work at maintaining my French because that's the closest I have to a second language. But I don't speak it with anything like fluency.
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