bilinguism

My roots in Brazil are very deep and I decided to stay. I also want to work in Portuguese. I speak English, but it’s not the same, you know. I don’t feel emotions in English like I feel like in Portuguese. When you say ‘mango tree’, I think just mango tree in English; but in Portuguese, it means my childhood, my mother’s house, the fragrance of... See more

Language is one of the strongest markers of belonging. Our accent and vocabulary reveal our place of origin—and often our class, education, and community ties. When we alter them, people notice. Those who have experienced it understand. Those who haven’t may see it as “changing who you are.”

Last Christmas in Mexico, my sister-in-law was quick to notice how I adapted when speaking with locals: “you talk like them,” she said. She wasn’t wrong. Part of me does it deliberately: I want to be understood, but I also want to show that I see them, that I know their words.

I would go so far as to say that even books and films change personality when presented in different languages. Things do get lost in translation. Some things are humorous precisely because of the way the language is used to express them — they wouldn’t be funny in translation. This is why literary translation is a true art, and also why dubbing... See more