I came from a Hispanic household. Ever since I was little, I only knew Spanish. My mother started taking me to school, but they were teaching and talking in English. I would always just sit there and go home not knowing a single thing they were saying to me. All I knew was what to do and shake my head or say yes or no. My mom noticed how that was affecting me, so she asked the school to move me to a bilingual class. After that it was easier to make friends and to communicate in general with others whether it was my teacher, peers, or staff. When I reached 3rd grade, this is just as I take only English courses to help me âadvanceâ. I wasn’t struggling as much, but after a month in the class it started to affect me. Because I was either speaking or writing in Spanglish, meaning mixing both languages. To me it was a challenge because Spanish was something I spoke every day in my house. But now I must get used to speaking and writing in English.
Slowly,I started speaking less Spanish, which was a problem because my family and friends spoke Spanish. I guess I started speaking broken Spanish since I started learning English. English became an everyday thing at school, outside. Even in my house, my parents would still speak to me in Spanish because that’s something I should keep with me. Knowing two languages can bring lots of advantages. Even till this day I might not be the best in Spanish, but I try just like English. Just know that knowing two languages can bring lots of advantages.
I completely get you having to learn a whole other language can be difficult to the point where you slightly forget how to speak the other one. I would add more details as to how your class looked or even how your teacher looked but other than that this was really good!!
I agree with you, speaking both languages started to make me mix both of them at the same time. I also sometime’s catch myself speaking both broken English and broken Spanish. Speaking two languages is an advantage, was a good addition to your writing.
Yeah I agree it can be pretty tough but eventually you get used to it, I usually suggest watching things in languages you barely use to remember them because it allows you to remember them.
VANESSA. â I see the beginning of a good story here.
Outline â where is your outline?
WORK on
1. Paragraph Breaks.
2. Timeline
3. Choose a few places that would make good scenes
4. Include some places where Dialogue creates Theatre of the Mind.
5. THINK THE 5Wâs. THINK CSD concrete specific details.
TITLE FOR THE WHOLE PIECE?
AT HOME IN A SPANISH SPEAKING WORLD (possibly you could use subtitles, like chapter)
I came from a Hispanic household. [DETAILS â WHAT country? Are you American born? Do your parents speak only Spanish?] Ever since I was little, I only knew Spanish. [Details of your Spanish Home-World â Remember this is BTW 2 WORLDS writing prompt â So SHOW me that Spanish-World].
My mother started taking me to school, but they [WHO?] were teaching and talking in English. I would always just sit there [WHERE? WHAT age/grade?] and go home not knowing a single thing they were saying to me. All I knew was what to do and shake my head or say yes or no. [SHOW yourself in that classroom saying yes no, and nodding â did it sound like nonsense words? HOW did you feel? SHOW me actions that show confusion or bewilderment?]
MY MIXED UP WORLD OF LANGUAGES (another possible subtitle)
My mom noticed how that was affecting me [in WHAT way?], so she asked the school to move me to a bilingual class. After that it was easier to make friends and to communicate in general with others whether it was my teacher, peers, or staff. [ADD details about this bilingual class. SHOW me yourself feeling more comfortable and making a few friends?]
When I reached 3rd grade, this is just as I take only English courses to help me âadvanceâ. I wasnât struggling as much, but after a month in the class it started to affect me. Because I was either speaking or writing in Spanglish, meaning mixing both languages. [GOOD PLACE FOR A SCENE â SHOW ME THIS MIXING UP – TAKE ME TO THE CLASSROOM â WHAT WORDS CAME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH?]. To me it was a challenge because Spanish was something I spoke every day in my house. But now I must get used to speaking and writing in English.
Slowly,I started speaking less Spanish, which was a problem because my family and friends spoke Spanish. I guess I started speaking broken Spanish since I started learning English. English became an everyday thing at school, outside. As elementary and middle school passed by, I only took English courses, no Spanish. [However,] in my house, my parents would still speak to me in Spanish because thatâs something I should keep with me. [I FELT LIKE I WAS LIVING IN TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS â can you develop this idea in this paragraph? Here maybe stress the difficulties of existing in two different worlds of language.]
When I went to high school, [DID you take Spanish as your language choice? Did you get more fluent and more confident in speaking and writing correctly in Spanish?].
WORLD TRAVELLER! (another possible subtitle for this part — NOW move toward an ending that shows the positives of being bilingual and end with that great trip to Europe when you were the leader in Spain â this would be a great ending and show your triumph in navigating these two different worlds.)
[WHEN was this? THINK 5Wâs â WHO? traveled with you â TURN THIS INTO A BIGGER PART and SHOW me at least one scene of you guys in Spain and you being the translator — SHOW ME WITH DIALOGUE of you and fellow travelers at Cafe? Market? Meeting new people? WHERE? — did you start to feel the advantage of your dual language ability, even if not perfect.]
the I met amazing people that wanted to travel to Europe, so we ended up traveling all over until we reached Spain. They werenât so worried because they were, like Vanessa speak Spanish. Donât get me wrong. I do, but not as fluently as I used to. I just know that it is beneficial to learn more than one language, they can come in handy one day.
Knowing two languages can bring lots of advantages [Develop more here â donât just tell me â GIVE ME A LIST of these advantages â What have you learned and WHAT IS THE OVERALL MESSAGE OF YOUR STORY?]. Even till this day I might not be the best in Spanish, but I try just like English. Just know that knowing two languages can bring lots of advantages.