The beauty of being bilingual: Students and faculty discuss their experiences speaking a second language at home

May 25, 2020

By Andrew Palma
Staff Writer

This article is part of The Lighthouse’s weeklong “The Power of Language” in-depth reporting series.

Bilingualism has always been a part of senior Yara Attia’s life. At home, she learned to speak English and Arabic simultaneously because her parents felt learning both languages at the same time was the best way to gain fluency.

Attia is among the 28 percent of students who, in a 538-student survey conducted by The Lighthouse, reported speaking another language at home. 

Attia said she feels fortunate that she is able to communicate in two languages.

“Speaking another language has so many benefits,” Attia said. “Being bilingual not only looks good on your college resume but on job applications too. It also makes you smarter, improving your memory and your attention span.”

She said bilingualism improved her ability to multitask because it requires her to smoothly switch between languages.

“Language learning can open up a whole new world of career choices as well as vast opportunities to develop greater social and cultural experiences.”

Although Attia said she faced some challenges learning two languages as a child, she said she was able to overcome them.

“When I first was learning how to speak English and Arabic, I would sometimes confuse myself and mix the languages up. I would start off saying a sentence in Arabic, and if there was a word or phrase I didn’t know how to pronounce, I would start saying it in English. But my parents would always correct me and would make me repeat the sentence until I said it right,” Attia said.

She said she does not believe there are any disadvantages to speaking more than one language at home.

“It’s a useful skill to have. People go out of their way to pay for the most expensive tutors, but you can honestly teach yourself by using the Internet, dictionaries and even street signs,” Attia said. “It may be difficult to use a different system of grammar, alphabet and sounds for the first time, but the more you practice, it starts to become easier.”

Spanish teacher Señora Rojas also said speaking a second language at home can be beneficial.

“Language learning can open up a whole new world of career choices as well as vast opportunities to develop greater social and cultural experiences,” Rojas said. “Studies suggest that language learning helps individuals develop greater cognitive skills. These include better concept formation, mental flexibility, multitasking, listening skills and problem-solving. In addition, language learning promotes social interaction and encourages connection between peers.”

Rojas said teachers can do a lot to help students who speak a foreign language at home feel more comfortable in an English-speaking classroom.

“It’s our job as teachers to be patient and empathetic as students learn to speak English. You need to support and encourage the students as they not only learn a new language in school but also help them become acclimated to the American culture,” Rojas said. “[Teachers] should include them in daily classroom routines and activities so that their classmates can also help them acquire the new language.”

Rojas said she helps English language learners by sharing memories from her own childhood experiences moving from Cuba to the United States when she was five years old.

“I began learning English in kindergarten. I was never in a bilingual or English Language Learning class but learned to speak English with my peers and by watching PBS programmings such as ‘Zoom’ and ‘Electric Company,’” Rojas said.

She said she benefited from being surrounded by English-speaking students in a classroom setting.

“I remember using hand motions to communicate with my peers and eventually learning to speak fluently,” Rojas said.

She said she communicates with her family in both English and Spanish but prefers speaking to them in Spanish.

“I grew up speaking Spanish exclusively at home with my family. It was my first language and, therefore, the primary language that is spoken at home,” Rojas said. “I continue to speak Spanish with my own children because I think it is important for them to know and practice Spanish as well.”

Junior Steven Galicia, who, like Rojas, speaks Spanish and English, said he favors communicating in English.

“I speak Spanish at home, and I can speak Spanish decently, but I prefer to speak English since it’s the language I mostly use with my friends in school and in my everyday life,” Galicia said. “I really only speak Spanish when I’m at home since my parents primarily only use Spanish.”

Although Galicia said he supports bilingualism, he said people should be aware of some common obstacles people encounter as they learn another language.

“Some of the most difficult things about learning a different language is teaching yourself to be familiar with a new set of words. I had a very difficult time trying to pronounce words I’ve never seen or heard before,” Galicia said.

He said learning to speak English outside of the home requires motivation.

“Don’t try and rush the process. Start out by familiarizing yourself with the words, and then move onto grammar,” Galicia said. “If you honestly work hard and put in a lot of effort, you can become a good speaker and writer, or maybe you even become fluent.”