The Language Of The Future

The Language Of The Future





The relationship between oneself and language is indeed a broad subject. On the one hand, I find myself both thinking and speaking Russian when I am with friends and relatives, while my mind automatically switches to English when I am among non-Russian speakers. I handle language, like I handle history, with much deliberation and preciseness. Then again, I moved to the states at a few months old where as, my parents and grandfather were much older therefore, it is all a matter nurture.

When one is a child, one adapts to what ever a parent or parents attempts to teach it. I began to speak English at the age of three. It has been said by some researchers within the field of linguistics that at that age, a child’s mind is like a sponge, able to absorb anything it is taught. And I guess this was true when it came to me. I became the best speaker of English within my own household and within my entire family. But, for some reason, I still have a slight accent. I guess it is because I still constantly speak Russian at home. Basically, I have a clearer mystery of English, than of Russian, especially when it comes to reading and writing and comprehending of it. My skill in Russian on the other hand, is seconded handed at best. In other words, I have recently found myself thinking of changing English words into Russian during one of my daily discussions with my father. I feel that this is an indication of my depending more on English as a language, rather than depending on Russian. Yet, because of the neighborhood I have grown up in, I still speak Russian with my Russian friends. In fact, to be perfectly honest with the reader of this paper, I have grown somewhat accustom to speaking Russian to one set of friends and English to the my other set of friends.

While within the boundaries of school, I tend to only speak English, to everybody, even if they are my Russian friends. Forest Hills’ High, has this certain affect on my language skills, that tend to force me to speak English. For whatever reason, I find myself determined to only speak English within this particular situation, and this of course has at times affected my friendships, because my friends have remarked that once I enter school, I become snobby. But I always tell them , that we are the future of America, therefore, English is now and forever our spoken language. They basically fail to understand the reasoning behind this, and still feel that one day they will all return to Russia. I am more of a realistic.

Basically, learning English via my parents and other interested people was more of a game to me. Every time I learned a new word in English and how to use it, I was usually rewarded. Of course reinforcing the learning process in this fashion, moved matters along somewhat swiftly. I began then to read and write. By the age of five, I was able to read somewhat better than my older brother. Then the game became serious, especially when I was thrown into the main stream of American childhood.

Language is a gift, at least I tend to look at it in this fashion. I have a way of communicating within the English language which makes people realize that I am here and I am the type of person who is not about to take anything from anybody, but it also informs people that I am both willing to answer and give help to any one who needs it. My strength is within my language which is English, and I am proud of it!

Knowing how to communicate in English has given me a place within American society and so far I am enjoying to its’ limits. And of course, I have come to the realization that there is no limit to what one could achieve by both learning and understanding English. As a language, English has never been a mystery to me, nor is it a difficulty!