About vivbaker
Member Since:
07/01/2008 - 14:16
Last Signed In:
12/31/1969 - 16:00
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Lost in Translation
Lost in translation
Have you ever being lost in translation?
If you have, you will probably know how I felt.
Being in a different country where you don’t speak the language can be very difficult to communicate with others.
I’m going to explain to all of you why I was lost in translation for many months.
I was born and raised in Mexico in a small town in Sonora where everybody knows each other. My grades in high school were ok except for my English class. My grades were below 45% every semester and I needed to do something about it quick. When I turn 17 years old, finishing my first year of high school, I made an important decision that changed my entire life. I decided to move to US to learn English and finish my high school. On the other hand my English instructor in Mexico advice me not to move to US yet, because I had already completed 1 year of high school, and moving to a different country was going to be tough. He said that it was best for me to graduate from high school and then move to US. He wanted me to be prepared for tough classes and learn English quick.
Transition…Here are some of the difficulties that I went through in high school.
A- Basic English:
My first year at Highland High School was very difficult, I was lost in translation in every single class because I didn‘t know the basic English. I had to translate my homework and all my assignments in order to understand, and of course I spend more time doing homework or studying than any other student. It took me a few months to learn the basic English and I was able to handle a conversation with friend and instructors.
B- Meaning of words:
I was also paying close attention to conversations that deal with words that had the same sound, so I wouldn’t get confused with the meaning. For example: Rich means a wealthy person or food that has a strong flavor. At that time anybody who said “this is to rich” I thought it was expensive and I always answer “ No is not“. There were many other words that confused me but once I learned more English, the words became easy to relate. My English instructor was not kidding about saying that it was going to be tough, but I did graduate from Highland High school and I have a A.A as a Graphic Artist from Bakersfield College.
Transition…Ironically me and my husband Michael are lost in translation with our son.
A-My son Andrew:
My gorgeous son Andrew is 2 years old. he is trying to talk and he sounds so cute.
B- Words are not clear yet:
Some words are easy to understand but other isn’t. For example, he started saying mik which is milk, the other word that I think is very funny is when I say to him, No Andrew that is not good, he will look at me and say bae boe which means “bad boy”.
C- Spanglish:
Since our son is learning both languages, my husband is going through a hard time understanding Andrew, he is lost in translation like I was, because Andrew will say a few words in English but the rest in Spanish, which we call Spanglish. It is funny watching my husband trying to understand my son. Andrew will say to dad “Ven” which means come here or “Brinca, Brinca” which is bouncy, bouncy. My husband is know learning Spanish with our son and he actually has a pretty good accent.
Summary: Even though it was very difficult to learn English I enjoyed high school. Being lost in translation with our son is fun and the cutest experience I ever had.
Clincher: I just wanted to leave with this advice…
Don’t listen to any body telling you what you are able to do.
There is no obstacle that can stop you from reaching your goals
Believe in your self and go for it.
Comments
Hello Viv,
this is an old posting that caught my attenttion.
I applaud your self-determination. Your story should serve as an inspiration to others.
This is a story that many of us have lived. Having arrived from from other countries and learning the new language with all its nuances and being able to distinguish the false cognates is not an eAsy task. To succeed one must have the self-determination that yuo speak of.
Teaching your son both languages is an essential part of conserving our family values. To learn not only las canciones de mi padre but all the warm traditions that accompany the language.
"Un idioma es una tradición, una forma de centir la realidad no un simple repertorio de símbolos." J.L. Borges
The generatios which follow ours will be greatly enriched by being bilingual.
Hello! What a great story about "Lost in Translation." We would love to include this in the pages of MÁS -- with your permission, of course. Also, we'd like to invite you and your family down to our offices for a family photo that we can take of you to publish along with your story.
If this is something you'd be willing to do, please e-mail me at: tadamo@bakersfield.com or call 716-8646.
Thank you!
Wow! You are an inspiration! You go girl!