Category Archives: language

An American conversing in England

lostintranslation_mericaengland I begin this post by saying I love living in England, so take what I say lightheartedly. I still enjoy my seventy minute walk from home to work, fawning over the beautiful Bath architecture and picturesque countryside. I just remember what it was like being stateside and wish I was here and now…here I am. It is a beautiful thing to be content and happy in life.

I remember the problems of being a ‘hidden foreigner’ in America when it came to conversations with those who had never left the US of A. I have left those behind me and after three years in England realise I still run into a problem with the American part of me here in England. I overshare. It is not so much that I overshare in a bad way, but that I love to talk and can open up to almost anyone quite easily. It is a quality of being a Third Culture Kid (TCK) that you can find something to relate to anyone you meet and do not feel shy to start talking to someone you do not know. I am constantly trying to reign myself in and give people the ‘cliff notes’ version in conversations. The trouble I find is that when I feel most comfortable and let my guard down, that I share and talk the most without realising it. Continue reading →

Lost in Translation: Accents

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Today is our monthly themed prompt for Travel Tuesday, as it is the last Tuesday of the month, and my cohost Van chose ‘languages’. I really did not know where to go with this one, not for not being a great prompt, but my mind was just racing in so many directions. So many stories of not having the right words in other countries, of being lost in translation, and language mishaps.

I decided to share with you the irony of the fact that I live in a country that speaks English, as a dual citizen, and yet it makes me feel like English is not my first language. I already had some British English words, phrases, and spellings engraved into my vocabualary from having lived here as a young girl. I thought I might be picking up few new things here and there and letting my own American accent soften nicely back into my English accent from before. Not quite the case. Continue reading →

TCK: Language Study

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“A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture. The TCK frequently builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture may be assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background.”
– David C. Pollock

Not every Third Culture Kid’s experience is exactly like another and when it comes to language study the same is true. I have known some TCKs who are bilingual from their time growing up between two countries. There are TCKs who only know one language from not being immersed in a second language while others know multiple languages. Continue reading →