Soumil Week 13: Language, Memory, and Identity
I remember my first few months in America, when my mind was still thought in Hindi while my tongue tried to keep up in English. I was pretty slow at speaking English. The words I used felt like puzzle pieces that didn't always fit together. Home I spoke my mother tongue with my parents holding on to the familiarity of my childhood but at school English dominated every conversation which kinda was annoying for me even though I spoke English back in India in school here her accent was Harder to keep up with this made me feel like I had to leave parts of myself behind to just belong.
Some birds hold entire memories. Badminton reminds me of the summer evenings in India playing with my friends and my cousins, guinea pigs bringing back the movements I became responsible for two tiny lives. And Diwali carries the scent of home cooked beets and firecrackers with every kind of firecracker which is basically not allowed over here because of wooden houses. Language ties these memories together preserving them even as tiny moves forward.
I often wonder how my sister who is growing up in a different linguistic world than I did will remember her childhood. Will her memories of home sound different from mine or will Hindi hold the same emotional weight for her or will English define her sense of identity?
Even in writing, I see how language evolves. The way I express myself now is different from how I did a year ago. My blog posts, my research papers, even my casual text are all reflected the way I grow up. The way my identity shifts with each new experience.
https://acutrans.com/top-10-most-commonly-spoken-languages-in-the-world/
Hi Soumil! I can definitely relate to that feeling of thinking in one language while trying to speak another, as it was pretty much exactly how I made it through all three years of Spanish. I had a similar experience in speaking my mother tongue at home while mostly being exposed to English at school when I was in preschool, as I had mostly been sheltered at home at that point. Just like you said, it was a struggle but I eventually got used to it. Your mention of seeing the evolution of your casual text really caught my eye, as it is something that I've also really noticed as I looked back on my past. I often noticed that my texting was a reflection of not just where I was in life at that point, but also a reflection of the people who were closest to me, as I would often adopt some of their habits in messages as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Soumil! This is a super interesting topic; bridging a connection between language and memory is an interesting angle, but I found your take on it enlightening. I really like the figurative language here, especially in your first paragraph. Comparing words to "puzzle pieces that didn't always fit together" is creative and definitely helps convey what learning to speak a language feels like for people (like me!) who have never had that experience. But what resonated with me the most is when you described how "language evolves" over time, and how our usage of it changes as well. I often look back at old writings, both personal and academic―and yes, this does include old Blog Posts―and it is fascinating to look at how the ideas I expressed as well as my writing style have changed over time. When looking back at old work, I often feel proud of both my past self for the unique perspectives she could bring to various subjects and how much I have grown since I wrote that. Even as a native English speaker, my casual language has evolved as well. Adopting the slang of this generation is part of growing up, just as navigating a more formal style is part of academic development.
ReplyDeleteIf there's one piece of feedback I do have, there are quite a few grammatical errors here that could have been avoided with proofreading. But overall, the ideas you discussed resonated with me, and I like the way you tied various different experiences and topics together to build your idea. Great job on this Blog Post!
Hi Soumil! The way you described language as both a bridge and a barrier is extremely relatable, especially for anyone who has navigated multiple cultural identities. Your memories tied to certain words, sounds, and even scents create a vivid picture about how memories is not just about communication; it is about self-expression, belonging, and history. I remember when I was younger, I would be quite content staying home all day with my parents and grandparents, speaking my mother language with the people I was comfortable with. Although I also spoke English at home, I was quite overwhelmed and unaccustomed to the English environment at school, and I definitely understand how you felt when you first came to America. I loved how you reflected the growth of your own voice over time, from spoken words to written ones, and how it also shaped your identity.
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