Monday’s reading, “Stop Doing That” by Aneta Pavlenko, was mainly about why bilingual or multilingual families choose to speak in one language over the
other. As a child who grew up from a bilingual household, much of the content was applicable to what I had previously experienced.
The author conveys how the parents may resort to using the first language when certain sentiments emerge, which is shown through “a Puerto-Rican mother… spoke to the children in Spanish when she was angry: her Spanish comments were commands or threats that followed the English versions and served to underscore them” (Pavlenko 181). This phenomenon captures the example of language dominance, as the mother resorted to her native language when speaking out of emotions. This is personally applicable to me, as my parents would speak Korean when feeling an extreme sentiment––not because they wanted to, but due to instinct. While my parents turned to Korean, I would use English when getting in an argument because that was my first language learned. In essence, people tend to speak in a manner of what feels most natural in order to clearly express themselves.
In addition to speech of language and emotions, the author presents another part of the spectrum: languages of emotions. This second form of speech in bilingual/multilingual households indicates how “linguistic means for emotional expression [are only] offered by a particular language” (183). This substantiates for the existence of families that speak multiple languages in the United States, as there are certain words that are incapable of conceiving the same meaning as one in their respective languages. I even find myself often mixing English with slight Korean in the presence of other Korean-Americans, as there are words that simply cannot convey my sincere emotion.
Sources:
https://i0.wp.com/ballzmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/instinctive-behavior-neuronal-network-choice.jpg?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1
https://thumb9.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/252589/106172195/stock-photo-welcome-in-multiple-languages-composed-in-the-shape-of-speech-bubble-106172195.jpg
https://media-exp2.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAL4AAAAJGY2MjhiZjFhLTZmMGItNDQ3OC05ZGRiLTg3NmU0NzVmZTRhNg.jpg