Bilingualism and Identity

So far all the posts on our blog regarding bilingualism have been to do with the positive aspect of speaking two languages. So I thought I’d try and be a bit controversial and shake things up a bit, as it were! Whilst researching for my topic I came across quite a few differences within the world of bilingualism. Some people had chosen this way of life for their children, whereas others had unfortunately been forced to become bilingual due to political or economic problems in their own countries forcing them to move on and find a new life and a new language elsewhere.

Therefore, for some people, bilingualism is a choice, a happy way of life where they are lucky enough to belong to more than one culture. For others it is their worst nightmare. I find it very interesting how some people embrace the idea of adding another string to their bow as it were, and how others are sometimes physically and mentally forced into rejecting their original culture and embracing their new one.

In Peru I found a strong element of this even 400 years on. Before the Spanish arrived and conquered the Inca capital of Cusco in the 17th Century, the main language was Quechua. The way of life was very different then. The Incas worshipped the mountains, they sacrificed llamas, alpacas and quite often children in order to pray for a good harvest the next year. However after the Spanish conquest all of these cultures and rituals were rejected and the prevailing language was Spanish. I was amazed when I walked into my school on the first day and found (to my slight horror) that hardly any of the children spoke Spanish, only Quechua! It amazed me how the language is still spoken, considering that until recently if a Spanish official caught you speaking Quechua in the street you would be automatically shunned by the rest of the village and town. It was to say the least a very hushed language, only spoken in whispers in your own home, everyone was living in fear of being over heard. And yet, after 400 years of Spanish dominance the Quechuan language is still being spoken and even more amazingly the rituals are still being practiced throughout the Andes.

This led me to thinking about how important our language is to us. As demonstrated by the Peruvians, it is our identity, our soul, our life, something that we will not easily give up if forced to do so. So when we talk of bilingualism are we talking of people who have two identities? One article which I read on the web stated that “bilinguals have split personalities”. The article then went on to say that they often suffer from identity problems. It is this idea of being stuck in the middle again. This leads me to the point of homesickness. Does a bilingual person ever really feel homesick? Where is their home? Is it possible to feel homesick for both cultures and countries? One quote I read on the web highlighted this point: “A child who learns two languages won’t feel at home in either of them. She’ll always feel caught between two cultures.” Anyway just some ideas to think about before our next class. I thought there could be some interesting character developments through this topic.

Kim Varvell