I mean the whole school I went through kept nailing in our heads how much a foreign language would benefit you. I guess this went under the noses of whoever like teaching kids to balance a checkbook.

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[–] 4 points 8 months ago (1 child)

Speaking another language is game changing, it doesn't matter which language it is. It'll make it much easier to learn another language, for example, because you'll get a better grasp of grammar. In fact, that grasp of grammar will help you speak your own language better.

You'll also be more likely to treat people who speak a different language as people rather than things.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    You’ll also be more likely to treat people who speak a different language as people rather than things.

    Conversely, I sort of have a superiority complex because I'm bilingual, so I sort of¹ silengly judge Chinese Diaspora that cant read Chinese and Speak either Cantonese or Mandarin.

    (¹Not that much, like I don't treat them any worse, I just a "I have more linguistic knowledge than you 😏" moment, and silently "patting myself on the back")

    When I first came to the US, I got discriminated upon by ABCs (American-Born Chinese) for not speaking English... (like do they expect me to know a language the moment I step off a plane? the fuck?)... so that's probably why I think the way I do.

    Even my cousins, who were born in and grew up in the US, didn't wanna talk to me... like I could just feel the silent treatment and like were so cold to me.

    I remembers the kids in school that I "vibed" with the most were Cantonese-speakers.

    Didn't feel like I could confidently talk to ABCs, like its just couldn't really "vibe" with them until like more than 4 years of learning English... Like even when I already grasped the basics 1/2 years in... I still didn't feel like I've mastered it...

    Honestly it's sort of a ego thing.

    Every time I wanna kms, I remind myself that I'm bilingual and most people only know one language, so I just put off the thoughts. Cuz my next incarnation, I might not have this opportunity to be bilingual again. (My knowledge of Chinese isn't actually that good, but its better than most ABCs, who can't even read basic characters)

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