I was 5, thrust into a kindergarten class in a different country with snotty children who kindly were asking my name, but even though the words were forever seared into my memory, I didn’t understand what they meant - “What’s your name?” - and I felt so lost and helpless that I just burst into tears in response.
I don’t remember how long it took me to understand English - I was so young, so probably quite quickly. But every language I’ve learned since then has been preceded by a steely certainty that no matter how hard it could be, it’d never feel as hard as that first day of school in England, five years old, feeling lost and alone.
Loved this funny and honest account of the early days of learning a language. If at first you don’t succeed…
I was 5, thrust into a kindergarten class in a different country with snotty children who kindly were asking my name, but even though the words were forever seared into my memory, I didn’t understand what they meant - “What’s your name?” - and I felt so lost and helpless that I just burst into tears in response.
I don’t remember how long it took me to understand English - I was so young, so probably quite quickly. But every language I’ve learned since then has been preceded by a steely certainty that no matter how hard it could be, it’d never feel as hard as that first day of school in England, five years old, feeling lost and alone.
Brilliant!