The Barriers and Bridges of Language Anonymous

Pomelo, pamplemousse, trai buoi, grapefruit - Spanish, French, Vietnamese, and English. My ability to connect languages has enhanced my understanding of every subject I learn and has led me to cherish language as a bridge between different cultures and nations. I no longer view different languages as an unnecessary barrier to my comprehension. I am bilingual, and I have become accustomed to mentally translating information between different languages to ensure that I have grasped new concepts.

However, I grew increasingly aware of translations between languages, especially when I began to take language classes during my middle school and high school years. When I first took French, I realized that going through multiple translations helped me with comprehending a new language. I opted to convert French into Vietnamese and Vietnamese into English. When I took Spanish classes in high school, I utilized this same language conversion process. This technique assisted me with my academics, and it also helped me treasure the connection and beauty that language encompasses. However, I often need to monitor every word that I utter aloud, or I will accidentally speak in Spanish to my Vietnamese parents. Worse yet, I will talk in...