By Alexia Forsythe proud member of Ambassador Squad #teacher5etoiles
What does your second language mean to you? Is it simply another subject you learned in school? A better career opportunity? A lifestyle? Each learner has a different answer to this question, none of which are inherently “right” or “wrong” by any means, but pose a particular significance for everybody. Over the course of my seventeen years learning French as a second language, this answer has undergone a constant evolution. However, my experience has brought me to the conclusion that my linguistic journey has had a positive impact on a myriad of domains within my life. This is the last of a three-part series on the opportunities offered by my second language.
A global passport
One way or another, I don’t necessarily intend to remain in my province forever. Don’t get me wrong, I adore New Brunswick and I have no concrete plans to stray too far from it, but my dream to travel the world may just be enough to someday uproot me from the place my feet have been firmly planted for twenty-two years. As such, there is no doubt in my mind that my second language will often prove itself a treasure in the years to come. In the coming decade, I intend to further my education overseas, to perhaps teach on another continent, and to experience the beauty and the intricacy of the world’s many nations.
With my second language, these doors are open to me. If I so choose, I could pursue the continuation of my studies in my second language in France. If I so choose, I could use my second language to learn a third or fourth similarly structured one. If I so choose, I could visit the city of Brussels and be capable of communicating with the larger portion of its population.
Evidently, without my second language, I’d be more than capable of attending school overseas, learning a new language or travelling the world. However, due to my bilingualism, I firmly believe that my second language can both facilitate and enrich these experiences, an asset, in my opinion, to the things I wish to achieve and the places I hope to see.
Overall, my journey as a bilingual has been one of excitement, of exploration and of self-discovery. For me, my second language means that I’m capable of pursuing my dream career, of exploring new cultures and of opening the door to the rest of our big, beautiful world. For me, my second language means that I’m able to discover more about who am I as a person and what surrounds me.
For me, my second language means that I can be exactly who I want to be. What does yours mean to you?