Telling My Story: Grace Creamer

In my United States public school education, the power of language learning and bilingualism were never discussed or promoted. We were forced into language classes, where we were taught basic word formations, but were not shown the importance of learning languages nor were we encouraged to continue learning after graduation. Students are pushed to take AP exams, only learning the language requirements to pass. No piece of classroom language learning in the US works to create a bilingual environment. Like all other students, I fell into a pattern of only learning to fulfill requirements, without seeing any meaning behind it. Then, in high school, I was presented with the chance to do an immersion program in Japan, where I was able to experience language learning in a whole new way. When comparing this experience to language learning in the US, I developed a new perspective on the American education system and the power of bilingualism.

I grew up in an English-speaking household, in a city without much diversity in people or language. From elementary school through my first two years of high school, I was required to take Spanish classes, where we spent about 3 hours a week memorizing basic words and grammar patterns. Although I picked up a bit of the language, I was never motivated to fully learn to speak it, instead looking forward to meeting the requirements so I could quit taking classes. Never once in these classes were we taught about the importance of learning another language, the culture of the language, or the style in which people use this language to communicate in the real world. The teachers seemed to understand that no one attended class for genuine learning, lacking motivation in what they were teaching just as much as students lacked in studying. For me at this time, along with most monolingual Americans, this is all language learning entails.

My time living in Japan began when I was 16 and transformed my perspective on bilingualism. Before this point, I had spent the last 8 years learning Spanish in a classroom, but other than that, I had no language-learning experience. Without knowing any Japanese, I was set to live with a host family who spoke no English and attend a local high school where I was the only international student. I was fully immersed in the language with no choice but to learn. Each day was a challenge, trying to develop a meaning behind everything I was hearing. I learned new things every day, seeing actual progress toward speaking a language other than English for the first time in my life. By the end of my time, I felt conversationally fluent, without the anxiety about being understood by native speakers, which I had always felt before. Suddenly, I was about to communicate with a whole new population, opening doors for me, mentally and in life. The cultural understanding I developed was another aspect that I had not expected with language learning. By living in the culture, I was able to see the challenges people faced and the importance the culture brings to the Japanese language.

I was upset returning to the US, unsure of how I would be able to use these new skills and carry on this new part of my identity. When starting at DU, I enrolled in Japanese classes to keep up with the language, hoping for a different experience from my schools at home. Entering the language classroom environment again, however, made me truly realize the difference in these styles of learning. For me, speaking was my priority and what I considered necessary for my bilingualism, but the classroom once again puts a priority on grammar and writing. There is a lack of effort put into developing confidence in speaking and especially holding conversations with native speakers, which is my priority. Without interacting with the culture and native speakers, it is not possible to fully understand the language and the importance it brings. Although my college-level language classes have included lessons on cultures, they cannot be fully comprehended without interaction.

Each of these language-learning periods in my life brought a different perspective on language, culture, and bilingualism in the United States. It is clear now that bilingualism is something that is generally looked down upon in American society. By requiring students to take language classes, schools and the US as a whole can promote a diverse, multilingual, multicultural image, however, when it comes to actually educating and supporting multilingual people, the country is severely lacking. Immigrants and people whose first language is not English are alienated from native English speakers, both in schools and in society. Instead of calling them bilingual, which is viewed as a generally positive word, they are referred to as second language learners or English language learners. There is a divide, where native English speakers are thought of as smart for being bilingual, whereas immigrants are looked down on for the same. These double standards show the push for a true monolingual society in the US.

Although a monolingual society allows everyone to communicate and function without the challenge of other languages, there are few benefits in maintaining one. By discouraging bilingualism, people are bypassing the chance to learn and develop a better understanding of other people. Our society is becoming more globalized constantly, and without understanding other cultures, it will be difficult to become a global citizen. My experiences have taught me the importance of learning about other cultures and societies, as well as the power of bilingualism. By being able to communicate with others and understand their culture, I have been able to gain a new perspective on the language education system in the US, as well as the integral role culture plays in language learning. This understanding makes me feel less divided from others and has instead allowed me to see the true similarities between all people. We are all human, and by promoting bilingualism and developing an understanding of others, we can better collaborate to form a more tolerant and cohesive world.