Mother Tongue

In response to the article ‘Mother Tongue’, by Amy Tan, the importance of a person’s home language is pivotal in order to shape one’s identity and roots to their cultural heritage. As you may or may not know already, my mother tongue is Dutch; specifically, the dialect ‘Flemish’. Growing up with the Dutch language for eleven years, I was able to easily express my thoughts, emotions, and ideas to others without any hindrance or language barriers. When I moved to Abu Dhabi, however, this ability completely transformed. I could no longer speak Dutch with whoever I wanted, I struggled with communication and expressing my ideas, let alone communicate my emotions. After a few years of speaking English at school, I noticed a change in my mother tongue;  I started to lose the standard level of the Dutch language. For example, when coming back to Belgium for the summer, I often made silly mistakes with verb conjugations and past tenses, my range of vocabulary had drastically decreased, and I essentially started mixing my second language with my first language during conversations.

       So what do you do? This is a question that many bilingual individuals will face when developing or mastering a second, perhaps third language. For Native-English speakers or any monolingual, this dilemma does not influence one’s speech or communication. This is because in most cases, a person is only exposed to one language, allowing them to fully master their vocabulary, grammar, spelling, etc. to their full extent. When I was a monolingual (Native-Dutch speaker) myself, I was mastering these aspects of the Dutch language. However, when moving to the UAE, I now was also exposed to the English language, while still developing my Standard-Dutch at the same time. After a few years of mastering the English language, it is common that bilingual individuals start to find a balance with their first, second and perhaps third language. In other words, I know that I will never be able to speak English to the extent and standard of a Native-English speaker, nor a Native-Dutch speaker; simply because I have found a fifty-fifty balance between the standards of both languages. 

So what’s the point of bilingualism then? Can’t you simply focus on one language instead? In theory, yes, why not? But in reality, this, for many bilinguals, isn’t a logical decision to make. The importance of your mother language is not only vital to your development as a person, it is also pivotal to the evolution of one’s identity and connection to their cultural roots. If I came to Abu Dhabi, and completely gave up on my mother language, would that still make me the person I am today? Would I feel any connection towards my heritage and culture at all? The answer to these questions are unknown territory, however, it is a fact that a language is often shaped by one’s culture. Therefore, I started taking Dutch classes, in order to improve my silly mistakes with verb conjugations and past tense, to increase my vocabulary and correct my use of English within my Dutch conversations. Personally, I value my English and Dutch language to the same extent, because it allows me to be the person I am and develop my personal and master identity. If I stayed in Belgium my entire life, I would’ve developed a completely different insight and perspective of the world, as I am solely exposed to the Belgian culture. In Abu Dhabi, however, I’ve gained an international and open-minded stance towards the world, allowing me to see certain aspects in a different manner, or with a second perspective.

           I’ve come to a point where I’ve personally learnt to embrace this difference, as my home language links me back to my identity before, and after I became bilingual. Having a mother tongue comes with a road paved with challenges and dilemmas. However, it opens doors to opportunities and experiences in order to carve your master and personal identity, as well as to continue your personal interaction with your cultural roots.