#001 I My Own Language Learning Journey
Show Notes
I really can't describe myself as a language talent, but today as a language lover. In this episode of BOLD & BILINGUAL, you will find out which foreign languages I have learned in my life and what I have experienced and learned on my own language learning journey.
In the episode “#001 I My Own Language Learning Journey” you will find the following topics:
School
Language Journey
Tutoring
Au-Pair
Studies
Profession
Friendships
Next episode: Mother tongue plus 2 - English and other languages
Links mentioned in this episode:
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bold-bilingual/id1618614100
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5tf4R6OGfgpbIortNxtBDI?si=346f4c3eaaae41cc
Music:
Track: Ikson - Blue Sky [Official]
Music provided by Ikson®
Listen: https://youtu.be/zc4ET9viVQ0
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Transcript
My Own Language Learning Journey
Well, and then suddenly I had to face the final exam in school: I had no other choice at that time, I had to take English as a major subject. Phew, that was a tough job to master. Yepp, I did it. But I also remember exactly how I put the pen on the table at the end of the last exam and silently swore to myself: never again English in my entire life! Never ever again!
I’m Sabine Edelhoff, mother of 4 children, project and process manager, and founder of blah - be lingual at home, the first online program for parents who want to raise their children bilingually with a foreign language.
It wasn't that long ago that I lacked the self-confidence, the resources, and the time to plunge into the adventure of our family language journey. But then suddenly I was brave enough and just started with English as our second family language.
Today our children can understand English without any problems and the two older children experience English lessons at school with so much more ease and fun.
I started the BOLD & BILINGUAL podcast to give you simple, actionable step-by-step strategies that will help you do the same.
If you've ever asked yourself, can I raise my children bilingually with a foreign language? and what is the best way to do it so that it will be easier for them to speak foreign languages in school, at work, or later in their everyday life?
Then you are exactly in the right place.
Let's get started.
English! What a cool language, the biggest hits are written in English. The most successful films are produced in English and it always felt like we had to wait six months until they were dubbed into German and then they were streamed in cinemas or on television in Germany. Our dad heard the Beatles and Pínk Floyd every day up and down in the car.
School
From the first grade on, I had both English and Russian until my Abitur, 13th grade, that’s the final exam you can pass in Germany in school. Today I can still read Russian and understand a little bit of it. But more than “Menja sowut Sabine i ja schiwu w gamburge” is no longer possible today. Too bad! But since my school days, I simply had too few opportunities to use my Russian language skills and if you don't use or live a language you lose it very quickly.
It was slightly different with English. I was extremely shy and was always afraid of making mistakes and making a fool of myself. My tactics during my school days were rather to be unnoticed and fly under the radar. I always hoped that the teacher in English class would call on someone else if possible. The most pleasant thing in class has always been the vocabulary tests: you just had to learn the words by heart and you were good. Grammar wasn't my thing at all. The writing was ok until I got the corrected version back. I'm exaggerating a little now, but the blue from the fountain pen was balanced with the red from the correction pen ...
Our family trips to London during the holidays were also great. Thanks to my dad for planning and showing us so much of this amazing city. Can’t wait to go to London again!
Language Journey
In the 10th grade, we’ve got the opportunity to do an exchange or stay abroad term. We invited a student from an English boarding school for girls into our home and in return, I was allowed to go to England for 6 weeks. Six weeks of boarding school for girls only in England, what a different life I was able to experience and then another two weeks vacation with my host family. The good thing about the trip was that I was really alone and was therefore forced to speak English. In any case, the stay abroad brought a little boost to my English skills and also to my self-confidence.
In the 11th grade, I#ve got another chance to travel to St. Petersburg for 3 weeks. About half of the class flew to Russia at that time. But since there were three of us who lived in one family, the whole trip had more of the character of an extraordinary city trip with a Russian family on our side than a language trip. Cause we spoke a lot of German when we were just the three of us.
Tutoring
In the upper school, I had tuition in Russian as well as in English in preparation for the Abitur, the final exam. For my English tutor, I was definitely not the easiest student. Despite my stay abroad, I was just too shy to speak English freely. A lot of money for my parents, with little effect as a result.
Well, and then suddenly I had to face the final exam in school: I had no other choice at that time, I had to take English as a major subject. Phew, that was a tough job to master. Yepp, I did it. But I also remember exactly how I put the pen on the table at the end of the last exam and silently swore to myself: I would never speak a word in English again in my entire life! Never ever again!
Au-Pair
So school was over, but I didn't really know what to do afterward. And if I was to be completely honest with myself, it was already obvious to me that I would not get very far without English. So, then why not grab the bull by the horns and face it? Said and done and that's how I lived as an au pair in London for almost half a year. That was my chance to really immerse myself in English again and to plunge into the language. And what can I say, it worked! Not that I was able to speak English perfectly and fluently afterward, no, but sadly not that, but I started to really understand and love the language.
Back in Hamburg we, well, more my parents, soon got a visit from a former student from the girls' boarding school in England: Joanna. Jo came to Hamburg for a traineeship and we met again and again and spent some time together in Hamburg. The beginning of a friendship that continues to this day, and a shared passion for languages led to the launch of our online course FAMILY ENGLISH in 2021. But more on that, about Joanna, and our 12-week online course in another episode on BOLD & BILINGUAL.
Studies
Ok, back to my own language learning journey: English was also very much present every semester in the business administration course I took at the university. And I decided to take the chance here again and go to Sweden for my semester abroad. It was a wonderful time in a country where English is not the first national language, but where many Swedes understand and speak English very well because almost all foreign films on Swedish television have not been dubbed in the past as one knows from Germany. The films have Swedish subtitles but remain in the original language. But as I found out, the Swedes not only speak English very well but also German. A little side story to smile: The light on my bike was broken and I prepared myself well for the visit to the bike shop with my English dictionary. But since my pronunciation was so German, the nice employee in the bike shop answered me in German ;-)
Profession
After my studies, I started working in the telecommunications industry in process and project management. All system requirements and important presentations had to be written and held in English. The writing was actually not the problem, but I still had difficulties with speaking and presenting freely in English, which also led to the fact that I was unfortunately not accepted for a special further training I had aimed to. That hit me back then….
In between, I have at least kept my English passively by reading English books.
Friendships
Years later, when I got to know our Australian friends Falu & Michael through my parents, after a long time I finally had the opportunity again to speak English actively and was soon faced with the fact that my expression had its limits. The deeper and more personal our conversations became, the less I could express what I wanted to say.
I realized I had two options:
To accept my limits and with that also my communication options
Or to keep learning and improving so that I could better communicate with them in English the next time they would visit us
And then the question occurred to me: what if?
What if not only would I improve my English, but at the same time I would try to introduce my children to English in our everyday life so that it will be easier for them than it has been for me?
Recap
In summary, I can say: Learning foreign languages and using them in everyday life was really not easygoing for me. There was a time in my life when I would have loved to ignore English. But I quickly realized that I couldn't get very far without English these days. The more I immersed myself in English, the better I was able to find access to the language and today I can say: I really like English and think that it is a wonderful language and that I am proud that I can speak English.
Next episode: Mother tongue plus 2 - English and other languages
In the next episode of BOLD & BILINGUAL, I'll take you with me when we talk about mother tongue plus 2 and English and other languages.
So, be BOLD & BILINGUAL too!
Ok, see you next week!
Sabine
