So⊠I understand at least three languages at a functional level, but Iâve always found it strange to label myself as âbilingualâ or âmultilingual.â because yeah MOST people are navigating complex language throughout their day - doing it in French + English + Afrikaans doesnât make me special or different.
To me, the idea of even âmasteringâ a language is a lie. Even your mother tongue slips, evolves, or reshapes itself depending on who youâre talking to, what youâre reading, or how long youâve been away. Fluency is fluid!!!!
Most of us already live in multilingual mindsets. Maybe not in terms of grammar and vocab, but in how we shift between registers, tones, and modes of speaking e.g. job interview voice vs texting your friends. Itâs all language. Itâs all translation.
To me, multilingualism is just about being open: to shifting, to listening, to learning different ways of speaking and being. people who say to me âwow its so impressive that you can speak French!!!â are more just prisoners of their own perception that monolingualism vs bilingualism is a thing that is real (I dont think it isâŠ).