Accent
1) I have an Italian accent which is pretty strong, and that is because I have always lived in Italy and have always spoken Italian. In fact, you can tell I am from Italy after you hear me speak... I have to say that when I first came to Singapore my accent was a lot worse. It improved thanks to the international school as I had to hear different accents every day and speak with different people coming from different countries. Also the fact that my vocabulary expanded helped a bit with the accent. I am pretty sure that my accent is not going to change a lot any more for a long while...
2) I do want to change my accent and that is because, even if I understand the fact that is part of culture and my identity, I really do not like the Italian accent. I am not saying that it is because of people laughing at me, I do not really care about that, it is just I do not really like the way it sounds...
2) I do want to change my accent and that is because, even if I understand the fact that is part of culture and my identity, I really do not like the Italian accent. I am not saying that it is because of people laughing at me, I do not really care about that, it is just I do not really like the way it sounds...
Cultural Factors
List Of Factors which affect the English I speak:
- Nationality of my parents
- Friends
- Family
- Movies I see
- Music I listen
- My mother tongue
2 most important factors.
- My family
- My friends
I chose these two because my mother tongue surely does affect the way I speak English. These two things helped me develope my English. My Family because they are the people that I stay with and have stayed with the longest. I know that my family is the factor which changed my English or the way I speak the most because they are the people which have always been with me, even when moving from a country to another country. My friends on the other hand, have also influenced my English in a positive way as they made me hear and understand different accents from different countries, and also take a bit of my accent away from me which is good I guess.
- Nationality of my parents
- Friends
- Family
- Movies I see
- Music I listen
- My mother tongue
2 most important factors.
- My family
- My friends
I chose these two because my mother tongue surely does affect the way I speak English. These two things helped me develope my English. My Family because they are the people that I stay with and have stayed with the longest. I know that my family is the factor which changed my English or the way I speak the most because they are the people which have always been with me, even when moving from a country to another country. My friends on the other hand, have also influenced my English in a positive way as they made me hear and understand different accents from different countries, and also take a bit of my accent away from me which is good I guess.
Idiomatic Language
I do not use idioms, and if I use them, very rarely... If I use them, they usually are "last straw", or "out of the blue", and if it counts, "Are you serious?" And "are you kidding me?". As I said, I do not use idioms when I speak, and if I do, then I do not realise it or do not even consider it as an idiom. I do not use idioms even in my mother tongue, with my parents, or in English, with my friends... I do not think that idioms make you less or more smart as it is just a way to express yourself differently
Mother Tongue
How is the power of the original tongue shown?
The poet showed the power of a mother tongue not only by writing 7 lines of the poem in the her language but also when it said that even when she thought she had forgotten it, it grew longer and stronger and tied the other tongue in knots, and that shows its power over her other language which in this case is English.
What other imagery is used to describe the tongue?
The poet re-used imagery in line 34 where she says: "the bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth", so here she is comparing her mother tongue to a something which develops into another something which is more amazing and beautiful like a leaf or a flower, basically telling the reader that even when they think they lost their mother tongue, they did not and it would rise, come out and take over the other languages when needed.
What is the poet trying to say in this poem?
The poet is telling the reader that no matter how many languages we learn or how many countries we lived in, we are too attached to our mother tongue to just forget it and no matter how much time it has been since we haven't spoken it, it will always be there, stronger than all the other languages you may know
Can you relate this poem to your experiences?
I do not think I can relate it to my experiences as I only lived in two countries and only know two languages, Italian and English. I know that Italian is my mother tongue language and I know that I am also very attached to it. That is why the poem does not really relate to me... As Isaque stated, I also sometimes express myself in English but I still think that my mother tongue is the one tying the foreign tongue in knots
The poet showed the power of a mother tongue not only by writing 7 lines of the poem in the her language but also when it said that even when she thought she had forgotten it, it grew longer and stronger and tied the other tongue in knots, and that shows its power over her other language which in this case is English.
What other imagery is used to describe the tongue?
The poet re-used imagery in line 34 where she says: "the bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth", so here she is comparing her mother tongue to a something which develops into another something which is more amazing and beautiful like a leaf or a flower, basically telling the reader that even when they think they lost their mother tongue, they did not and it would rise, come out and take over the other languages when needed.
What is the poet trying to say in this poem?
The poet is telling the reader that no matter how many languages we learn or how many countries we lived in, we are too attached to our mother tongue to just forget it and no matter how much time it has been since we haven't spoken it, it will always be there, stronger than all the other languages you may know
Can you relate this poem to your experiences?
I do not think I can relate it to my experiences as I only lived in two countries and only know two languages, Italian and English. I know that Italian is my mother tongue language and I know that I am also very attached to it. That is why the poem does not really relate to me... As Isaque stated, I also sometimes express myself in English but I still think that my mother tongue is the one tying the foreign tongue in knots
Slang
1) I do not think that slang makes people sound less or more intelligent from what they are as it is just a way of speaking. It can be sometimes considered as dumb to use it in formal meetings or with teachers as it is not the type of language you want to speak with an adult or someone you need to be respectful to.
2)I do not think that the use of sloppy language has gone too far as I think it is ok to use it when speaking with friends because, as I mentioned,it is just an other way of speaking, informally... And right because it is an informal way of speaking, we should be aware and be careful to use it only when appropriate
3) As long as the kids in the schools are self-aware of the fact that slang is a type of language which can only be used in certain, informal situations (definitely not with teachers) then it is fine if they use it in schools.
4) I do not use slang, or at least I do not use it in English. What I mean is that I only speak one type of English which is, of course, not slang, while in Italian I do use slang at times.
5) As stated above, I do not use slang and therefore do not have any barriers or bridges between people.
2)I do not think that the use of sloppy language has gone too far as I think it is ok to use it when speaking with friends because, as I mentioned,it is just an other way of speaking, informally... And right because it is an informal way of speaking, we should be aware and be careful to use it only when appropriate
3) As long as the kids in the schools are self-aware of the fact that slang is a type of language which can only be used in certain, informal situations (definitely not with teachers) then it is fine if they use it in schools.
4) I do not use slang, or at least I do not use it in English. What I mean is that I only speak one type of English which is, of course, not slang, while in Italian I do use slang at times.
5) As stated above, I do not use slang and therefore do not have any barriers or bridges between people.
Third Culture Kids
What’s your story?
I was born in Italy in 2001. I lived there for about 10 years and then moved to Singapore. This is now my fourth year in Singapore. Of course, Since I got to Singapore I did travel a lot to the countries nearby but I do not think that affected my personality or identity in any way.
How many countries have your lived in?
As I said above I lived in two countries, Italy and Singapore.
Do you think that you are a TCK?
I do not think I am a TCK not only because I just lived in two countries, but also because if someone did ask a TCK where he was from, he would probably give an answer like this one, “I was born in England, raised around the world, and I currently live in Hong Kong where I moved to from Texas.” . A normal person or ' FCK ' (first culture kid) would just say the country that is their home while an expat would say something like “I am from England but I live in Paris,” always bringing their home into where they are from, and that is why I consider myself just an expat and not a TCK, if someone asked me where I was from I would tell them I am from Italy and have been living in Singapore for 4 years. And would know that I am fully Italian.
How do you think your travel experiences have affected the type of person you are today?
When I lived in Italy, I only met Italians, had Italian friends and only spoke to Italians, and that is because in Italy we are only Italians. When I then moved to Singapore, and met all my classmates which all came from different cultures, I started learning those cultures and being more open towards others.
If you don’t think you are a TCK, how do you think you are different from the people introduced in the video?
As I stated above, in the video, 'Troy' does not even know where he is from while I know that I am fully Italian. Also, Troy lived in many different countries while I only lived in two of them, Italy and Singapore.
I was born in Italy in 2001. I lived there for about 10 years and then moved to Singapore. This is now my fourth year in Singapore. Of course, Since I got to Singapore I did travel a lot to the countries nearby but I do not think that affected my personality or identity in any way.
How many countries have your lived in?
As I said above I lived in two countries, Italy and Singapore.
Do you think that you are a TCK?
I do not think I am a TCK not only because I just lived in two countries, but also because if someone did ask a TCK where he was from, he would probably give an answer like this one, “I was born in England, raised around the world, and I currently live in Hong Kong where I moved to from Texas.” . A normal person or ' FCK ' (first culture kid) would just say the country that is their home while an expat would say something like “I am from England but I live in Paris,” always bringing their home into where they are from, and that is why I consider myself just an expat and not a TCK, if someone asked me where I was from I would tell them I am from Italy and have been living in Singapore for 4 years. And would know that I am fully Italian.
How do you think your travel experiences have affected the type of person you are today?
When I lived in Italy, I only met Italians, had Italian friends and only spoke to Italians, and that is because in Italy we are only Italians. When I then moved to Singapore, and met all my classmates which all came from different cultures, I started learning those cultures and being more open towards others.
If you don’t think you are a TCK, how do you think you are different from the people introduced in the video?
As I stated above, in the video, 'Troy' does not even know where he is from while I know that I am fully Italian. Also, Troy lived in many different countries while I only lived in two of them, Italy and Singapore.
Words As Weapons
I think that words can be used as weapons if used in a certain context using a certain tone. Even though we might know what can be offensive to people, we sometimes use these words when stressed or angry. The person who said those words may sometimes realise the lack of respect shown, but only after a day or two. I think that this applies the most to parents, because if they use those words towards their children, it an have negative effects on them for the rest of their life, making them become people they are not, like robbers and also make them suicide. That is why we should all pay more attention to the way we speak, because something you might not even realise, might change a person's entire life.
Language Gender
1. I do think that our gender influences the way we speak English because since we are born, we are raised as what stereo typically we think of "boy / girl". And so our parents will use different words when speaking to their son/daughter and therefore, the girl/boy will grow up using those words which are stereo typically categorized as boy/girl language.
2. Based on my answer above, the way I communicate has been influenced the most by my friends and most importantly the way I have been raised by my parents
3. There is no absolute way a boy "should" behave, that is because a boy can behave as he wishes, however, as our parents raise us in a way that we behave as what a boy would stereotypically behave, we think that a boy should NOT do some things which are considered "girlish". Those things include wearing makeup and doing nails.
4. And the same thing applies to girls as well, there is no way a girl has to behave, and that is because girls too have the right to do what they want. However, once again, as parents raise us in a way so that their daughter behave as what a girl would stereotypically behave, we think that a girl should NOT do some things which are considered "boyish".
5. I am forceful with my opinions and ideas but i am happy to change them when proved wrong.
6. I listen to a girl as much as I would listen to a boy because gender has got nothing to do with the amount of attention I pay when a person is speaking.
7. I am pretty sure that I speak the same way to a girl as I would with a boy because I do not use any kind of particular English (like slang), which would differ the English I speak to a boy to the English I speak to a girl.
2. Based on my answer above, the way I communicate has been influenced the most by my friends and most importantly the way I have been raised by my parents
3. There is no absolute way a boy "should" behave, that is because a boy can behave as he wishes, however, as our parents raise us in a way that we behave as what a boy would stereotypically behave, we think that a boy should NOT do some things which are considered "girlish". Those things include wearing makeup and doing nails.
4. And the same thing applies to girls as well, there is no way a girl has to behave, and that is because girls too have the right to do what they want. However, once again, as parents raise us in a way so that their daughter behave as what a girl would stereotypically behave, we think that a girl should NOT do some things which are considered "boyish".
5. I am forceful with my opinions and ideas but i am happy to change them when proved wrong.
6. I listen to a girl as much as I would listen to a boy because gender has got nothing to do with the amount of attention I pay when a person is speaking.
7. I am pretty sure that I speak the same way to a girl as I would with a boy because I do not use any kind of particular English (like slang), which would differ the English I speak to a boy to the English I speak to a girl.
My Vimeo English Montage
FINAL ENGLISH MONTAGE from Adamo Mariani on Vimeo.