Kasia's Language Logs

For this week in class, we were assigned to come up with potential topics for Project 3. For my exploratory writing, here is what I came up with: Although I do not have a clear and specific topic yet, in this project I want to discuss the importance of multilingualism and the benefits it provides. I want to take ideas from my previous research paper, not necessarily discuss heritage language loss, but how it is easy to be afraid to embrace your foreign culture in the United States due to discrimination and judgment. As a child, I never wanted to be Polish and whenever someone in my family asked what my nationality was, I would yell that I’m American. I feel that this topic would allow me to include my experience with battling between my American and Polish culture and finding a balance between the two. I would also be able to effectively use Polish throughout the paper. In addition to Polish, I’ve also learned Spanish and Latin throughout my education. I don’t think I will use Latin

In the article "Can a Foreign Language Enhance Your Writing?", Sarah Baughman discusses several benefits that come with knowing a foreign language. She begins the article by discussing Vladimir Nabokov and his English novel Lolita. Although English wasn't his first language, he was able to craft a well written novel that is considered a classic. I actually started reading Lolita for a book report in high school. The story is very unusual, but very well written, including a lot of imagery and detail. I never finished the book though due to procrastination. Baughman states that the knowledge of multiple languages allowed Nabokov to "write more creatively". I agree with her point here, especially when it comes to grammar. Each language has different grammar structures and rules. For instance in English, adjectives come before the noun, such in the phrase "the black cat". However, in Spanish, the phrase would translate into "el gato negro", a

At the beginning of this semester, I spent a lot of my time watching the new season of Love Island (the UK version of course). The first thing I noticed was that the contestants had different types of British accents. I had no clue that there were so many different types. Growing up, me and my friends always spoke in a British accent to sound "proper", using the accents that we heard on TV. However, we were unaware that this was the British accent that was being broadcasted to us. According to Babbel Magazine, there are actually eight types of British accents: Geordie, Welsh English, Scottish, Scouse, Cockney, West Country, Yorkshire, and "posh" English (https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/royal-family-of-british-accents-7-regional-variants-british-english). Each have their own pronunciation and slang terms. For instance, "Yer off yer head!" means "You're quite mad". The accent my childhood self used the most was "posh" English

I hope everyone is staying healthy and mentally sane in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has definitely been hard transitioning to living at home and taking classes online. I really struggled finding a topic for this week's language log, as I have been very anxious, and I'm sure you are all feeling that way too. It absolutely insane to see how much the Coronavirus has impacted our lives, from having to leave school suddenly to not even being able to leave the house. Believe it or not, this pandemic has even influenced language learning and use. Less and less people are engaging with the outside world. For instance, I like to practice my Spanish skills with the hispanic employees at a local restaurant in my town. However, with the forced closing of all restuarants, I haven't been doing this. Because of this virus, we are no longer exposed to things like code-switching in our communities, our language classes, and even basic conversations with people, which also influen

After we started talking about code switching in class and why people do it, I started to think about code switching in my own life. In class, we discussed that people code switch for reasons such as to fit in or say something in secret. I have done this myself, gossiping in Polish with my friend Kristina so my other friends wouldn't hear. But what I found most interested in our class discussion is that  people code switch to portray different emotions, which was stated in Greene's book. I never thought of this idea and have since began to notice it my life in relation to my parents and speaking Polish. There is a deep connection between language, emotion, and culture. The Polish language is very harsh and heavy, leading to a group of people that sound angry and are portrayed as not very affectionate people. I have come to this conclusion myself and I see these traits and emotions in my parents. Whenever my mom is yelling at me, she screams in Polish and often uses words that

The United States is made up of tons of people who speak different languages. Walking down the street or going to the grocery store, I'm sure you'll hear some sort of language that sounds like gibberish to you. That is the beauty of our country, that there is not official language. It is a place where anyone can freely enjoy and spread their culture, or is it? My research paper revolves around heritage language loss and how it is influenced by nationalistic views in the United States. English is not the official language of the United States, but it is the primary language spoken and there is obvious sentiments against the use of other languages. It is not hard to find political articles online that argue that the strict use of English is the only way to guarantee effective communication in the country or that the use of different language only creates more barriers between groups of people. On the other hand, some state that the United States is accepting of diversity and