Growing up Bilingual in America, the Implications of Multlingualism and ESL

By Caroline Villafrank

Hi, I’m Caroline, I’m a first year Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Graduate Student here at SUNY Fredonia. Becoming a TESOL teacher has been a natural evolution for me. I moved to the U.S when I was 7 from Germany. Growing up with an American Father and German mother, language and Bilingualism have been part of my identity for as long as I can remember. Upon arriving in the United States, I spoke virtually no English, as my parents raised me to speak German. This posed numerous challenges for me as a student, as I was not given an English as a Second Language teacher or assistance, and was forced to navigate the English only school system by myself, an arguably daunting task for a 7 year old, though I eventually did become fluent in English.

Growing up Bilingual has shaped my identity, I feel incredibly fortunate to not only have dual citizenship, but to fluently speak two languages. Being bilingual has numerous benefits such as improving cognitive skills, and even a lower risk of developing dementia later in life. One benefit that bilingualism has granted me is the ability to stay close to my culture. When visiting Germany I am able to speak the language and to experience the culture without restrictions, I am also able to stay close to my family, culture and heritage, as well as read and experience things I may not have been able to in English. Additionally being bilingual is an increasingly sought after skill by employers. As the world becomes increasingly globalized, the demand for bilingual professionals continues to increase.

As a future TESOL Educator I hope to instill in my students the importance of not only learning English, but in developing and maintaining their native languages. It is an unfortunate reality that being bilingual isn’t always respected or valued in the United States, though we tout ourselves as a country of multiculturalism and diversity. There have been several instances in my life when people have told me to “forget German” or to speak English only. One instance that sticks in my mind was when I was speaking German to a friend when a middle aged man remarked that it was a shame that immigrants can’t speak English anymore, to which I replied in fluent English that the United States has no official language policy and that he could stand to broaden his horizons by learning another language.

Part of this negative attitude stems not only from Xenophobia, but also from an Education system that is focused on accountability and high stakes testing. Part of the reason why languages aren’t valued is because of the linguistic landscape of the United States. In Europe countries are smaller and closer together with various languages coexisting. Though the United States has no official language policy, English is viewed as the defacto language of business and culture. Another reason why some people reject the notion of learning a second language is that they feel that it has little to no utility, as English is considered to be a lingua Franca or Global language. Through colonization and globalization English has spread to seemingly every corner of the globe. And though it is quite likely if you travel abroad you will encounter some form of English, it is my belief that you cannot truly experience another culture in your own language. Being bilingual allows you the freedom to travel and experience a culture without restrictions, it can open a door you didn’t even know existed.

Becoming a TESOL educator has been the best decision I have ever made. I love helping my students achieve their goals and I enjoy meeting students from all around the world. Besides being a teacher and assisting my students, I hope to be a positive bilingual role model for my students, as well as an advocate for bilingual education and multilingualism. Studying TESOL here at Fredonia has solidified the importance of being bilingual. All languages in the world have value, no matter how many or how few speakers they may have. Here at Fredonia we are lucky to have a wonderful modern Languages Department that allows students to not only learn a language, but to also gain cultural awareness and an understanding of what it means to be a bilingual in today’s globalized world. I am fortunate to have been raised Bilingual, not only has it opened career opportunities for me, it has allowed me to grow as an individual and to experience indescribable cultural experiences that I would have otherwise not been able to experience. I hope that you will consider taking a language class after reading this post, not only is knowing another language a great career choice, as it can lead to jobs in government, education and diplomacy, it can also lead you to experiencing new cultures and creating a lifelong and insatiable wanderlust.  "One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way."- Frank Smith

About the Author

Caroline Villafrank is a Graduate Assistant and TESOL Graduate Student at SUNY Fredonia. She is particularly interested in Bilingualism, Languages and Linguistic Policies and how Politics shapes Educational Policy. In her spare time she enjoys tutoring students at EC English on Campus, as well as tutoring German and continuing to learn Spanish.  Upon graduation she hopes to teach in a K-12 or University setting and eventually pursue a Ph.D in Linguistics or Foreign and Second Language Education.