How languages changed my life:
I was aware that not everyone spoke the same language from being very little, mostly from visiting my cousins in Germany. Even though my uncle was French, he had never spoken French to his children, and we did not know German… but we loved going and had a lot of fun together!
I was always asking questions about German though and wanted to learn the language; my mum taught me snippets, but I could not wait to go to secondary school and learn more…
Then my parents announced that I would be learning English! It was their choice, but I could not understand it and I was devastated… and positively hated it! Our teacher only ever spoke to us in English, and I was lost. I just wanted to learn German! Finally, I got the chance to in the 3rd year at secondary school, and I loved it!
I went on 2 exchanges and wanted to go and live in Germany. My parents however refused to let me go to visit my penfriend by myself (I was 15 at the time), and I went to college… where I realised that the teaching that I had received for German had not been that great, and I was not as good as I thought I was… I had to work hard to catch up with others!
In the meantime, I was still learning English (it was compulsory) and I was enjoying it a lot more than in the 1st couple of years. One of my English teachers, when I was 16, made a comment in a lesson suggesting that I was quite gifted in the language… It planted a seed, and the rest is history, as they said!
I studied English and German at university, came over to England in the 3rd year… and never left! I am qualified to teach French and German at secondary level, but have also taught Spanish in a primary school.
I know how much of an influence parents and teachers have on the attitude of young children towards other languages – and as I now work in primary schools, my mission is to ensure that those 1st encounters are positive and lead to very happy relationships and lots of learning!
Oh and I ensured that unlike my uncle I spoke French to my children from when they were in my womb – they are both now fluent in English and in French, and know some Spanish and some German. I hope that they too will always love and learn other languages!
Nathalie Paris
