Reflect on your experiences of (trying to) read and write in your target language. Are you bilingual? If so, would you agree with the arguments made in the two readings on bilingualism.
My personal mission concerning Wolof was more to be able to speak and understand; however, due to the use of PowerPoints as a source of content, I’ve learned to read everything that I can say and understand. Bilingualism, though, comes in many different forms depending on the situation at hand. Say for instance that my interactions in Senegal were limited to a certain context or event like a football game. If I learned all phrases and cues surrounding this instance, I’d feel like a fluent speaker in that moment. However, when taken out of that context and into the grander scheme of things, it’s easier to the sum of the language’s weight. I prefer the limiting method just because I get overwhelmed very easily.
Moment of fluency or small successes will occur whether it’s reading and understanding a portion of a newspaper or ordering food without reverting to a more comfortable language. True bilingualism is much harder to capture, though. English is my first language, but there are still words that I need to look up and certain phrases that I still don’t feel comfortable using. Ultimately, I think it’s up to us as the learner to claim our strengths.
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