Just the other night I tried, somewhat in vain, to explain through my Spanish blog my desire to develop a voice in my Spanish writing. No, I don't mean I want to sound like Cervantes, per say, rather I want to have a distinctive voice in my writing. I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a "true" writer, as I have never had anything published, but I would say that I enjoy writing quite a bit and I find I have a rather distinctive sound when I babble on in English. The question is, can I ever develop an equally distinctive voice when I write in Spanish or am I destined to always sound generic and flat?
I've held this debate with myself several times, both when it comes to writing as well as speaking. We all have personalities, both on paper and in person when we speak in our native tongue, but what happens when we try to converse in a foreign language, one where perhaps we are unfamiliar with the colloquialisms and subtle nuances of the language we are practicing? On occasion I have managed to raise a few eyebrows when I do in fact use some sort of common phrase only heard in, say, Mexico, but for the most part, despite my familiarity with Spanish, I still find myself only scratching the surface when it comes to expressing myself in more vivid detail, a must for any novice writer.
One of my goals in my Spanish endeavors has always been to write a short story in Spanish, or at the very least, translate one of my English language stories over to Spanish. I have struggled with this only because I find myself constantly searching for a way to say something in Spanish that sounds equivalent to me in English. I find that in order for me to be able to write a short story in Spanish, I first need to be able to express myself freely in the language without constantly falling back on a sloppy English translation.
So my question is this. Have you manged to insert your personality into your foreign language learning, and if so, how did it come about? Or perhaps you've managed to create an entirely unique personality that only suits your second language. How is it different from your native personality? Even after several years of studying Spanish, I still find myself seeking my true voice. I'd be curious to hear anyone else's thoughts on this. Let me know and we'll talk again soon.
The question of identity and language has always been something I have thought about... I believe each language is a new way to perceive the world and is intricately linked to a culture. By learning the language I feel as if I was on a journey into that unknown universe and, like in every travel, something inside me is changed. Do I become different? I definitely feel that I discover a new way of expressing myself, even a new way of living. Once I adopt a language, I embrace a voice that I never imagined to be mine, a voice that was just waiting for the right words...
ReplyDeleteJust a quick thought: I have noticed differences in the way I talk, the topics I choose and the general way in which I participate in conversation depending on the language I speak. Perhaps it's also because each language is tied to a set of memories, experiences and culture?
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