growing up bilingual: christina {german and english}

Name: Christina Williams

Age: 38

Languages you grew up with: English and German

{Christina and her daughter in Nürnberg, Germany}

How were your childhood languages introduced? Who spoke what language in your home?

I was born in the United States to a German mother and American father. My father was at one time an American soldier stationed in Germany where he met my mother and so began our family’s multi-cultural status. My first language was introduced as American English because we were living in the United States at the time of my birth. At home, however, my mother often spoke in German. I don’t believe she followed any educational plan and would just speak to me in the German language. I have many friends with Hispanic mothers and their method was similar – just start speaking the language frequently!

My parents moved us back over to Germany to work for the U.S. Department of Defense while I was still very young. I was enrolled in the military’s school system for American children, but I also began playing with German children in our neighborhood. I was able to communicate with the German children almost immediately because of my early introduction to the language. We only had access to German television at the time so all of my cartoon watching was in German. They weren’t the “Smurfs” to me, they were “die Schlumpfen!” My Oma and Opa and other German relatives neither spoke nor understood English so I had no choice but to communicate in German with them. In my case, early introduction plus immersion brought about this 2nd language ability for me that I still retain to this day.

What other foreign language resources were available to you (in addition to your family members)?

Besides family members, our American schools that were run by the Department of Defense had mandatory native language classes in the curriculum. Those of us in Germany were put in German language class, those in Italy learned Italian, and those in Asia learned native languages/customs in those regions. The Department of Defense schools were very focused on fostering cultural awareness in the countries where soldiers and their family members were stationed. Many of my classmates had German mothers, as well as Vietnamese, Korean, and Puerto Rican, to name a few other cultures. Many of us grew up with quite a bit of bilingualism in the homes. Most of the other “half German” kids I knew also had an easy grasp of the German language. The German moms really seemed to bring the language into the home life.

{Christina and her family today, on a visit to Germany}

How did growing up bilingual shape you childhood?

Growing up bilingual made me very globally aware and more conscious of other cultures and communities. Iunderstood early on that the world was very diverse. Because I grew up as a U.S. citizen in a different country, I was basically an “expat” for most of my formative years. I stayed in Germany until I was 21 years old! I didn’t understand the novelty of this in my early years, but learned to appreciate this more as an adult. My former classmates and I still reminisce and look fondly back to those years living in Germany. Many of us, myself included, go back as frequently as possible to visit and are world travelers now.

How does your bilingualism/multilingualism factor into your identity today?

Many companies and organizations keep lists on hand of those employees who can translate if the need ever arises so I have always offered my abilities to employers when asked. Bilingualism also helps me keep my identity with my German family and culture; it keeps me anchored to Europe. I feel more connected to the world because I can communicate in a 2nd language and am at an advantage while traveling in Europe.

Your favorite childhood memory:

My favorite childhood memory is spending time going with my Oma to our family graves in the Südfriedhof in Nürnberg, Germany. We would ride bicycles there with little hand shovels, rakes, and a small watering can in our bicycle baskets. This cemetery is like a park and I always thought it was fun to tend to the plots and wander through the pathways. Cemeteries in Germany are often very different than in other countries. Depending on how many family members are still alive and able to tend plots, some become very elaborate with beautiful perennials and shrubs!

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Thank you, Christina, for sharing your childhood experience of growing up in a multilingual and multicultural family! You can find more of Christina’s writing on her blog Movable Mom, where she chronicles her adventures in running, cycling, and leading a healthy life in addition to her stories on travel. Did you grow up with more than one language and in more than one culture? If you’d like to share your story, contact me, we’d love to hear from you!