Languages
In the same way that I qualified computers as an "interest," I'll likely have to do that here too, because the impact of languages on my life easily transcends that of all other fleeting interests combined. Much in the same way that an interest in computers paved the way for my life as a student and now my career, language opened up and made possible everything that is beautiful in my personal life.
My formal relationship to language is one thing--and certainly deserves mention--but it's ironically the circumstances and moments that cannot be expressed in words that I hold dearest. Still, I don't deny that the proper, structured engagement with language is what first made everything else possible. But instead of this abstract mumbo jumbo that I barely understand myself, let me just summarize those things that are easily summarized in trivia format:
- I've gone to school in three different languages: Swedish, French, and English.
- I speak Mandarin at home with my parents (and of course my relatives in China).
- I've additionally taken foreign language classes in Chinese, Italian, and Spanish.
- Besides CS, I also majored in Linguistics.
- I had my first formal English class half-way through 8th grade. Three years later I laid the smackdown on the SAT verbal section (let's not talk about the math section, though).
- I would rank my fluency in the order of English, Swedish, Mandarin, French. If you had asked me a year ago (so fall of 2008), I would have ranked it English, French, Mandarin, Spanish, Swedish.
- However, I would rank my ability to sound native in the order of English, Mandarin, Swedish, French.
Everything that isn't easily summarized is (by definition) not going into this summary. Ask me about it though. I have lots of opinions on language.
