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Parents think I’m weird... | ||
Tags: Polyglot bashing | Teenagers | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| ericspinelli Diglot Senior Member Japan Joined 5788 days ago 249 posts - 493 votes  Speaks: English*, Japanese Studies: Korean, Italian | Message 17 of 161 11 December 2009 at 10:31am | IP Logged | ||
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I don't know you, Jordan, and I don't have a clue what you do with your time other than study languages and visit this site. If, however, these activities take up the majority of your time I can see where your mother is coming from even if her way of handling it is misguided. Languages are great, but they're not everything. Perhaps she's worried it is or will become an obsession that gets in the way of school, sports, friends, or whatever else your mother sees as important for you.
Coming at it from a different perspective, you sound like a teenager. I don't know if you are, but that's how it reads. All teenagers get it spats with their parents and all parents get in spats with their teenagers. You're realizing your parents aren't right about everything and they're realizing (and perhaps frightened by the fact) that, while you'll always be their children, you are also becoming your own man. And neither side ever looks reasonable. The best you can do is fulfill your other obligations to the best of your ability, strive to become a well-rounded individual, and keep quiet about your language hobby. Edited by ericspinelli on 11 December 2009 at 10:32am 11 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| nadia Triglot Groupie Russian Federation Joined 5519 days ago 50 posts - 98 votes Speaks: Russian*, English, French Studies: Hindi | Message 18 of 161 11 December 2009 at 10:35am | IP Logged | ||
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Oh, I got angry just reading this!! There's no pleasing those parents, is there? So would your mother prefer you to be interested in absolutely nothing and become addicted to drugs and alcohol at some stage?!! Because that's where people go who don't have anything to interest them in life. I know this from examples in my family.
My interest in languages helped me get a free university education, so that now I have a diploma of a teacher of foreign languages, though I work as a translator. That's the only job that I love doing because I love everything to do with languages. It's bliss when your hobby and profession coincide, not many people can boast that. You have talent/capabilities for something. You're lucky!! Not all people have it. Language-learning is a fantastic hobby, because it can last you a lifetime, preventing you from getting bored with your life. It opens your mind to other cultures. I am a patriot. I used to be a huge anglophile and want to learn English to perfection (and this perfectionism and hard work helped me A LOT). Later, I came to appreciate my own country and culture as well. I mean, I always had it, but the fascination with England made me want to move there. I don't want to move anywhere anymore, I'm happy where I am, but I have retained the love for learning about new cultures. The love for my own country helps to understand other people better, and vice versa. Phew, sorry for ranting. :) I'm just SO indignant right now. It's just such a shame some people don't understand it. It's fantastic when a person is keen on something, instead of being a mindless couch potato, interested in nothing. I have seen such people -- their eyes are empty!!! Languages can take you to some truly great places. Think Tolkien and his fascination with languages! Edited by nadia on 11 December 2009 at 12:17pm 6 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Levi Pentaglot Senior Member United States Joined 5572 days ago 2268 posts - 3328 votes Speaks: English*, French, Esperanto, German, Spanish Studies: Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese, Italian | Message 19 of 161 11 December 2009 at 11:36am | IP Logged | ||
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Your parents are right. You're weird. But so is everybody. It's all of our personal weirdnesses, those ways that we are different from most people, that comprise what we call our personalities. Without them we aren't human. Think about it for a minute, and you will realize there is no such thing as a "normal person". It really bugs me when people call others weird or crazy as if we aren't all weird and crazy in our own ways, and as if it would be desirable to be just a boring "normal person", whatever that is.
Be weird, be proud. I spent my teenage years engrossed in languages as well, instead of doing the rather mindless activities my peers at the time were doing, and years later I'm very glad I put in that effort. Edited by Levi on 11 December 2009 at 11:40am 6 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Gusutafu Senior Member Sweden Joined 5526 days ago 655 posts - 1039 votes Speaks: Swedish* | Message 20 of 161 11 December 2009 at 2:06pm | IP Logged | ||
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To the extent that you shut yourself off from friends, sports and reality, I can understand your parents. It's not very productive to call you weird, but this probably comes from their frustration at you for seemingly throwing your life away.
Language study is useful and helps general brain development but you really shouldn't spend your teens locked up in your room. That will make it really hard for you to become an open, outgoing person later. There are other ways to study than by yourself. Find other young people that have the same interests (but are not too nerdy), visit the country or at least a community that speaks the language. Don't use language study as an excuse to become a recluse, you will regret that for the rest of your life! 9 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| -Kupo- Groupie United Kingdom Joined 6072 days ago 84 posts - 84 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English* Studies: German, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Russian | Message 21 of 161 11 December 2009 at 2:16pm | IP Logged | ||
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My parents did/do say things like this to me also. You just need to learn to have a thick skin when it comes to these sort of things. Maybe I have a different reaction to you, as it makes me feel guilty, rather than angry...
Even when you aren't living it home, they probably will still add in a comment or two about it, along similar lines, but at the end of it, as long as you are happy that is all that matters. My languages do coincide with other things too. Such as I love travelling. Parents don't really approve of all the travel etc but what more can I say. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| datsunking1 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5590 days ago 1014 posts - 1533 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: German, Russian, Dutch, French | Message 22 of 161 11 December 2009 at 4:31pm | IP Logged | ||
I do pretty much everything, I never talk back, I just do as I'm told. I've played football and track and baseball every year, work on cars, I'm the president of Spanish Club, and I'm in The High Honor Roll. I seriously don't know what else I could be doing, I'm not a complete shut-in, and I'm not partier. While the majority of my friends are out getting drunk and endangering their lives (I'm not against drinking, but what they do is borderlined suicide) I'm in my room studying or out with some of my foreign friends. They repeatedly tell me how great America is, and how everyone wants to live here because "We are the best country in the world" I completely disagree with them and they proceed to tell me that everyone will think I'm an a** is I state my opinion otherwise. I'm sick of it really. Languages is my hobby outside of hobbies. :P I understand where all of you are coming from, she's gone as far as hiding my books. Edited by datsunking1 on 11 December 2009 at 4:39pm 5 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| cordelia0507 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5843 days ago 1473 posts - 2176 votes Speaks: Swedish* Studies: German, Russian | Message 23 of 161 11 December 2009 at 4:51pm | IP Logged | ||
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Based on your last comment it seems your conscience is clear and your parents are being a tad narrow-minded, just because you don't happen to fit into their ready-made reference of what an American boy your age ought to be like.
There is nothing wrong with your parents being proud of their country but it is a bit provincial to try to limit your horizons and your curiousity about other languages and cultures. If only they knew how the rest of us have languages and foreign culture shoved down our throats whether we like it or not! Do try to prevent it from becoming a stand-off - you'd be the loser. I don't know exactly how old you are. If you're in your last year of school, just bite your tongue until you can get out of there and go to college where you'll be able to study as much languages as you like. If the situation becomes unbearable for you and you've got many years left of schooling, then try to see if you can't go to boarding school. As long as you are respectful towards your parents at all times and you aren't behaving in an very bizarre way (keep going to school, have some friends etc) you have nothing to be ashamed of. 5 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| datsunking1 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5590 days ago 1014 posts - 1533 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: German, Russian, Dutch, French | Message 24 of 161 11 December 2009 at 5:09pm | IP Logged | ||
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Personally I think it's because I'm overriding her intelligence, she's very competitive with everyone else, she hates when I watch foreign TV and laugh at the jokes and stuff... I never realize that everyone else in my house doesn't understand it...
I'm respectful, they just like to pick fights all the time with me. It's so annoying. I just want them to leave me alone sometimes. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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