My Russian student finally understood what her daughter had been saying to her at home, and it made me think about what it means to learn the language your children speak.
I hear a lot of stories from my students about their lives in Portugal, and the ones that fascinate me the most are those about children trying to speak Portuguese with parents who don't know the language.
Sometimes, I feel there's a little bit of naughtiness on the children's part. They know they can have the upper hand when expressing themselves in a language their parents cannot understand (but probably should!).
This amazes me every time, because I think it can tell us a lot about languages and the importance of knowing the language of the people you love.
Quite often, people decide to learn Portuguese because they have a loved one, a Portuguese partner, or because they want to live in Portugal. But if they move here without thinking too much about the language, that can change when they have children.
Understanding Portuguese then becomes something else. It also becomes a way of understanding one of your children's languages. Of getting a little closer to their world.
The other day, my Russian student finally understood something her daughter had been saying to her at home. It happened during a class, almost like an epiphany.
Whenever my student approached her daughter during her sacred playtime, the little girl would say:
“Não podes aqui!”
Which, in this context, means something like “You can't come in here!”
And she was so happy to finally find out what her daughter had been saying all along. She looked like a child herself, experiencing the excitement of discovering something new.
I'm always so grateful to be able to listen to these kinds of stories and to experience these little moments with my students.
They make me think about how learning a language, whatever the reason behind it, is also a way of discovering worlds and new realities. It's about expanding boundaries, getting closer to other people and, in a way, becoming a child again. Allowing yourself to be curious, to make mistakes, to discover things you didn't know existed.
And perhaps there's something particularly special about learning the language your children speak. Because it's not just about learning new words or being able to have a conversation. It's about understanding a little more of who they are, what they think, what they play and even what they don't want you to be part of!
And, of course, it's also about not letting your children make fun of you in a language you don't understand.
A good enough reason to start learning Portuguese, don't you think?