Hi! I'm Sierra and welcome to my first Odyssey post! I'd love to share some of my frustrations when thinking about my monolingualism. For the nineteen years I've inhabited the Earth, I have spoken only one language: English. Throughout my education, other languages have been introduced and implemented into my curriculum, such as the obligatory few years of Spanish I took. And yet, after years of "study" and "practice", I have an elementary understanding of the Spanish language (and that's being generous). It wasn't until I went to France this past spring that I faced the real limitations and struggles my monolingualism had levied upon me.

Going into this trip, I had NO French experience AT ALL. I knew it would make me uncomfortable, but many of my peers understood the language. I relied heavily upon them. While the trip was incredibly fun and many people we met spoke English, the world I immersed in did not. One woman came up to me after a church service speaking rapid-fire French and the only words that managed to escape me were "Non parle française" which roughly (to me at the time) translated to "I don't speak French". It wasn't until one of my peers came over and said that I couldn't speak French that she shifted to English. Apparently, my attempt to convey my lacking French ability was so bad she didn't understand a word. Humiliating to say the least. In public spaces, at religious services and with French people, I could not engage as much as my peers. At large dinners, I could only speak to the people who spoke both French and English, limiting the number of people I was able to interact with. I felt ridiculous and yet, I represent the typical language ability of many United States citizens.

U.S. culture and education does not value language education, which is understandable when you consider our topography. The United States is a large country speaking a widely used language. While many Europeans can speak two or even three languages as their countries are so close together, many in the states will lead a monolingualism life. While it's convenient to speak a dominant language, it's isolating. Experiences, cultures, and ways of thinking cannot all be truly understood through one language alone. Our world needs to be more interconnected as we all inhabit this Earth together, so go learn a language! I'm going to give French a try. Bonne chance.