Seventeen Syllables

Seventeen Syllables
Hisaye Yamamoto

"The truth was that Rose was lazy; English lay ready on the tongue but Japanese had to be searched for and examined, and even then put forth tentatively."

I really like this quote because I could relate to it on a personal level. I am applying to the MAT program fro elementary education. In order to gain experience through out high school, I taught Hebrew School.  I taught children who either had a learning disability, enrolled late, or had another reason for being behind in the curriculum. I learned very quickly that there are huge differences in being able to understand a language and being able to speak it. There is also a huge difference in being able to read and write in a language and being able to speak it. You would think that all of these things go hand in hand but it is very easy to be able to do one of these things and not the others because they are all different skills.

I always admire foreign writers for that reason. To be fully literate in 2 languages is incredible. It takes true genius to be able to sort thought two languages of vocabulary to find the words, like it said about Rosie.

I can read and write Hebrew. I taught it, but my parents never spoke it at home. I can read anything you give me, but my conversational skills are limited. I know basic vocabulary very well. For example, I know that good morning is, "Boker Tov." If I were to walk in someplace (even if it was hebrew school, or a place I knew people spoke Hebrew, and wanted to say good morning, I would probably say it in English because it is my first language. I know how to say it in Hebrew but it takes less brain power to say it in English.

I think it is interesting that the author describes Rose as being lazy for this reason. I think it is human nature to use your first language first. I think that it is because that is the reaction, that it is so incredible when authors are able to write such extraordinary pieces in their second languages.