On Language

My mom and I somehow got into a conversation about language and writing. She said that even a person who knows a language very, very well will never write like a native speaker who grew up in his native culture. I can understand what she said, and I even agree with her to some extent, but I believe that I can actually feel languages really well. I can -- and have -- gotten to the point where I do not need to "think" in English in order to write or speak in a foreign language. The words just flow (when I write, anyway).

Even if my mom were correct, and there were no exceptions to her rule, this would only hurt me if I decided to become a writer. I can surely get around in a language and make friends in another country (and no, I am not naively expecting anyone to come to me). If my mom's "rule" were false, there would be fewer immigrants.

I think Hebrew will make life more difficult for me, and I really, really wish my Hebrew were better now, but I will not let that stop me.

It bothers me that my mom, an immigrant, still has an accent, that she doesn't know as many words as I expect to know in Hebrew, and that some people don't understand her (because of her accent, which is actually not that prominent). If I go for graduate school or even later, I will still be younger than she was when she came to America, and will hopefully avoid some of those problems. Yes, I have an ugly American accent, but it is not as prominent as other peoples'. If I do more work, I will know more vocabulary; as a writer (in spirit, not in profession, exactly), I will have an easier time with the language. It will be okay.