Florina ("Loli") has in interesting background for studying one's identity through language. Born in Romania, she began learning Spanish, French and English at an early age. In 2010, she moved with her family to the United States, where her Romanian identity quickly became very important to her.
Ever the linguist, she adds that she can't bring herself to judge anyone based on their language, especially if it's their second or third. The mere fact that they attempted to learn any language at all, earns them great respect in her book! And despite a few minor cultural misunderstandings, she says that it never occurred to her to judge or presume anything about a person based on their language. If anything languages bring people together in amazing ways, she notes, mentioning that she has made many friends at Emory University just by sharing a common language beyond English.
She showcases a new global mentality that is refreshing in this global age. One which counters the views of the societies examined in Alan Davies book The Native Speaker, where "high" and "low" languages divide society and ethnic groups will knowingly dismiss their own native tongues in favor of the language of high society. It may be pertinent to note that Florina's 4 languages are all languages of power worldwide so she may have been insulated from these sociolinguistic structures. However, she doesn't seem to feel that not being a native speaker of some of these, a status which Davies says should keep her out of the "high" language social strata, has put her at any kind of disadvantage.
Ever the linguist, she adds that she can't bring herself to judge anyone based on their language, especially if it's their second or third. The mere fact that they attempted to learn any language at all, earns them great respect in her book! And despite a few minor cultural misunderstandings, she says that it never occurred to her to judge or presume anything about a person based on their language. If anything languages bring people together in amazing ways, she notes, mentioning that she has made many friends at Emory University just by sharing a common language beyond English.
She showcases a new global mentality that is refreshing in this global age. One which counters the views of the societies examined in Alan Davies book The Native Speaker, where "high" and "low" languages divide society and ethnic groups will knowingly dismiss their own native tongues in favor of the language of high society. It may be pertinent to note that Florina's 4 languages are all languages of power worldwide so she may have been insulated from these sociolinguistic structures. However, she doesn't seem to feel that not being a native speaker of some of these, a status which Davies says should keep her out of the "high" language social strata, has put her at any kind of disadvantage.