International Night

Except for in the smallest of American cities, towns, and hollers is it probable that one can venture very far without hearing a language other than other English. Yet, even these smaller areas seem unable to exist without a minimum of pair El ____'s and La ___'s, a Beijing Buffet, and a nice helping of Indian-owned gas stations and Subways (stereotypical, I know). So, at the very least, contact with Spanish, Mandarin, or one of the many languages of India is not even far-fetched for those who don't live in larger, more international cities. Living in Memphis brought me into contact with many more speakers of a variety of languages, especially at the university. And, while I've been in Europe, it is has become a daily occurrence to hear speakers switch from one language to another in the same breath. However used to this I've become, I still find it extremely fascinating. Last night was something special though, even for me. Generally when I hear several languages spoken at once, it is by individuals from various countries who are grouped together. But, dinner with a Belgian family presents one with the same experience, without needing to travel throughout Europe to find those different languages. The family with whom I'm now living is Belgian, and last night the parents of Sarah (the mother here) came to visit. Officially, there are three languages in Belgium: French, Dutch, and German. Not all citizens speak all three languages, but French and Dutch are spoken by many. At home this family speaks French, though English with me. The parents that came to visit, while able to speak French, normally speak Dutch. Therefore, the medium for much of the conversation between Sarah and her parents last night was Dutch, while the children were addressed in French, I in English, and periodically a pinch of German was tossed in for flavor. I have a better time understanding Dutch than French, but even then, I can catch only words and small phrases. For this family it was absolutely normal behaviour, and though I've been with groups of people where everyone speaks a different language, sitting and eating with six members of one family and hearing four languages before finishing by meal was truly a memorable experience.