Why do I speak as I do?
I grew up speaking both hindi and english and started learning spanish when i was 8. Usually when I talk with friends I’ll be speaking in english, but when I’m with my family, it’s a mix of hindi and english. I think my friends have also changed the way I talk in english as around them, I use more ‘slang’ than I do with my parents. I’ve been told by some family members that I have a very american accent, but some of my friends have also told me that I have a very Indian accent when I talk with my parents. That made me realise that I subconsciously change me accent and the way I talk depending on who I’m talking to without even realising that it happens.
And how does my language define me?
I think it shows my background and experiences and you can tell how I grew up depending on the way I talk. I think it also defines me as who I am because everyone has different ways of talking which can also cause people to have different interpretations on my character and personality.
When you speak to your parents / family, do you find that you resort to Hinglish (a mix of Hindi and English)? What are the words or phrases that change for you?
We usually talk in English, but with my grandparents and other family members, we talk in Hindi. If I don’t know the word in Hindi then I just use the English, and vice versa because there are somethings I grew up learning the hindi word of and not the english one.