It’s tough untangling linguistic smorgasbord

Occasionally I imagine that I am fluent in several languages. It’s not without some basis in fact: Over the years, I have studied French, Russian, Latin, German and Spanish.

“Some basis in fact,” however, does not mean “reality.”

The fact is, when I try to speak a language other than standard Northern Indiana English (such as it is), I become tongue-tied. Or, considering the number of languages involved, tongues-tied.

French, for example. I took French for three years in school. What do I remember? I remember not liking French, for one thing. I remember that I had to introduce myself by saying “Je m’appelle Marcel” because my real French name, Michel, was already taken by another classmate, also named Mike.

This story appears in the print edition of Daily Journal. Subscribers can read the entire story online by signing in here or in our e-Edition by clicking here.