Rachel Broadbent

I recently had my work featured in Multilingual is Normal: An Anthology of Voices, Talking About Talking, compiled by Cate Hamilton, which brings together 60 voices from around the world, of all ages and backgrounds, talking about the ways in which languages have influenced their lives. I had heard about the call for contributions thanks to my German tutor, Sascha Stollhans, and thought the whole project was really interesting and necessary. Cate is a language education expert and runs various programmes to change UK attitudes to learning foreign languages, subjects that have been gradually losing popularity at schools and universities in the UK, as I see first-hand studying Modern Languages in my small classes at Lancaster. It is so easy to look over the importance of learning a language because getting by with just English is so often the done thing, but Cate’s aim with this book is to show how much you can gain from learning a language.

I made the decision to submit a piece because I feel the same way. I know that my best memories are in some way related to languages, whether it’s the travel or living opportunities, the friendships I’ve formed but also the gradual process of building confidence and caring less about what people think. A lot of these moments can be embarrassing or uncomfortable at the time, but I wanted people to know that each one is a factor in making you who you are, and most of the time no one is judging you, as funny moments often lead to immediate bonds. I realised that I tell my friends these stories all the time, so I thought why not share them with others too. The writing process was therefore really easy, because it was all true and just saying it as it was, without needing to cut out the embarrassing parts!

I was actually quite nervous when I found out that my piece was going to be published – I’m naturally a reserved person and I don’t love sharing things about myself, especially some of my most awkward moments and misunderstandings! I realised though, that most people reading it would be like-minded and have been through similar experiences, as I quickly learnt when reading the rest of the book! It made me feel reassured that what I experience with languages is normal and it was great to see how important languages are in shaping people’s lives and perspectives of the world. As so many contributions highlighted, and what I myself have experienced living abroad this past year, is that being immersed in another culture through a language makes it easy to see life from another point of view, which I think is an important characteristic to develop as it allows you to put yourself in other people’s shoes and be much less judgemental.

Now, it feels great to be published – the book has already been so successful, and I am very proud that I was able to play even a small part in showing that language learning is a lot more than just vocab lists and listening tests, but it is a life-long journey.

Wiktoria Wilk

When I initially saw a message in my Student Panel about the intriguing possibility of writing a piece of work for the book Multilingual is Normal I felt hesitant. In the first place, I thought of many other English speakers who would write it better, at least in terms of the English, as for me this is not my first language. Yet, deep inside I experienced a sensation of an obligation of some sort. The sensation was becoming more intense and stronger. I noticed there was a possibility of the pieces of work to be published in the book, and even though it was not on my mind, I considered it to be a chance. I thought of how the key topic of the book is dear to me and that it cannot be just some accidental opportunity. Multilingualism is the subject that I am deeply interested in. I am inspired by people speaking many languages and as a speaker of four of them I feel I can relate to their experience. Also, as a student of Spanish Studies and Chinese at Lancaster University I thought of it as a distinction to get a chance like this one. I thought of my passion for foreign languages and cultures and then of my interest in writing. I genuinely enjoy writing, blogging, and sharing my experiences on paper. Through my own blog, I describe my travels, summarize various projects I take part in, and in general share my thoughts.

During 5 surprisingly long seconds when all of those thoughts crossed my mind the voice of acting upon it was so strong and loud in my head that I didn't have another choice than to start writing. It just happened. My subconscious wanted to act. So, I made a cup of coffee, and I plugged my computer in. I sat down comfortably, and I started to transfer my thoughts onto the word document describing what Multilingualism means to me. The thoughts were flowing. I felt the ideas coming out of my head. In the beginning, I did not think of the structure, nor the grammar. I was nothing but listening to this inside voice. I do not remember how long I was writing, but I absolutely enjoyed every second of it. I proofread the paper, corrected what needed to be corrected, and sent it. I felt elated, but at the same time without any hopes for further publishing. I only thought of it as an enjoyable time and a summary of my thoughts.

Then, a few weeks later I was traveling. The Internet connection in the place was very poor, therefore, I was not checking my email. I checked it one day, though, and I noticed I received already a second reminder to sign the contract about publishing my piece of work! At first, I was confused and wasn't certain if I read it correctly, but then when I processed the news of what happened I was over the moon. It is going to be published! They liked it! I was super proud of myself. I signed the document instantly and felt really contented I decided to act upon the inside voice.

It was immensely flattering when the University contacted me to congratulate me on my published work and when I heard many enthusiastic comments from friends and family. When I heard I was an Undergraduate Publisher, it sounded too proud and big to me, but I guess that is what happened. The only thing I can say now is that I am overjoyed of how acting on my inside voices turned out and I can undoubtedly encourage and advise everyone to act upon them too!