17-06-2020, 12:18 PM
I am Italian and I moved to London about 11 years ago.
I got to the point where I dream and swear in English, so I would say that this new language is quite radicated in me now. My wife is Chinese/Kiwi and can't speak Italian, so English is also the language of intimacy and the one we speak to our 3 years old kid.
Italian is still my first language though and, even if I admit that I am losing some words here and there, I can still make use of my wide vocabulary and good grammar in that language. I still watch videos and sometimes TV in Italian and frequently speak to family and friends from there to keep my language going.
I have no fear of losing my "Italianity". There are many ways in which the Italian language permeates my life. I am outspoken and sometimes loud, I gesticulate a lot when I speak and I am sure that people understand me better because of that, and, unlike British people, I hate bullshiting when I speak or when I am spoken to. In my brain "no" means no, "yes" means yes, "I think it's quite allright" doesn't mean "It's just bad but I am telling you in a nicer way".
I find that a large part of me is rooted in my Italian language, and I doubt that this part will ever go away. I stopped trying to imitate the Brits, in attitude and accent, more or less when I realised that I could enjoy crossdressing more if I stopped trying to pass for a woman.
Also, the word "Cunt" doesn't make me shiver and I use it freely. I love how the eyes of the people around me pop out of their orbits when I do so. I can also say "Voldemort" without any fear. Fantastic!
I got to the point where I dream and swear in English, so I would say that this new language is quite radicated in me now. My wife is Chinese/Kiwi and can't speak Italian, so English is also the language of intimacy and the one we speak to our 3 years old kid.
Italian is still my first language though and, even if I admit that I am losing some words here and there, I can still make use of my wide vocabulary and good grammar in that language. I still watch videos and sometimes TV in Italian and frequently speak to family and friends from there to keep my language going.
I have no fear of losing my "Italianity". There are many ways in which the Italian language permeates my life. I am outspoken and sometimes loud, I gesticulate a lot when I speak and I am sure that people understand me better because of that, and, unlike British people, I hate bullshiting when I speak or when I am spoken to. In my brain "no" means no, "yes" means yes, "I think it's quite allright" doesn't mean "It's just bad but I am telling you in a nicer way".
I find that a large part of me is rooted in my Italian language, and I doubt that this part will ever go away. I stopped trying to imitate the Brits, in attitude and accent, more or less when I realised that I could enjoy crossdressing more if I stopped trying to pass for a woman.
Also, the word "Cunt" doesn't make me shiver and I use it freely. I love how the eyes of the people around me pop out of their orbits when I do so. I can also say "Voldemort" without any fear. Fantastic!