Am I alone here language problem?

Question

I'm an adult who's nationality is Vietnamese but was born in Australia and only knows how to speak English, not Vietnamese...

I find it frustrating; people trying to convince me to learn Vietnamese, including my mum.

If there are any of you out there who's in the same boat could you share your experiences referring to the main topic.

Answer 1

The reason your mom is pushing you to learn Vietnamese is simply because it is your roots, your heritage and she probably feels you will never actually be Vietnamese if you don't speak the language well.

Don't you want to learn it? Don't you feel like you're missing a HUGE part of your Vietnamese identity? You just said your nationality was Vietnamese; do you mean you hold a Vietnamese passport or you simply meant you were Vietnamese-born?

I'm sure thousands of people out there are in the same boat as you, a) because they have no interest whatsoever to speak the language of their parents or grandparents or b) because their parents never passed it onto them. It is a very common "problem". I also have a friend whose parents are both Vietnamese and he doesn't speak the language at all, although his younger siblings DO. So in his case it is just a matter of motivation.

Just keep in mind that language is the cornerstone of one's culture.

Answer 2

Language learning is difficult.  I'm german, I live in germany. I've got problems with the english language, not in all sentences. My problems are Simple Past and  grammar (syntax). Is not easy. ^^

Answer 3

My best friend is in a similar situation; he was adopted as a "war orphan" at the age of 7, and has now completely forgotten his Vietnamese; his parents packed him off to private Vietnamese lessons when he was in his teens but he gave it up as hopeless after a few months. The strange thing is that he now holds a degree in modern (European) languages.

Answer 4

is there any real reason for you to learn your mother tongue (i guess your nationality is Vietnamese) besides your relatives requirement?

maybe they just want to see you busy with something...

:)

Answer 5

Yeh, I'm learning Chinese.

I was born in NZL and live in Australia. I used to be fluent in Cantonese but now I can only speak English well. It kinda sucks sometimes.