Living in a community with many Polish immigrants, knowing both English and Polish often found me in situations where teachers would request my help explaining concepts to students who did not understand English very well. Having to translate concepts, I believe, helped me develop my understanding of them, and helped me build interpersonal communication skills as well. Knowledge of my heritage language has provided a special type of richness in my life, where I am able to communicate with the older, non-English speaking members of my community and help them in many ways. It is also a nice feeling to be able to see someone’s visible happiness as I approach them and speak in Polish, with speaking in Polish often being easier for the other party.
