Its A Bite Or Be Bitten World Out Here - Tumblr Posts

heya, bilingual here! ((Spanish was my first language))

➸ if [language A] has a faster or slower speakng rate than [language B], then it will be noticeable. the country I come from is considered the fastest-speaking Latin American country ((also the one with the “worst” and most distinctive accent :’) )) so a lot of misunderstandings don’t come from grammar, but from how fast I speak and my vocalisation

➸ this is an unusual side-effect for me but meaning in [language B] is kinda… diminished. not sure how to explain it. for example, the character can easily curse someone out endlessly in [language B], but cursing in [language A] just feels more impactful, more wrong. it feels like an actual curse vs. just a four-letter word that people dislike. or maybe your character could be a lot more brunt and straight-forward in [language B] and then have onlookers experience whiplash when they suddenly get soft-spoken in [language A].

➸ please note that events associated with a language can affect how someone will think about. if they came from a verbally abusive family that spoke primarily [language A], then the character will get nervous and insecure speaking it. 9 times out of 10, they’re going to want to process the traumatic events and emotions in [language B] because it’s more casual to them. this effect is more noticeable if they have supportive friends who are native [language B] speakers, as they’ll have many more positive experiences with [language B].

➸ if your bilingual character writes — whether casually or if they are a novelist of some sort — their writing style WILL be different in different languages. whilst English tends to draw out a more straightforward and choppy writing style that fits it, [language A] might fit more flowey and long-winded sentences ((especially seen in romantic languages such as Spanish, French, etc.!))

➸ their mind will be translating things almost constantly and it. is. hell. /hj. they may zone out in the middle of a conversation in [language B] because they are trying so hard to translate into [language A] that they lose the meaning of the words entirely, especially is they have functioned as a translator in the past. yes, this can also happen if they are translating [langauge A] into [language B].

➸ mostly seen in bilingual children, but saying [language B] idioms or words without knowing their meaning, or directly translating them and then they end up saying gibberish in [language A]. an analogy I frequently use is the “dar una galleta” idiom in Spanish. although it’s literally “to give someone a cookie”, it means “to hit/slap someone forcefully”. take note, children, never accept cookies in Hispanic countries.

➸ culture, culture, culture!! culture is important!!! it can affect the speaking rate, the customs, the gestures, the way they respond to being offended, and everything in between. **stands on the edge of a cliff** CuLtUrE iS eVeRyThInG!!!

➸ look up “bilingual memes” and you’ve succesfully wormed your way into a treasure trove of info

➸ if they haven’t had any exposure to [language B] for an extended period of time ((2 days+)) then the “takes their brain a second to readjust” effect can take about 30 seconds, and it can be freakish because wait last time I spoke to this person/read this book/played this game/watched this show, these words meant something, right??

➸ accent always is the last thing to go. I could write and speak English as well as a native speaker since 2nd grade, but people who knew me three or two years back do note that my accent has gotten better over the years. if the character is proficient in [language B], then other characters might be surprised to learn that they actually aren’t native speakers. no one I’ve met — no matter how perceptive — has been able to look at me and go “hey, the creepy kid in the corner seems like they could speak another language.” it’s probably a social matter, though, and I don’t mean it in a negative connotation.

➸ that’s all I can think of for now. and like OP said, you can’t go wrong with the services of a bilingual beta reader or friend! bilingual people don’t bite unless threatened!

Characterization

Bilingual Characters

Note: I am not bilingual, so please add or correct me if you can. This is what I have observed/learned from friends who are.

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➸ forgetting terms in [language A] and trying to explain with context clues or hand gestures ; it’s common to forget terms even in their primary language, not just a secondary one

➸ usually it’s just repeating “the thing” while trying to remember the term or using a synonym even if it doesn’t make as much sense

➸ inner dialogue switching between languages depending on connotation of thought and which language they have been conversing in lately

➸ counting in [language A] and then translating the final number into [language B] because it’s easier that way

➸ translating slang terms from [language A] that do not actually translate with the same meaning or make sense in [language B]

➸ speaking with grammar rules from [language A] that are incorrect in [language B]

➸ asking non-bilingual person if there’s a translation for a word before realizing they would have no idea

➸ never say something like “oops, it’s hard to switch back sometimes” — that’s lazy writing and doesn’t happen in real life

➸ language is a conscious action so when speaking [language A] people aren’t just going to throw in words from [language B] unless they are struggling to find a translation and then that struggle will be obvious

➸ if a character throws in a word from [language A] while conversing in [language B] it’s on purpose, usually because they’re messing with the other person or the word in [language B] doesn’t have the same connotation

➸ for example, curse words, nicknames, or other exclamations from [language A] may commonly be thrown in while conversing in [language B] but it is purposeful

➸ the only exception could be children who grew up bilingual; they may genuinely combine languages without thinking about it

➸ switching between languages may take a second for their brain to compute, even if they’re switching back to their primary language ; especially if they’ve been using one language consistently for a while

➸ when in an adrenaline-rush situation (like being panicked or in pain) a person will usually fall into their first language

➸ don’t try to transcribe accents — if your character has one, describe it and move on ; messing with dialogue too much will confuse readers

➸ there are different kinds of bilingual: fully (speak, read, and write), conversational (speaks fluently but does not read/write as well; this is common with immigrants), and comprehensible (can understand what someone says to them, but struggles to speak back; common with those who took school classes)

➸ people who grew up speaking primarily [language A] will commonly get anxious conversing in [language B] even if they are fluently bilingual ; this is something people can overcome with time

➸ when researching a language you do not speak but your character does, make sure to understand the culture too because it will influence how they speak

➸ culture affects expressions, idioms, forms, even basic vocabulary — you’ll need to understand this because every language breaks formal rules while in casual conversation & using this will make your character more realistic

➸ find a bilingual beta reader!