An American Fail: Reflections of a U.S. Man Abroad

Abstract

Language is a form of currency. Every one of us deals in it daily. We exchange, barter, argue, persuade, describe and narrate with language. And just as some monetary currencies are more valued than others, language currencies are treated much the same way. In fact, I’d wager that if one were to match the strongest world monies to the country’s native language, one would find the so-called global languages at the top, and the English language chief among them. I feel confident that someone has done this already – or else, no one needs to because the results would not be all that surprising. But, as an educator, I must keep this language-as-currency metaphor in mind because it helps my frame of mind in the classroom, and keeps me cognizant of just how fortunate I am to be where I am from and speak the language I speak.