[Picture: a line of black women waiting and looking into the camera with the words: Coming Soon. Sisters Only Language Summit: Culture, community and connection. On the bottom: For more information, sign up on our website! https://sistersonlylanguagesummit.ck.page]
Bienvenidas mis lingüistas!
Cómo están? Espero que estén muy bien. A mÃ, me siento muy emocianada! ¿Por qué? Porque, I have some exciting upcoming projects and I just wanted to share them with you.
The first project I’m working on is with Tamara from Learn Spanish Con Salsa, Desta from Languages Through Music and LeDonna from Discovering Languages to create a new online language event for Black Women: Sisters Only Language Summit. For our very first event, our theme will be Culture, Community and Connection. We will have workshops that talk about and address language topics that include our theme, from the perspective of the Black Woman.
If you’re interested in connecting with other Black Women who are passionate about languages, please sign up here to receive details on the dates, times and program schedule, once it is all finalized.
ALSO, I’ll be coming up with a career bootcamp soon for Black Women who are interested in working for multinational enterprises using their language skills either domestically or internationally (working abroad). Topics covered will include how to write a resume/CV, how to conduct the job search, how to interview & network as well as what to do AFTER you get the gig (because no one ever tells you what to do, after you get the job).
Let me know if this sounds interesting to you!
Xoxo,
Language Bae
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Cómo están? Espero que estén muy bien. It’s been a long time since I’ve written an actual blog post. It’s just that I’ve been mostly focusing on posting interviews while sharing all of my language learning tips and tricks via my YouTube channel as well. But I will do my best to actually write more.
I just wanted to share with you all that BLACK GIRLS LEARNS LANGUAGES HAS BEEN FEATURED ON TRAVEL NOIRE!!!! This is huge for me as I have been following Travel Noire for years, ever since I heard the interview with the creator (Zim) on Myleik Teele’s MyTaughtYou Podcast (everyone knows that I love me some Myleik).
The article can be found here.
Thank you all so much for your support and I look forward to providing the most helpful language learning content and the safest online space for Black Women (Facebook Group) that I can possibly provide!
Xoxo,
Language Bae
Hola linguistas,
I see so many Black Women on the fence about learning another language. There are so many benefits to us [Black Women] learning another language. We gain access to so many more opportunities in life the more ways we have to communicate our ideas and to express ourselves. But for some more concrete benefits, check out my latest YouTube video with 7 reasons why more black women should become multilingual.
Besides the ones I mentioned in the video, what are some other reasons that you think Black Women should become multilingual?
Xoxo,
Language Bae
What does a multilingual entrepreneur look like? Meet Leisy, a successful blogger and business owner who is fluent in German, English, French, Spanish and Créole. Read on to find out how she learned these languages and more about her hair supply and hair care business.
BGLL: Thank you so much for agreeing to share your story! Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
Leisy: I’m Eddyleisy Figaro, but you can call
me Leisy for short. I’m a Caribbean gal. Straight outta Dominican Rep/Haiti
but I currently live in Switzerland. I work as a Sales and Marketing Associate
by day. By night, I own a blog called Dear Ms. Figaro (formerly LovelyMuffin),
and a hair supply and care business called Figaro’s Allure by night.
My native languages are French Patois (Créole) & Spanish. I also speak English,
German, and French (although I’m not as fluent in French as I once was).
BGLL: How did you learn the other languages?
Leisy: I grew up in Germany, so German is like
my third native language. I learned English in school since it’s a mandatory
class in Germany. I always loved English because I found it so easy to learn
and most of my favorite songs are in English. In order to understand them, I
needed to understand English. I’ve learned it mostly with lyrics of my favorite
songs. I read them, listened to the music and tried to translate them helped a
lot. I loved to play video games with a story line (like Zelda) when I was
younger. Dialogues were always in English at that time, so I had my dictionary
with me all the time. I always understood French because of the language spoken
in Haiti (Créole), therefore, understanding it was never an issue. I wanted to
speak, spell and write in French so I attended a class for 2 years during
college. I also understand Italian, but I don't speak it at all. I only know
some words, but we have Italians in our family, that's why.
I use English mostly for my job because I work for an American company and French, too because we have plenty of French speaking customers. My next goal is to speak French fluently, so currently I'm watching a lot of French TV and speaking to my family members from Haiti in French instead of Créole.
BGLL: Which of your foreign languages are your favorite and why?
Leisy: Probably English and Spanish. English is super easy to learn and when travelling it's a big help, too. So many people can speak it - it's a world language. It's a MUST! I also love Spanish, because I love how it sounds. It's really a passionate language and the first language I've spoken at a young age. Hearing people speak it sets a lot of memories free and, of course, because I'm a sucker for Latin music. I don't speak it as fluently anymore because I don't use it that often.
BGLL: Tell me more about your blog Dear Ms. Figaro and your hair supply and care business Figaro’s Allure.
Leisy: My blog is my space to share fashion,
beauty related subjects and also life stories with people who are interested.
Right now, it's more about fashion but that will change in the future. I want
to give my blog substance, more value. Helping others with relatable issues
I've been through and building a great community, is my focus with it.
Since I was 16 years young I've been
loving extensions. Not because I hated my real hair but because I love the
diversity of it. I wanted to build a business around something that has been
around me since I was a teen and that’s what I did with Figaro’s Allure. My blog, Dear Ms. Figaro has helped me with
that.
BGLL: What three tips you can offer those who are trying
to learn the languages you know?
Leisy: Attend classes, don't be afraid to say something wrong, meet people who speak those languages and DON’T GIVE UP! It's a long process but it's worth it!
BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social or find out more about your hair supply and hair care offers?
Leisy: Attend classes, don't be afraid to say something wrong, meet people who speak those languages and DON’T GIVE UP! It's a long process but it's worth it!
BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social or find out more about your hair supply and hair care offers?
Leisy: My blog site is: www.dearmsfigaro.com, my Instagram account for my blog is
@eddyleisyfigaro and my twitter is @eddyleisyfigaro. For my hair supply and
care business my site is www.figarosallure.com and my Instagram account for the
business is @figarosallure.
Hola linguistas,
You probably learned a lot of phrases and vocabulary in your target language. Maybe you even have a degree of fluency. But could you survive on what you know in your target language if you were in one of its countries?
If you desire to travel, are already traveling or have to use your target language on a daily basis, check out my latest video where I share three things you absolutely MUST learn in your target language.
What else do you think you should be taught in your target language that language teachers usually don’t teach? Sound off below!
Xoxo,
Language Bae
Meet Adrianne, an Integrated Marketing Communications Consultant and multi-award winning creator of many digital resources for Black women expatriates, including Black Women In Europe. Read on to find out more about the digital communities she’s created as well as how she learned French and Swedish.
BGLL: Thank you so much for agreeing to share your story!
Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
Adrianne: My name is Adrianne George and I’m African American. I’m
originally from Washington, D.C. and have lived in Belgium and England but
currently live in Stockholm, Sweden. My native language is English. I have a BA in English from the University of
the District of Columbia, an MA Public Communication from the American
University and an MS Business Administration from Boston University. I’m an integrated marketing communications consultant for the
AG Communications Group
and the founder of Black Women in Europe (BWIE), a blog that
celebrates women of the African Diaspora living in Europe. In 2010, I created
the BWIE Power
List™, a list that
highlights powerful black women in Europe in order to inspire others to reach
their full potential.
I created stockholmexpat.com, a blog of resources for black expatriates in Stockholm and
the BWIE Social Media Group, a non-profit that empowers black women in Sweden and across
Europe.
I am the co-editor
of Blackexpat.com, an online magazine website and co-founder of the Women
of the African Diaspora website. I am also
the President of the American Women’s Club in Stockholm. I’m one of 8 Democrats Abroad members of the Democratic
National Committee.
BGLL: Wow, you’re doing such amazing work with black women
and expatriates. That is such an inspiring and motivating list of
accomplishments. Did you get to add language skills to such an impressive list?
Adrianne: I also know know French and Swedish, New arrivals to Sweden are given the opportunity to learn Swedish at no cost to them. So, I completed the Swedish for Immigrants course but that's not enough to be fluent. I'm not fluent now but have improved by reading Swedish newspapers and magazines, watching Swedish TV, listening to Swedish radio and making lots of mistakes when talking to people. Once mistake I try not to repeat, is switching from Swedish to English when I get stuck or when offered. It is better to push through, mistakes and all.
In the 7th grade, I was given the choice of Spanish
or French in school and chose French. Because of it, I was able to muddle
my way through eventually during the 4 years I lived in Brussels,
Belgium.
BGLL: Which of your foreign languages is/are your favorite
and why?
Adrianne: English is my favorite language because it is my mother's
tongue. But I respect all languages.
BGLL: What are 3 tips you can offer those who are trying
to learn the languages you know?
Adrianne: Speak it every day. Listen to it every day. Read it every day.
BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?
Adrianne: My Facebook is: https://www.facebook.com/blackwomenineurope, my twitter: is @bwie. Also, be on the lookout for our 9th Power List this fall: http://blog.blackwomenineurope.com/power-list. Help our non-profit compile the most comprehensive directory of organizations across Europe that support black women (http://bwiesmg.org/organizations-directory) by sending submissions to contact@bwiesmg.org.
So many people struggle with how to teach their kids another language,
yet this mother is finding a way to raise her kids to speak three languages! I
remember when I met Flora and her beautiful daughter Claire. I just knew I had
to include her language story. Read on to find out what it’s like living in a
household with three languages, how she teaches her kids the different
languages and her tips for raising kids in multilingual households.
BGLL: Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do
you do?
Flora: My name is Flora Wanja, I’m
originally from Kenya (of the Kikuyu tribe), but I currently live in the
Stuttgart area in Germany. Although my native language is Swahili, English and
our Kikuyu languages were used when I was growing up in Kenya as well. I
graduated high school in Germany went on to volunteer as a nurse in a German
hospital. After that, I began an internship as a Dental Assistant, but once I
became pregnant, decided to be a full-time mother instead. I have been blessed
with three wonderful children aged 6, 4 and 3 years old that I’m raising to be
multilingual as well.
BGLL: Which other languages do you know? How did you
learn them?
Flora: I speak English and German
fluently. I moved to Germany when I was 8 years old and in order to attend
school, I took private classes to learn German so that I could follow along. I
started learning English in Kenya and continued on when I moved to Germany as
part of the required school curriculum.
BGLL: So, you teach your kids English, German and
Swahili? How do you manage that?
The first language I taught my kids was English. Once they
got older I started integrating German and Swahili. I teach my kids English and
German, but my mother talks with them in Swahili. We speak English at home and
German in public (we live in Germany). The Swahili we mostly only speak at
home. I try my best to only speak to them in English at home since they only
speak German in kindergarten and aren’t learning English there.
[Note: Kindergarten
is a German borrow word used in the English language and means something
different when used in German conversation. The American definition of Kindergarten is a school/class that
prepares 4 or 5-year-old child for the first grade, the German definition of Kindergarten is similar to a pre-school/day
care for kids that can be as young as a few months up until 6 or 7 years old,
or whichever age the state mandates the child to attend first grade.]
BGLL: Do you mix the languages when you talk to
your kids? Do they mix the languages?
Flora: Yes, it happens a lot. They often get confused. If I
find that there are mixing the languages, I make it a point to correct them and
make sure they say it the correct way over and over so that they get it.
BGLL: Which language is your favorite and why? What
are your kids’ favorite languages?
Flora: My favorite language is Swahili
because I feel a little bit closer to my country when I speak it. As far as the
languages my children seem to like better, it’s hard to say. My oldest (6) and
youngest (3) both seem to mix German and English when speaking. My middle child
speaks German best and I think that may be her favorite.
BGLL: What tips you can offer those who are trying to
learn the languages you know? Or raising kids multilingual.
Flora: Be Patient. Listen to CD´s so u know u to spell. Have fun! You need to have fun to learn
another language. For kids, I especially suggest movies and music. I don’t know
any movies in Swahili but most of the movies they watch is in English. I do let
them listen to church music in Swahili when my mom is around.
BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social?
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