She Speaks My Language

I find myself in quite a unique situation. Ironically, this uniqueness comes from not being “unique” in the French sense of the word in that I am actually an identical twin. What do I mean by a unique situation then? Let me clarify.

Both my twin sister and I are linguists. She is fluent in French and Italian, but my preferences were always German and Spanish. We have both taught English as a Foreign Language, and I also teach English for Academic Purposes. As kids, we never had a special ‘twin’ language, and we were placed in different classes at secondary school so that we wouldn’t be compared but would be seen as individuals. Smart move, parents! 

So where did this love affair with languages and other cultures start? Well, for me, it started before I even got to secondary school. In my case, it all started when watching Boris Becker win Wimbledon in 1985 and later seeing the West German football team win the world cup in 1990. I simply couldn’t understand how a country could be divided into two parts, and I remember my primary school teacher’s face being an absolute picture when I asked him why Boris Becker was from West Germany and not just Germany! In addition, my dad had also spent time working in South Africa before meeting my mother and would often come out with little phrases around the house from his German friend, Günther, who he met whilst living out there. I liked the guttural sound of German and the clarity of its pronunciation. The fact that Günther also came to visit our family added to my curiosity, and I was hoping that I’d get to choose German at secondary school. Add the fall of The Berlin Wall in 1989 when I was just twelve to the mix, and I was simply fascinated. 

My sister and I were lucky, I believe. We went to a school in what may be viewed by some as a ‘rough’ area. Rough area or not, we had excellent language teachers. They were passionate about what they did, and that certainly rubbed off on us. In fact, my sister is still in touch with her French teacher today. It’s true that you never, ever forget a good teacher. 

Despite having very different interests, both my sister and I chose to study languages at university. She chose French and Italian at Leeds, and I opted for German (with English literature in the first year) at Newcastle. Whilst I enjoyed it and had some amazing experiences in north Germany, after 3 years in total of living there, something was missing. I needed a new challenge. I wasn’t ready to return to he UK, so I opted for the ultimate challenge: relocate to a new country whose language (or, in this case, languages) you don’t speak a word of!

And yet it was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. Little did I know then that I would end up spending a wonderful six years in The Basque Country and make friends for life. Whilst German was my first love, Spanish was, unquestionably, the permanent one! Sadly, I never learned any Basque, other than the occasional phrase, but I recognise the sound of it and appreciate fully the beauty of its complexity and uniqueness.

So, where are my sister and I now? After many years teaching in secondary, my twin sister now has her own business, Ciao a Tutti, an Italian language school in Bedlington, Northumberland. I’m incredibly proud of her for her initiative and drive in setting up her own business and teaching a language she loves, especially during Covid when she wasn’t sure how the new venture would fare. As for me, I’ve been back in the UK since 2007, teaching and now also writing, but I wouldn’t rule out teaching abroad again. Either way, I know whose advice I’ll be asking in whatever I do decide next: it’s because she speaks my language. 

Lyndsey Dickinson.