May 11, 2025 My Polish heritage is the root of my identity. Every ancestor of mine spoke Polish, and I see it as my responsibility to carry that legacy forward. I grew up in a bilingual household, and over the years, my primary method of keeping my skills alive has been speaking with family. I try as often as I …
Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
Solitude in Florianópolis
April 28, 2025 I didn’t expect to become a beach person. When I was a child, every winter my family drove down to Florida, and I despised the idea of going. I’ve never felt drawn to the idea of lying around in the sun, doing nothing while being sticky with sweat and surrounded by other people. But in Florianópolis, Brazil, …
A Taste of Home in Brazil
March 15, 2025 The first month of my study abroad experience in Brazil was marked by silence and isolation. Although I was beyond excited to go, my timidness held me back, and the overwhelming cultural differences left me feeling out of place and detached. Every day felt like a challenge. I was navigating a new language, a new routine, and …
Autobiografia Linguistica
This piece in Italian reflects on my personal relationship with language and how different languages have shaped who I am. From growing up speaking only Polish as a child in Chicago, to the difficult transition into English, and later discovering joy and connection through Italian and Portuguese, each language carries a unique emotional weight. Some remind me of family and …
Piller 2011: Language and Culture
This reflection is about how how language connects to identity and culture. In Piller’s reading, we learn how language shapes the way people think and live, and how misunderstanding it can lead to harm. October 28, 2022 I notice that the way I speak changes when I switch to Polish. Certain concepts feel more natural to express in Polish, especially …