Mother Tongue: My Family's Globe-Trotting Quest to Dream in

Mother Tongue: My Family's Globe-Trotting Quest to Dream in Mandarin, Laugh in Arabic, and Sing in Spanish

One womanâ€™s quest to learn Mandarin in Beijing, Arabic in Beirut, and Spanish in Mexico, with her young family along for the ride.

Imagine negotiating for a replacement carburetor in rural Mexico with words youâ€™re secretly pulling from a pocket dictionary. Imagine your two-year-old asking for more niunai at dinnerâ€”a Mandarin word for milk that even you donâ€™t know yet. Imagine finding out that youâ€™re unexpectedly pregnant while living in war-torn Beirut. With vivid and evocative language, Christine Gilbert takes us along with her into foreign lands, showing us what itâ€™s like to make a life in an unfamiliar worldâ€”and in an unfamiliar tongue.

Gilbert was a young mother when she boldly uprooted her family to move around the world, studying Mandarin in China, Arabic in Lebanon, and Spanish in Mexico, with her toddler son and all-American husband along for the ride.Their story takes us from Beijing to Beirut, from Cyprus to Chiang Maiâ€”and also explores recent breakthroughs in bilingual brain mapping and the controversial debates happening in linguistics right now.

Gilbertâ€™s adventures abroad prove just how much language influences culture (and vice versa), and lead her to results she never expected. Mother Tongue is a fascinating and uplifting story about taking big risks for bigger rewards and trying to find meaning and happiness through tireless pursuitâ€”no matter what hurdles may arise. Itâ€™s a treat for language enthusiasts and armchair travelers alike.

From the Hardcover edition.
Country USA
Manufacturer Avery
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2016-05-17
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Avery
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2016-05-17
Format	Kindle eBook

Mother Tongue: My Family's Globe-Trotting Quest to Dream in Mandarin, Laugh in Arabic, and Sing in Spanish

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