Bilingualism is Like Switch Hitting
I just finished reading the newest Hunger Games book in Spanish, Balada de pájaros cantores y serpientes. Each time I read in Spanish, I notice how I begin to think in it too, shaking the rust off my Spanish. New vocabulary and expressions emerge, and I feel myself improve, without any conscious effort almost like magic.
Because of this, the past few years I’ve tried to read one Spanish book for every 4-5 in English. But while Spanish reading enhances my language skills, reading in English I’ve found crucial to help my writing.
How can I balance both?
This bilingual juggling act reminds me of a throwaway interview that former New York Yankees switch-hitter Mark Teixeira gave in 2011 after starting off the season hot.
Teixeira used to be known for his slow starts. He said that season was different because he realized that, as a switch hitter, he needed to do twice as much work in spring training. It’s twice as much tee work, twice as much batting practice, and twice as much focus on mechanics and technique, he said.
I’ve come to view each of my languages in a similar light. Of course, the payoffs I get from improving in all my languages and the joys that come with that are always worth it.
