As we approach the end of the semester, I thought I’d recommend a for-funsies book to read over winter break: In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri (2015). Last semester, I wrote a blog post on journaling as an effective language-learning strategy. Jhumpa Lahiri’s memoir expands on this idea of writing in a second language (Italian), and also talks more on her experience living in Rome, Italy, to immerse herself in the language. Lahiri is the author of The Namesake (2003) and Interpreter of Maladies (1999), and this is her first nonfiction book.
In Other Words was originally written entirely in Italian (In altre parole), and Ann Goldstein’s translation contains both the original Italian as well as the English on parallel pages of the book. It’s a really interesting format of displaying and honoring the original language! If you have reading proficiency in any Romance language, it might be a fun challenge to try to get through the Italian page, then read the translated English.
Jhumpa Lahiri began learning Italian after college and became enamored with the language. However, she was faced with the challenge of achieving full fluent proficiency. Her book reflects on the struggle of making time for private tutors and trying to become fluent in a foreign language without living directly in an immersive environment. So, Lahiri decided to move her family to Rome and made the promise to only write in Italian. She describes the process as being frustrating—she had to consult an Italian dictionary several times and felt awkward trying to convey her meaning in a language she wasn’t fluent in. Even when creating the English translation, Lahiri decided to hire an Italian-English translator rather than doing the translation herself because she was committed to writing solely in Italian.
I enjoyed reading about Lahiri’s writing process and awkward encounters with Romans. However, her moments of victory were inspiring and a reminder that mistakes are part of learning! I recommend this book for everyone who is interested in language-learning and experiencing life abroad, especially in non-English speaking countries.
Here’s an interview with Jhumpa Lahiri where you can hear her speaking Italian. The first comment reads, “I’m Italian and I can state she speaks Italian better than a lot of friends of mine.” What I like most about Lahiri’s story is that she is unafraid of being an adult language learner. She admits that her Italian isn’t “native” and that it won’t always be the most natural-sounding. Ultimately, she takes pride in the uniqueness of her language, which is a takeaway we as college-level language learners should all appreciate. Happy winter break!