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I Learned English at 4 Years Old — Now, My English Is Much Better Than My First Language
I always struggle when I think about what my native language is.
If you met me, you would think I was born, bred, and raised in the United States, which is 99% true. I am a native English speaker. English is my best language.
I was born in America. I teach English, in America, and have passed all my licensing exams for teaching English. I write articles in English.
You get the point. Even though I have a Chinese surname, English is very much my first language, and I consider it my native language. My Chinese has a horrible American, New York accent. I can’t really read and write in Chinese well. When I communicate with Chinese members of my family, I need to use the pronunciation keyboard, which is a sign of lower proficiency in the language than an average speaker.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a “native speaker” as “a person who learned to speak the language of the place where he or she was born as a child.” For me, that means I’m a native English speaker.
However, English was not my first language. My parents spoke Chinese at home, and my first word was “mom” in Chinese.
