5 things I do to stay in touch with my mother tongue

I started learning two secondary languages (English and French) while living in Greece. And as much as I was studying in the language school and passed all the exams, I needed to do more to keep in touch with my secondary languages and not to forget them, such as reading books and magazines, watching programmes, and spending time in the UK and France. These are conscious decisions a language learner makes to keep in touch with their secondary languages. Still, we never consciously think that we may forget our mother tongue, I mean, how can you forget your mother tongue?

A few years ago, I found myself living and working in the UK, and that meant I became fully immersed in my secondary language, English. I was speaking Greek only with my family and Greek friends. And this is the case with many expatriates - not only translators and language professionals - who live and work in the country of their secondary language. This situation can lead to FLA (first language attrition), that is the loss of fluency in their native language.

As a language professional living in the UK, it is important to take measures to prevent losing competence in my first language. So what do I do to stay in touch with my mother tongue?

1.        Read, read, read

I read daily in my mother tongue, Greek. I read Greek literature, Greek magazines and newspapers. Nowadays, almost all the popular magazines and newspapers have digital versions which are accessible online. I supply myself with Greek books every time I go to Greece, also I find a good selection of Greek literature in the Greek Library of London 

2.        Watch TV & Films

Watching Greek movies and Greek TV programmes is another great way to keep in touch with the Greek language. From 50s Greek movies to current TV shows, I discover how Greek language is evolving. For instance, new slang and neologisms, which can be particularly useful to translators, like me, who specialise in creative translation (transcreation). The Greek language is constantly evolving, there is always a new word to learn. I can have access to all the Greek TV channels online and watch programmes either live streaming or on demand. My favourite platform is Ertflix where I watch programmes on topics such as art, history, lifestyle. Also, I watch the news to stay in touch with the national and international political and social affairs.

3.        Attend Greek social events

London has a large Greek community. It has churches, acting classes, choirs, schools, the Greek Library of London and the Hellenic Centre. I often attend exhibitions and talks, and other cultural events where I get the opportunity to interact in Greek with other people.

4.        Attend seminars and courses

COVID-19 pandemic era changed the digital learning landscape. Digital learning is now established in many countries including Greece. I can now attend courses, conferences and workshops happening in Greece from my London office!  I often attend seminars and courses on topics related to my fields of expertise in law and advertising.

5.        Listening to podcast

I love podcasts! Every week I listen to at least three to four podcasts in Greek. Also, I use my time on my way to the gym, to the office, on the train to listen to podcasts on topics such as business, marketing, art, history, psychology as well as local and international news on political and social affairs. A couple of podcasts I listen to lately are Game of Money and the Greek newspaper’s Kathimerini podcast Radio K

6.         Frequent visits to Greece

I am lucky enough to have a profession which gives me the option to work remotely. This means I can travel, work and spend time in Greece frequently. Needless to say, spending time in my country of origin is the ultimate way to stay in touch with my mother tongue!

Panayiota is a translator, transcreator, blogger and localisation consultant. She works with Greek, English and French. Her fields of expertise are law, advertising, luxury goods, beauty, film & TV.

Panayiota is a member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL). She is registered with the Greek Consulate in London, United Kingdom as a certified translator. She completed undergraduate studies in English Culture & Language Studies, and postgraduate studies in Literature, Translation and Translation technologies.

Panayiota’s mission is to help businesses establish a strong international brand and stand out globally, by offering professional translation and localisation services.