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AJOURNEYINLANGUAGES ANDCULTURES
AJourneyinLanguages andCultures
TheLifeofaBiculturalBilingual
FrançoisGrosjean
GreatClarendonStreet,Oxford,OX26DP, UnitedKingdom
OxfordUniversityPressisadepartmentoftheUniversityofOxford. ItfurtherstheUniversity’sobjectiveofexcellenceinresearch,scholarship, andeducationbypublishingworldwide.Oxfordisaregisteredtrademarkof OxfordUniversityPressintheUKandincertainothercountries
©FrançoisGrosjean2019
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ToLysiane
PrefaceandAcknowledgments
Seenfromafar,mylinguisticandculturallifecouldbeseen asveryordinary...andratherFrench,Parisianeven.
IwasborninParistoaFrenchfather,Ihaveavery Frenchname,IlivedmyearlyyearsinalittleFrenchvillage outsideParis,didmyuniversitystudiesattheSorbonne,andgot my firstjobattheUniversitédeParis8.Ievenmarriedmy Frenchwifeof50yearsinParis.Andour firstsonwasbornin Paris.Whoknows,Imayevenpassawayinthecityoflightsand someonecouldthensaythatIhadbeenatrueParisianwho hadn’tmovedaroundthatmuch.
Butmylife,aswewillsee,wasnotmeanttobesostraightforward,atleastlinguisticallyandculturally.Iambilingualin FrenchandEnglish,butchangedlanguagedominancefour timesinmylifeduetorepeatedmigrations.Iacquiredother languagestovaryingdegrees,includingAmericanSignLanguage, butthenlostthem.AndbecauseIlivedforlongperiodsoftime indifferentcountries France,Switzerland,England,andthe UnitedStates Iamamosaicoffourcultures.
Asthismovinginandoutoflanguagesandofculturestook place learningandthenforgettingsomelanguages,adapting tosomecultures,andevenrejectingoneforashortwhile Iremainedveryconsciousofwhatwastakingplace.Myown lifeinlanguagesandcultures,andmyownreflectionsonwhat Iwaslivingthrough,playedamajorroleinmyscholarlyworkon bilingualismandbiculturalism.Istartedstudyingwhatitmeans tolivewithtwoormorelanguages,invariouscultures,when
IwasaMaster’sstudentinParis,morethan fiftyyearsago,and havecontinuedtodosotothepresentday.Ofcourse,asa psycholinguist,Ihaveusedthetoolsofourtrade description, experimentation,modeling tobetterunderstandwhoweare. Butitistruethatmanyoftheviews,conceptsandmodelsIhave proposedasascientisthavebeeninfluencedbymyownitinerary asabilingualandbiculturalperson.
AsIwroteinanearlierbook,1 livingwithseverallanguages andindifferentculturesisnottheburdenortheproblemthat somemakeout,butneitherisitthecompleteblissthatothers wouldhaveusbelieve.Bilingualismandbiculturalismarequite simplyafactoflifeformillionsandmillionsofpeople,withtheir upsanddown,theirgoodtimesandtheirbadtimes,their momentsofjoy,andtheirmomentsoffrustration.
Sincethewords “bilingual” and “bicultural” willbeusedfrequentlyinwhatfollows,itisimportanttogiveabriefdefinition ofeachfromthestart.Iwillthendiscussthesenotionsinmore depthinthepagesthatfollow.Abilingualisapersonwhouses twoormorelanguages,ordialects,ineverydaylife.Asfora biculturalperson,he/shetakespart,tovaryingdegrees,inthelife oftwoormorecultures,adapts,atleastinpart,his/herattitudes, behaviors,values,languages,etc.toculturalsituationsorcontexts,andcombinesandblendsfeaturesoftheculturesinvolved.
ThisbookcouldnothavebeenpossiblewithouttheencouragementsIreceivedfromthefamousBritishlinguist,David Crystal.Hehadjustreadmy Bilingual:LifeandReality2 andhe wrotetometosaythatmyownstory,whichIreferredtofrom timetotimeinthebook,wouldmakeforfascinatingreading.He eventoldmewhotowriteto OxfordUniversityPress.There, Imadecontactwithanoldacquaintance,JuliaSteer,whohad helpedmeinthelatterstagesofmybook, StudyingBilinguals, 3 x PrefaceandAcknowledgments
PrefaceandAcknowledgments
anoverviewofmyresearchinthe fieldcoveringsometwenty-five years.Shekindlyaskedmetosendherabookproject,andafter havingobtainedtheadviceofoutsidereviewers,shegavemethe go-aheadtostart.Oncethebookwas finished,shegavememany valuableeditorialsuggestions.SobothDavidandJuliawere instrumentalingettingthisbookofftheground,andIwishto tellthemhowgratefulIamtothem.
MywarmestthanksalsogotoDr.PennyBoyesBraem,a longtimefriend,whosecommentsonthemanuscriptIfound veryhelpful,toVickiSunter(SeniorAssistantCommissioning Editor),LydiaShinoj(SeniorProjectManager),aswellasAndrew Woodard(copy-editor)andMichaelJanes(proofreader).
Oneperson mywife,Lysiane hasbeenawitnessforhalfa centurytobothmylifeasabilingual/biculturalandthatofthe psycholinguistresearchingthephenomenon.Shehasaccompaniedmethroughgoodtimesandbadtimes,hasbeenawonderful soundingboardformyideas,andhasherselfbeenanexampleof bilingualisminaction.Idedicatethisbooktoherandthankher wholeheartedlyforherpresenceandhersupport.
RogerandSallie
Ihaveoftenbeenaskedwhethermyparents,RogerandSallie, fosteredmyownbilingualismfrombirth,thatis,mademea simultaneousbilingual,andtheanswerIgiveistheydidn’t. Neitheroftheirfamilieswereknownfortheirbilingualismwith oneexception.OnmyFrenchfather’sside,lifeseemedtohave beenverymonolingualallthewaydowntobothhisownfather, JosephGrosjean,ajudgeinNorthernFrance,andhismother, HenrietteBoudet-Cauquil,astay-at-homemother.SinceHenriette wasoriginallyfromMontpellier,maybeherparentsorgrandparentshadspokenOccitan,alongwithFrench,butIhave neverfoundanyevidenceforthis.
OnmyEnglishmother’sside,monolingualismwasthenorm aswell.FrancisGordonPratt,herfather,anavalarchitect,knew someschoolFrenchbutnotmuchmore,andRuthShipway,her mother,mayhavedonesotoo.Therehadbeenaperiodof bilingualismintheearly19thcenturyonFrancis’sside,though, whenhisFrenchancestor,HenriJean-BaptisteVictoireFradelle, ahistoricalpainterandportraitist,movedfromFrancetoItaly forafewyears,andthensettledinEngland.Fradellewas trilingual French,Italian,English andhiswifeandhebrought uptheirchildrenbilingualinFrenchandEnglish.
AJourneyinLanguagesandCultures.Firstedition.FrançoisGrosjean. ©FrançoisGrosjean2019.Firstpublished2019byOxfordUniversityPress.
Fradellehadaninterestinglifeintheworldof fineart.Originally fromLille,hewasastudentattheEcoledesBeaux-ArtsinParis duringtheFrenchRevolution.Thisiswhere,oneday,hewitnessedMarie-AntoinettebeingledtoherexecutiononthePlace delaRévolution,nowknownasthePlacedelaConcorde.It markedhimdeeplyandseveralyearslaterhedidaveryrealistic paintingofthescenewhichcanbeseenattheConciergeriein Paris.HenrileftforItalyin1808andstartedtospecializeinthe domainsthatweretomakehisreputation:religious,literary,and historicalsubjects.HeprobablymethisfutureEnglishwifethere, andin1816,hearrivedinEnglandwherehelived,withthe exceptionofashortreturntoFranceinthe1830s,untilhedied in1865.Hisworkwasindemandforabouttwentyyearsandhe exhibitedhispaintingsattheBritishInstitutionandattheRoyal AcademySummerExhibition.
Iremembermygrandfather,Francis,tellingmethatFradelle’ s daughter,Caroline,hadspokenFrenchtoherson,Gustavus,his ownfather.However,thattraditiondiedawayandFrancis’ s Frenchwaslearnedinschoollikethatofothermembersofthe gentryandwasusedquiteinfrequently,suchaswhenheraced motorboatsinMonteCarlo.AsforRuth’sfamily,theShipways, theonlyglimpseofbilingualismwasthatofhersister,Faith Shipway,whospentsometimeinaschoolinBelgium.Shewas thentomarryaFrenchgeneralandbecameanactiveEnglish–Frenchbilingual.
Howaboutmyparents?DidRoger,aFrenchAirForce fighter pilotatthetimeofmybirth,andSallie,anEnglishtheaterstage manager,learnoneanother’slanguagebeforetheymet?Itwould appearthatRogerhadlearnedsomeEnglishinhisboarding school,theCollègedeMarcqenBaroeul,nearLille.When Ilookedatdocumentsfromhisschooldays,Ifoundthathe
RogerandSallie
hadobtainedarunner’s-upprizeinEnglishtranslationand grammarattheageof16.Heprobablydidn’tusethelanguage muchwhileatschool,andprobablynotatallduringhisAir Forcetrainingin1939andthenhisstintasapilotinFranceuntil 1942.AsforSallie,Ihavefoundnoevidencethatshelearned FrenchinherEnglishboardingschoolwhichsheleftatage13.If shehad,itmusthavebeenveryelementary.Shethenenteredthe equestrianworldofshowjumpingand,later,stagemanagingin England,anddidn’tneedaforeignlanguage.
RogerreachedEnglandin1943andstayedthereforayearasa memberoftheFreeFrenchAirForce.Itwasatthattimethathewas abletoputtousetheEnglishhehadlearnedinschool.Allthemore sowhenhemetmymotherattheendofthatyear.Theystartedto livetogether(Iwillcomebacktothisinalaterchapter)andwhen myfatherwaspostedtoNorthAfricainJuly1944,theywroteto oneanotherinEnglish.InalettertoSallie,Rogerexpressedhis frustrationatnotbeingabletoexpressexactlywhathewantedto say,andaboutthelackofdepthhefeltinalanguagehedidn’tknow well: “ExcusememyEnglish,butI’mwritingwithoutadictionary. Afterabusyday,I’mtootiredtolookupthewordsthatIneed.” And, “IamsadbecauseIcannottellyouinEnglishalltheloveIfeel foryou.Myknowledgeofitissobasic.PleaselearnFrench.” Sometimes,hewouldquitesimplywriteinFrenchbutwould neverthelessendinEnglishtopleaseSallie.Togiveanideaof Roger’smasteryofEnglish,Iamreproducingtwoshortextracts below.The first,writtenjustafterhisdeparturefromEngland, tellsSallietobecarefulnowthatsheisseveralmonthspregnant withtheir firstchild,mysister:
“Darling,Iamanxioustoknowhowyouarenow,howyoumanagewith ‘Junior’.Ishouldliketellyouasbeforeeveryminute:don’tride,don’traise
heavythings,becarefulyourhealth,youmustsleepandeatwellandsoon. (Youknowall!!).”
Inthesecondextract,fromaletterwritten fivemonthslater,he talksaboutreceivingthenewsinlate1944thattheirbabygirl, Brigitte,isborn(SallieisstillinEnglandandRogerisnowin Paris):
“Wehadadaughter.Really,darling,whenIreceivedtodayyourwire, ‘Sorry todisappointyoubyagirl’,Iwasnotatalldisappointed.Iprefernowa daughtertoason.Andyou,areyoudisappointed?”
Clearly,Rogercouldmakehimselfunderstoodbut,astobe expected,thereweremanyinterferencesfromFrench,thatis, deviationsfromthelanguagebeingwrittenorspoken(inthis case,English)stemmingfromtheinfluenceofthedeactivated language(here,French).Thisisafrequentphenomenonin bilinguals,especiallyintheirweakerlanguage,andwewill comebacktoitfrequently.
TogetherinFrance
InMarch1945,Salliemanagedtoobtainallthedocuments necessarytojoinRogerinParisafterhistimeinNorthAfrica. Forher,itwasamajormove,bothlinguisticallyandculturally. Shenotedinherautobiography, “Isettleddowntodomesticlife whichamusedmeforawhile,[as]itwasallsonew.Mostofmy timewasspentin[food]queues,whereIlearnedFrenchand tookcookinglessons!” Infact,sheprobablywentthrough cultureshock,inacountryshedidn ’ tknowandwhoselanguage shedidnotspeak.RogerandSalliespentabitmorethantwo yearslivingtogetherinParis,beforeseparating.Theyprobably RogerandSallie
spokeeitherFrenchorEnglishtogether,dependingonthe context,thetopic,thepresenceofothers,etc.Theyalsoprobablydidalotoflanguagemixingtomakesuretheother understoodwhatwasbeingsaid.Bothlanguageswerepresent intheireverydaylivesandsurroundings,Frenchofcourse, butEnglishalso.Forexample,SalliegothiredasastagemanagerbytheEntertainmentsNationalServiceAssociation (ENSA)whichprovidedentertainmenttoBritisharmedforces personnel.SincesheworkedintwoParisiantheatersforthem, theThéâtreMarignyandthentheThéâtredelaMadeleine,she usedbothlanguagesdaily.Inaddition,RogerandSalliehad bothFrench-andEnglish-speakingfriendsduringtheirtime together.
Lookingbackonthelinguisticandculturalsituationthatmy parentswereinjustbeforeIwasbornin1946,Irealizenowthat everythingwassetforthemtobringmeupbilingualfrombirth, buttheydidn’t.Forexample,theycouldhaveusedtheone person–onelanguageapproachemployedfrequentlybyparents tomakechildrenbilingualfrombirth.Rogerwouldhavespoken tomeinhismothertongue,French,aswouldhisparents,friends, andvariousacquaintances.Sallie,ontheotherhand,wouldhave usedEnglish.Sinceitwouldhavebeentheweakerofthetwo languages,shecouldhavefoundsomesupportfromEnglishspeakingfriendsandmaybeevenEnglishbaby-sittersspendinga yearinParis.Itdidn’thappenforatleasttworeasons.First,the approachrequiressomeorganizationanddiscipline,andneither ofmyparentsseemedinterestedinpursuingit.Theynolonger gotalong,eventhoughthey’donlybeentogetherforsuchashort time.Asmymotherwrotelateraboutthatperiod, “Afolding marriagethathadneverbeenwasnotagoodbasisonwhichto bringanotherchildintotheworld.”
RogerandSallie
ThesecondreasonIdidnotbecomeasimultaneousbilingual isthatconsciouslyraisingabilingualchildwasnotsomething onedidasfrequentlythenasonedoesnow.Iwonderiftheyeven knewitwaspossible.Itshouldberecalledthatduringthe first halfofthelastcentury,bilingualisminchildrenwasperceived negatively.Thewordsoftheeducatorandlinguist,Simon S.Laurie,werestilloftencitedbydoctorsandotherchildcare specialists: “Ifitwerepossibleforachildorboytoliveintwo languagesatonceequallywell,somuchtheworse.Hisintellectualandspiritualgrowthwouldnottherebybedoubledbut halved.Unityofmindandofcharacterwouldhavegreatdifficultyinassertingitselfinsuchcircumstances.”1 Thus,aswewill seeinthenextchapter,Istartedmylifeasamonolingual.
Theevolutionoftheirbilingualism
Howdidmyparentsevolvelinguisticallyandculturallyoverthe yearsafterleavingoneanother?Myfather,theonewhowasthe morebilingualofthetwo,revertedbacktomonolingualismwhen heseparatedfrommymotherin1947.Henolongerneededhis EnglishwhenhereorientedhiscareertoFrencharcheology,and hehadnoonetospeakitto.Itbecamerusty,hesearchedforhis words,andIevenrememberhimaskingmetotranslateshort thingsforhimsuchasletterstoEnglishcolleagueswhenIwasin myteens.Ontheotherhand,Salliewasjustatthebeginningofher journeyinlanguagesandcultures.First,herFrenchimproved greatlywhenshestartedworkingasamodelforthe hautecouture creator,JacquesGriffe,inParis.Shestayedwithhimfrom1948to 1952.AsareporterfortheDailyAmericanWeeklywrotein1961: “Shebecame...hisstarmodel,withpoliceescortseverywhereshe wenttoprotectherandthemillionsofdollarsofjewelryshewore.”
RogerandSallie
Tomaintainhertiestotheequestrianworldwhichshe belongedtoinEngland,SalliewouldalsogoouttoMaison Laffitte,thetracknearParis,tohelptrainracehorsesthere.She alsospentmostofherleisuretimeatCafédeFlore,in St.GermaindesPrés,whereshemethernewpartner,JeanJacques,aFrench-speakingSwiss,andwhereshehadmany friends.Thus,inthespanofafewyears,shewentfrombeing monolingualinEnglishtobeingbilingualinEnglishandFrench. HerFrenchbecamevery fluentbutshecontinuedspeakingit withastrongEnglishaccent,havingstartedsolate.
Herjourneyinlanguagesandcultureswasnotoverhowever. DuringashortvacationinStresa,Italy,in1952,shemetAndré,a richFrench-Italianbusinessmanwhofellmadlyinlovewithher. HeproposedthatshemovetoItalytobewithhimandhebought heranapartmentinRomeandahorse-breedingfarmoutsidethe city.Practicallyovernight,sheleftParisandstartedanewlifeas abreederandtrainer.Ofcourse,shehadtolearnItalian,which shedidrapidly. “LaSignoraPratt” asshewasknown(shehad changedhernametoJillShipwayPratt)builtherselfa finereputationinItalyandabroad,andmanyofherhorsesweresoldin France,England,andeventheUnitedStates.Shewasoneofthe very firstwomentrainersandbreedersinItalyandwashighly respected.Salliewastospendtherestofherlifethere.
Afterherdeathin2009,andbecausewehadbeenestranged forsolong,Iwenttovisitpeoplewhohadknownher,andwrote toothersIcouldnotgoandsee.Iwantedtoknowmoreabout herlifeinItaly.MyinterlocutorsandIdidn’ttalkmuchaboutthe linguisticandculturalaspectsofherlife,withoneexception though.Oneofherlongtimefriends,SophieDecrion,raisedan issuethathasintriguedmanybilinguals,aswellasresearcherson bilingualism,overtheyears.ShebelievedthatSalliecouldhave
RogerandSallie
differentpersonalities,andthatthiscamethroughwhenshe changedlanguages.InFrench,shesaid,shewasthetopmodel withtheoutspokennessofanindependentandunconventional woman.InEnglish,herveryclassicandupper-classschooling camethrough;upbringingandhorseracingwereparamount. AndinItalian,shewasthediva,thestar,surroundedbya flock ofadmirerswhomshescorned,andbyafewordinarypeopleas wellasjockeysandladswhomsherespected.
Whatcanwesayaboutthis?Itisclearthatdifferentcontexts anddomainstriggerdifferentattitudes,impressions,andbehaviorsinspeakers.Justthinkofthewayyouspeakwithyourbest friend,andthebehaviorandpersonalityyouadaptwithhimor her,andthinkofhowthischangesinthemostformalinteractionsyouhave,suchaswithaschoolhead,religiousauthority, oremployer.Bilingualsbehaveinasimilarway,butwithone difference.Theyhavetwoormorelanguagestheycanuse.Does thismeantheychangepersonalitywhentheychangelanguage?
Idon’tbelieveso.Inmy firstbookonbilingualism, LifewithTwo Languages,backin1982,Ireasonedthatwhatisseenasachange inpersonalityissimplyashiftinattitudesandbehaviorscorrespondingtoashiftinsituationorcontext,independentoflanguage.Differentsituationsmakeonebehavedifferently,whether oneisusingonelanguageorseverallanguages.Inotherwords,it istheenvironmentandtheinterlocutorstogetherthatcause bilingualstochangeattitudes,feelings,andbehaviors(along withlanguage) andnottheirlanguageassuch.
RogerandSallie
Myearlymonolingualyears
IwasbornonMarch11,1946,inasmallbirthclinicinthe7th arrondissementinParis.My firstyearandahalfwasspentin myparents’ apartment,rueEmileAllezinthe17tharrondissement.Itwasverysmalland,accordingtovariouspeople whovisitedmyparentsatthetime,Iusedtosleepinaboxeither ontopofacupboardoroutonthebalcony,evenwhenitwas verycold.
MyparentsseparatedwhenIwasjustoveroneyearoldafter manymonthsofconflictbetweenthetwo.Thedistrictcourtgave Salliecustodyofmysisterandme,andmyfatherhadvisiting rightstwoSundaysamonth.SinceSallieworkedpart-timeasa theaterstagemanager,wewereoftenunderthecareofpart-time nanniesorwestayedwithfriendsfortheday.Atonepoint,Iwas takenbymyfatherandlivedwithhimforamonthortwo,and hisownfather,Joseph,inGournay-sur-Marne,outsideParis.At theendof1947,ourmotherputusinafosterhomeinVarennessur-Seine,some53mileseastofParis.Theladywestayedwith foratleasteighteenmonths,MadameBriare,clearlyshowedusa lotofaffection.Manyyearslater,Iwasto findtwolettersshehad writtentomyfatherwhenSallieremovedusfromhercarein 1949.Hereareafewextracts: “I’msosadasIlovedyourchildren,
AJourneyinLanguagesandCultures.Firstedition.FrançoisGrosjean. ©FrançoisGrosjean2019.Firstpublished2019byOxfordUniversityPress.
Myearlymonolingualyears
andtookcareofthemasiftheyhadbeenmyown...Iwouldlove tohavenewsofthechildren.Youknow,MonsieurGrosjean, Ibehavedwiththemasiftheyweremyownchildren ...I would lovetoseemylittleFrançoisagainaswellasBrigitte.” Ihaveno recollectionofMadameBriareorofourstayinVarennes,but IregretnothavingbeenabletovisitherwhenIwasanadultto thankherbelatedlyforherlove.
MadameWallard
OurlifeinatotallyFrenchenvironmentwastocontinuefor severalmoreyearsasSalliesimplymovedustotheothersideof ParisandputusinasecondfosterhomeatVilliers-Adam,some 21milesnorth-westofParis.MadameWallardhadjustlosther husband,anexaminingmagistrate,andshehaddecidedtolook afterafewchildren.Shelivedjustoutsidethesmallvillagewhich, surprisingly,hadbeentheobjectofabookin1935, Unvillage renaît,detailingtheurbanrenewalithadgonethrough.Iremember myyearstherequitewellandstillmarveltothisdaythatIhad beenatotallymonolinguallittleboy,inaverytypicalFrench village,beforebecomingbilingual.
MadameWallardlivedsome fiveminutesfromthevillage centerwhichhadasmallcommononwhichhadbeenbuilta ratherlargeandnotveryattractivebuildinginthepreceding century.Itcombinedthevillagemairie,theprimaryschool,and theteachers’ lodgings.Surroundingthecommonwereanumber ofhouses,somewithstores.Therewasalsoablacksmith’sshop, andoneortwofarms.The16th-centurychurchwasn’tfaraway. Beforebeingoldenoughtogotoschool,IstayedwithMadame Wallardandanyotherchildrenshemighthavehadatthetime. Weplayedintheverandaandinthegardenwhichleddownto
Myearlymonolingualyears
themainroad.Ioftensatonawallthereandlookedatthecars goingby.Ialwayshopedthatoneofthemwouldstopandthat eithermyfatherormymotherwouldgetoutandtellmeitwas timetogohome.MadameWallardwasverykindtomebut IrealizedveryearlyonthatIreallyshouldbesomewhereelse, withmyparents,oratleastoneofthem.Ofcourse,theycameto visitfromtimetotime,butitwasn’tthesameaslivingwiththem. Concerningthelanguageweusedtogetherduringtheirrare visits,itwasFrenchwithboth;Idon’teverremembermymother speakingEnglishtoeitherofus.
MadameWallardhadteenagegrandsonswhovisitedfrom timetotimeanditwasalwaysfunplayingwiththem.Once Iwasoldenough,Iranerrandsforhersuchasgoingtothelocal storeinthevillagetogetbreadoranythingelsethatwasmissing. Andataroundfourintheafternoon,I’dbegivenasmallmilk cantogetmilkatthefarminthevillage.Oneday,Istoppedoffto playwithotherchildren,thecangotpushedoverandthemilk spiltout.WhenIgothome,MadameWallardwasmadatmeand spankedme.
We’doftengoandplayinthenearbyforestwhichhadsmall moundsandcavitieswecouldhidein.Ilearnedlaterthatthe Germanshadstockpiledtheirammunitionsthereduringthewar andtheallieshadblownthemup,hencetheholesalloverthe place.Thewarwasstillquitepresent ithadstoppedonlyseven yearsorsobefore andoneoftheboyswithMadameWallard hadaGermanfatherandaFrenchmotherwhomI’dmet.Ididn’t quiterealizeatthetimewhatthatmusthavemeantforthetwoof themduringthewaryearsandtheyearsimmediatelyafterwards. AndIstillwonderhowtheboylivedwiththislaterinhislife. Theywereabeautifulcouple itwasthenthatIbecameattracted toparentswhoweretogetherasmineneverwere andthey
Myearlymonolingualyears
seemedtolovetheirlittleboyalot.WheneverIthinkofthe difficultiessomebiculturalcouplesmayhave,Ithinkofthemas anexampleofbeingverycomfortabletogetherdespitetheir incompatibleoriginsatthetime.
MadameWallardwassoFrench,Irealizenow.Shewouldcall me “ moncoco, ” talktomeasifIwereasmalladult,andbequite frankaboutcertainthings.Thus,onedayshecameintomyroom dressedtogoout Iwasinbedwithsomechildhoodillness andshetoldmethatshewouldbegoneforaboutanhourand wouldsoonbeback.Iaskedherwhereshewasgoingandshe saidthatshe’dbeatthenext-doorneighbor’sfuneral.She added,offhand,thathehadhunghimself.Istillremember, asIamwritingthis,thatIshookwithfearinmybedasIwaited forhertocomeback.
Thevillagehaditsyearlyeventsthatwewouldattend the 14thofJuly(BastilleDay),ofcourse,butalsoArmisticeDayon November11.AndtherewastheChristmasPartyofferedtoall thechildrenbythemayor,AristideQuillet,whowasawellknownpublisherinParisspecializingindictionariesand encyclopedias.Weputonourbestclothesandwerewelcomed inhismansionoutsidethevillagetoreceiveourpresents. Anothereventthatmarkedmewaswhen,inthelatefall,a distillerwouldbringhismovablealembicandsetupshopon thecommon.Peoplewouldbringhimtheirfruitandcomebacka dayortwolaterfortheireau-de-vie.Icanstillrememberthe pungentsmellthathungoverthecommonfordays.
IstartedgoingtoschoolwhenIwassix,andrecallhavingto wearagreysmock.Isharedadeskwithanotherchild,therewere twoorthreedesksperrow,andtheteacherwasatherdeskin frontofus.TherewasahugemapofFrancetoherleft Ispent somuchtimestaringatit andothermapstoherright.Wewere
Myearlymonolingualyears
taughttoreadandwriteonblackslatesand,whencalledupon, wewouldstandupnexttoourdeskandreply.Duringbreaks,we wouldgooutsideintheyard,allclassestogether,andrunaround.
MadameWallardwouldhelpmewithmyhomeworkwhen Igotbackfromschooland,afteronlyayear,shemademewrite shortletterstomyparentstogivethemsomeofmynews.Hereis onethatIwrotetomyfatherinSeptember1953whenIwas sevenandahalf(thetranslationisbelow):
“Moncherpapa.J’aipassédebonnesvacancesavecmespetitscamarades etjemesuisbienamusé.Jesuislemeilleurcoureurdemacompagnie. Maintenantjefaisquelquesdevoirsdevacances.Viensmevoir,papa,je seraistrèscontent.Tonpetitgarçonquit’embrassebeaucoup.François Grosjean.”
“Mydeardaddy,Ihadagoodtimeduringtheholidayswithmyfriendsand Ihadlotsoffun.Iamthebestrunnerofmygroup.Iamnowdoingmy homeworkfortheholidays.Comeandseeme,daddy,I’dbesohappy.Your littleboywhogivesyouabigkiss.FrançoisGrosjean.
AbductedtoSwitzerland
Mylifeasamonolingual,monoculturallittleboyinasmall FrenchvillageendedabruptlyinDecemberofthatyearwhen mymotherarrivedtotakemeoutfortheday,supposedly.Infact, wedrovetoOrlyAirportwherewetookaplanetoGenevain Switzerland.Whenwearrived,weweremetbyAndré,her Franco-Italianfriendwhothenaccompaniedustoa home d’enfants,apreschoolboardingschool,inChesières,alittle villageintheVaudmountains.There,Iwasreunitedwithmy sisterwhomIhadnotseenforsometime.Itwasonlymanyyears laterthatIlearnedthatmyparents’ divorcehadbeen finalizedsix
