Get by, fluent or bilingual…

What’s the difference? Fluency — what does it mean? Is it the language or is it also the culture, values and beliefs? And what is the key?

Get by, fluent or bilingual? What’s the difference?

Fluency — what does it mean? The definition of scales and levels is determined by the Council of Europe.

Levels are divided into 3 basic categories, A, B and C and then subdivided further.

I am apparently bilingual (French), I was quadrilingual, (French, Spanish and Italian) although there are days when I have strong doubts! I lived and worked in France for the last 14 years, my OH (other half) was Breton, all my friends were French, I went to University in France and have worked for several French companies over the years. However, when I am tired or have been working between 3 or 4 different languages all day, I still forget things and end up with blanks in all languages. I don’t equate my bilingualness with genuine fluency YET — I’m still working on that one, but since I have ”seen the light”, boy, has it made a difference!

My kids are genuinely fluent, real 24 carat chameleons, they change totally when they change language… They are 100% bilingual Spanish, words, accent, mentality, physical movement, actions, tone of voice, laugh. You wouldn’t even know they were English born and bred once they start…