#how to write bilingual characters
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smolmakerel · 1 year ago
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"You can't leave me! I won't let you!"
"Christina, lo juro por Dios [I swear to God], get the fuck out of my way or -"
"Or what? You'll hit me? Hit me then! Give me a reason to call the cops!"
"Mamá?!"
"You're fucking crazy! Just like that bastard's father!"
"Don't talk about him like that!"
Tara curled up under the kitchen table, one of her favorite hide-and-seek spots because of the table cloth. She couldn't understand what her parents were screaming about, Sammy piping in every once in a while, but she knew she didn't like it.
It sounded scary.
With caution, Tara lifted the cream table cloth and peaked up.
Mamá was beating her fists against Papi's chest, face creased in rage. Sammy was fighting to place herself between the two, but neither of the two noticed.
Tara flinched when Sammy was shoved out of the way by their papá. She scrambled out from beneath the table and stood, unsure, behind her mamá.
"¿Mamá? ¿Papá?" Tara uttered. Both of her padres² stopped arguing and turned to her, and she shifted awkwardly. "¿Esta todo bien?" [Mom? Dad? Is everything ok?]
Papi's eyes softened while his shoulders sagged. "Sí, no te preocupes. Me quedaré con mis padres por el momento si quieres venir conmigo." [Yes, don't worry. I'm going to stay with my parents for the time being if you want to come with me.]
Tara blinked in confusion. Why was her papi leaving? Why did it sound like he didn't want to take Mamá or Sammy with them?
Before Tara could ask, Mamá was screaming again. She slammed her palms over her ears with a whimper. She never did like whenever they fought.
"Stop fighting!" Sammy cried out. "Can't you see that Tara's scared?!"
Papi narrowed his eyes. "Shut your bastard mouth!"
Sammy took a wounded step backwards.
Papi's eyes then went wide. He looked between Mamá and Sammy, then he turned his eyes to Tara.
"Is she even mine?"
"Listen -"
"Tell me the fucking truth for once in your miserable fucking life, ¡puta!" Papi roared out, and it shook the house into silence.
Mamá looked away. "Of course she is."
"... I don't believe you."
Tara stumbled out of the way when Papi shoved her out of the way. She followed behind the small group and gasped when she saw Papi's business suitcase full of clothes sitting on his leather recliner.
"¡Papi!" Tara began to cry, finally realizing what was happening. "¡Por favor no te vayas!" [Please don't go!]
Papi continued to pack up despite Mamás furious threats of calling the police, Sam's panic at the escalating situation, and Tara's full-blown meltdown.
Tara was close to hyperventilating as she threw her body at her papá and clung to his leg. He tried to shake her off, but she held tightly to his gray slacks.
She was the last person he was with when they both heard yelling coming from the master bedroom. Papi had begged her to clean her room and get ready for bed, going as far as to bribe her with a homemade caramel flan. But then he abruptly left.
The yelling only increased in volume, and, after an hour, Tara crept downstairs to hide out.
Was this her fault somehow?
"P-Papi, por favor -" she wheezed, chest constricting. She could barely breathe, let alone get her words out properly.
Hands roughly shoved her away, and Tara stared up at her Papi in horror. He stared back with an equally distraught expression.
"Tara," he gasped. "Lo lamento -" [I'm sorry -]
Mamá burst into a fit of rage.
Tara sat on the floor for the rest of the night. She blocked out the rest of her parents' argument and sat there. She sat there while her Papi left them.
He slammed the door. He never slammed the door.
Sammy tried to help her. Tara took the inhaler but remained on the floor by the stairs, watching the door for when Papi would come back.
He never did.
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elbiotipo · 1 year ago
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I know I made this post a dozen times already, but I have no idea when and how I learned to speak English. My cousin borrowed me some basic English books and I just read them as a kid because I read literally everything I could get my hands on, a couple years later I was already playing videogames in English, and by when I graduated high-school I watched movies with no subtitles and already was thinking (internal monologue) and writing in English. I think I must have whole books written in English if we add all the stuff I write. The few times I talked to native English speakers in person or virtually they all asked me where I learned it so well and I just don't know. I got a little paper that says "you can speak English lol" just this year (and I had to pay for it) and everybody asked me "how did you learn" and I really don't know.
I'm the world's first non-native native English speaker. Me siento sucio.
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vilevampire · 2 years ago
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Hey, you like Raimundo along with Jack, right? And you're Brazilian. Feel free not to answer this if you don't wanna okay. I just thought you'd be best suited. Like when you commented on the "Rai" nickname.
I'm wondering if you perhaps have any thoughts or headcanons on him, family, hobbies, his inner thoughts, cause I wanna flesh him out for my fic and stuff. I'll give you credit for the ideas of course
even though I'm not that active in the xs fandom currently you've surprisingly come to the right person bc I've rambled a bit about raimundo hcs before to my friends. I had to dig up some discord messages to find all my hcs
I hc raimundo to be white-passing and mixed race, which is like the majority of brazilian ppl tbh. side note: in brazil "race" is defined almost solely by skin color, so like if I left my country it's possible I'd be considered a person of color because of my features, but in brazil I'm considered white. raimundo would be in a similar situation
so in these discord messages past!lucas has said "the only mentions of his background is that he has 8 siblings with a lots of aunts and uncles" and "he mentions that the 'rough' part of rio is his 'element'". now, I, lucas of the present, barely rmr this bc it's been forever ago since I watched xs, but I'm trusting past!lucas on this I think he would never lie to me. based on that I'm a fan of the theory raimundo is an orphan and grew up as part of the lower class. I don't think I ever theorized what the fuck happened to his parents, but I like the idea of him acquiring abandonment issues because of it. since he grew up poor I think he'd also have a lot of survival skills, knowing how to make due with very little, etc.
I actually just thought abt this but it's very uncommon for latino people to only have two names. I myself have four, bc the family names just keep adding on top of each other when u marry instead of being absorbed into the husband's name. so realistically raimundo would probably has at least one other family name
not exactly a hc but something interesting to note about mundo is that he is a good example of something we call a "malandro" in brazil. a malandro is a brazilian concept of a cunning anti-hero who outsmarts, deceives and takes advantage of others, usually for personal gain. describing it like this makes it sound like a bad word, but it has a positive connotation. like culturally being malandro is considered a good thing. we even have a saying that goes like "every day a malandro (in this case a scammer) and a sucker (in this case the one who gets scammed) leave their houses.", implying that if you're not the one taking advantage of others, you're the one being taken advantage of. I don't think this was intentional on the xs writers' part to make raimundo embody these traits so perfectly that r culturally significant to brazil but and I find it interesting.
similar thing to above we also have something called "gambiarra", which is like achieving something through improvised means instead of the "correct" (and usually more expensive) way. also very important to brazilian culture and I think raimundo would be adept in it
#asks#lindendragon#this is all I have. hope that helps#there's a lot I could say about um. languages#like languages he speaks and the way he would speak them but. the thing abt that one is that it's such a complex subject#and it's so often misunderstood how it works by ppl who r monolingual#and it's Reeeeally hard if not outright impossible to accurately write a bilingual character if ur not bilingual urself#and even if you ARE bilingual u have to speak the same languages they do#bc the speech patterns from diff languages r different and they carry over to the newly acquired language but since they're specific#you can't just write them if you don't know what they are#example. in brazil it's really common to use religious expressions like 'oh my god'. like way more common than in other places#I didn't grow up religious AT ALL like I don't know a single prayer#but it's super normal for me to go 'may god hear you' or 'only god knows' or#'holy mary' to express surprise and stuff#english has similar expressions too of course everyone says 'oh my god' and 'holy shit' and 'jesus christ'#but we have MORE of them and we say them MORE often#so bc the way ideas r expressed is unique to every language. if you're not familiar with the language it's near impossible#to accurately write a bilingual character#books and fics where the character randomly speaks another language in the middle of their sentence for no reason#is a pet peeve of mine#bc ok that can happen sometimes but it's so much more complicated than that. there's a lot more things that happen#to the way you express yourself when you're speaking a language that is not your native one#one thing for sure for me who's been fluent in english for about 10 years now . I can say for sure that I fucking hate speaking this langua#I find it restricting. it's inflexible compared to portuguese and I can't express myself as freely as I would like#anw I didn't mean to ramble in the tags abt this HEAHIUWEHAI#thank you for the ask I love raimundo and feel free to ask me more stuff if you have questions#xs#raimundo#raimundo pedrosa#xiaolin showdown
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aliengirl · 2 years ago
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BOM DIAAAAAA
ah é cês são gringo
GOOODDD MORNINNGGG
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juhbebbie · 2 years ago
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I swear the only thing that makes me click away from a fic faster than evil jake lockley is when the author decides to let us know he speaks Spanish by throwing in one (1) word in Spanish in the middle of an English sentence, and not because he forgot the word in English but just because how else would we POSSIBLY be able to know he was a Spanish speaker, and its the most awkward and forced thing ever
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gender-euphowrya · 2 years ago
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funniest defense of that one writer that keeps saying nonsense and funding hate groups You Know The One is when people say "well i still like her work because she writes well"
have you actually read a single fucking word of her latest works
i know nobody in their right mind should willingly subject themselves to this but i beg you to look up the polish character in her detective story
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rapha-reads · 2 years ago
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Something that amuses me a lot as I write these essays, is that I write them in Spanish, the language* of the master's degree, but I often include quotes and references in English and in French - you know, if you're multilingual, take the hell advantage of it. But my word processor gets sooooo confused when in the same sentence there's Spanish words followed by French/English words, like, it doesn't know anymore, "what are we talking about, what correction should I give, what verifications should I make, aaaaaah, stop being insane!".
I am having a lot of fun.
*I literally wrote that "lenguage", like an insane mix of Spanish, English and French, wooow.
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literaryvein-references · 3 months ago
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Writing Notes & References
Alchemy ⚜ Antidote to Anxiety ⚜ Attachment ⚜ Autopsy
Art: Elements ⚜ Principles ⚜ Photographs ⚜ Watercolour
Bruises ⚜ Caffeine ⚜ Color Blindness ⚜ Cruise Ships
Children ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ Childhood Bilingualism
Dangerousness ⚜ Drowning ⚜ Dystopia ⚜ Dystopian World
Culture ⚜ Culture Shock ⚜ Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism
Emotions: Anger ⚜ Fear ⚜ Happiness ⚜ Sadness
Emotional Intelligence ⚜ Genius (Giftedness) ⚜ Quirks
Facial Expressions ⚜ Laughter & Humour ⚜ Swearing & Taboo
Fantasy Creatures ⚜ Fantasy World Building
Generations ⚜ Literary & Character Tropes
Fight Scenes ⚜ Kill Adverbs
Food: Cooking Basics ⚜ Herbs & Spices ⚜ Sauces ⚜ Wine-tasting ⚜ Aphrodisiacs ⚜ List of Aphrodisiacs ⚜ Food History ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Literary & Hollywood Cocktails ⚜ Liqueurs
Genre: Crime ⚜ Horror ⚜ Fantasy ⚜ Speculative Biology
Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Kinds of Love ⚜ The Physiology of Love
How to Write: Food ⚜ Colours ⚜ Drunkenness
Jargon ⚜ Logical Fallacies ⚜ Memory ⚜ Memoir
Magic: Magic System ⚜ 10 Uncommon ⚜ How to Choose
Moon: Part 1 2 ⚜ Related Words
Mystical Items & Objects ⚜ Talisman ⚜ Relics ⚜ Poison
Pain ⚜ Pain & Violence ⚜ Poison Ivy & Poison Oak
Realistic Injuries 1 2 ⚜ Rejection ⚜ Structural Issues ⚜ Villains
Symbolism: Colors ⚜ Food ⚜ Numbers ⚜ Storms
Thinking ⚜ Thinking Styles ⚜ Thought Distortions
Terms of Endearment ⚜ Ways of Saying "No" ⚜ Yoga
Compilations: Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Worldbuilding ⚜ For Poets ⚜ Tips & Advice
all posts are queued. will update this every few weeks/months. send questions or requests here ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs
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literaryvein-reblogs · 3 months ago
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Writing References: Character Development
50 Questions ⚜ Backstory ⚜ Character-driven Story
Basics: How to Write a Character ⚜ A Story-Worthy Hero
Basics: Character-Building ⚜ Character Creation
Types of Characters: Key Characters ⚜ Literary Characters ⚜ Flat & Round Characters ⚜ Morally Grey ⚜ Narrators ⚜ Allegorical Characters ⚜ Archetypes ⚜ Stereotypical Characters
Worksheets: Backstory ⚜ Character ⚜ Kill your Characters ⚜ Antagonist; Villain; Fighting ⚜ Change; Adding Action; Conflict ⚜ Character Sketch & Bible ⚜ Protagonist & Antagonist ⚜ Name; Quirks; Flaws; Motivation ⚜ "Interviewing" your Characters ⚜ "Well-Rounded" Character
Personality Traits
5 Personality Traits (OCEAN) ⚜ 16 Personality Traits (16PF)
600+ Personality Traits ⚜ 170 Quirks
East vs. West Personalities ⚜ Trait Theories
Tips/Editing
Character Issues ⚜ Character Tropes for Inspiration
"Strong" Characters ⚜ Unlikable to Likable
Tips from Rick Riordan
Writing Notes
Binge ED ⚜ Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Identifying Character Descriptions
Childhood Bilingualism ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ On Children
Culture ⚜ Culture: Two Views ⚜ Culture Shock
Dangerousness ⚜ Flaws ⚜ Fantasy Creatures
Emotional Intelligence ⚜ Genius (Giftedness)
Emotions (1) (2) ⚜ Anger ⚜ Fear ⚜ Happiness ⚜ Sadness
Emotional Universals ⚜ External & Internal Journey
Goals & Motivations ⚜ Grammar Development ⚜ Habits
Facial Expressions ⚜ Jargon ⚜ Swearing & Taboo Expressions
Happy/Excited Body Language ⚜ Laughter & Humor
Health ⚜ Frameworks of Health ⚜ Memory
Mutism ⚜ Shyness ⚜ Parenting Styles ⚜ Generations
Psychological Reactions to Unfair Behavior
Rhetoric ⚜ The Rhetorical Triangle ⚜ Logical Fallacies
Thinking ⚜ Thinking Styles ⚜ Thought Distortions
Uncommon Words: Body ⚜ Emotions
Villains ⚜ Voice & Accent
More References: Plot ⚜ World-building ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs
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taichissu · 2 years ago
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i really don't understand klab and how they write keke, as in
it's one thing to have her dialogue written with katakana, implying that she has an accent bc japanese isn't her first language
but these are supposed to be dms
as in, it doesn't really make sense for her to go out of her way and text in katakana when hiragana is the default
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homunculus-argument · 3 months ago
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Huh. I figured out a way to solve a language issue that I had in The Book I'm Not Writing, that clears out some tangles that I hadn't really even thought of solving. Language barriers and different writing systems.
The first draft of the book featured two languages: The language spoken by the imperialist 'elite classes', and the common tongue spoken by the common people. It was a plot point that the protagonist - who was shipped to the Empire when he was 10 years old - learns to speak both of them fluently, but speaks Imperial like a finely educated nobleman and common like the lowest ranks of street thugs, and distinctly in the dialect of the slums of one specific city. But having a story with two clearly defined languages with no overlap between them started a lot of problems that distratcted from the plot, so I decided to discard that, and decided to just go with them being different dialects.
And just now it occurred to me that almost all the "lost in translation" sort of plot points that I did need the bilingual setting for were about writing, and that I could just resolve this by having two different writing systems for the (different dialects of) the same language. Like perhaps Imperial script is much like written chinese, featuring elegant, sophisticated, elaborate characters that can depict a number of different things, and the Common script is more like finnish, written phonetically with consistent sound for each letter - inelegant but practical, so one always knows how to spell a word they've only heard in speech, or how to pronounce a word they've only seen in writing.
The protagonist - being a baron - can read and write Imperial fluently, but having learnt the common dialect only from the stray boys he would sneak out to play with as a kid, cannot read Common script at all. So while he can fluently code-switch between speaking, standing and conducting himself like a baron, and moving and talking exactly like a Brethage slum stray, there is literally no way that he could fake being perfectly fluent in Imperial.
So to people who are on the upper end of the "lower caste" he does seem to be exactly as he seems - a stray lunatic who talks mad shit, occasionally claims to be a baron, but demonstrably could not read or write to save his life. But for someone who is familiar with the ways and etiquette of the nobility, seeing the Famously Batshit Foxtrap-Todd just casually code-switch and suddenly know exactly how to wear a rains banquet coat, properly pour tea, and be able to fluently read and recite poetry written in classic formal Imperial, would be as wtf-worthy as hearing a horse suddenly spontaneously start to speak.
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notherpuppet · 6 months ago
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I LOVE READING YOUR NANNY AU!! The writing and art is amazing!!
Though how you get the dialogue so perfect!?!? I'm trying to do a comic series but I can't do the writing right.
May you please share some tips?
I want to actually be helpful with this, because I looove writing dialogue. It’s my favorite part of the storytelling process. I’ve written works with and without internal dialogue and I like both. It just depends on how much I want the reader to know. Anyway, here’s some advice?
1. Study techniques from media you like
I study scenes from favorite films/tv shows. And there are many YouTube channels that are great resources for writing, but I’m most partial to “Studio Binder”.
This is a great video on dialogue.
Because I write for comics most of the time—rather than prose—I find advice for tv and film to be more helpful because it incorporates the techniques in a visual storytelling medium. But I’d recommend studying technique for the storytelling medium you’re partial to as well. I have several books on comic book storytelling and have studied comics and manga the most in my life haha (cuz I’m a giant fucking nerd).
2. Workshop dialogue to fit the character and scene
Dialogue can change a lot from my first concept—where I want to convey the necessary information—into making it sound “in character”. So I study the writing of the show of course to pick up on the characters’ quirks and unique ways of speaking.
Example:
Carmilla Carmine is bilingual with Spanish/English and it seems that as a character, Spanish was her first language. So some traits she may have are:
1. To confirm her ideas ending with a “no?” Instead of saying “right?”
2. Slipping into Spanish when she’s ‘thinking out loud’.
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Then I’ll read aloud a scene to see if it sounds right. Often, this is when I’ll notice if the dialogue seems repetitive or awkward.
3. Touch grass, go laugh, have fun
Also, I’m sure my very chaotic but-hilarious-family members and friends help me with writing dialogue so make sure you take the time to hang out with people lol!
It’s true what they say about drawing inspiration from real life 👥🌎
Hope that’s helpful 🥰
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a-passing-storm · 2 years ago
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I wish English had a word like “moenia.” Like... what am I supposed to say, “outer fortress walls?” 
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yanderenightmare · 4 months ago
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your vocab is really rich, what's ur secret
oh! uhm... excellent question!
Read! And every time you stumble upon a word you've never noticed before or know but don't often use, put it in a list, write down its meanings, and try using it the next time you write! (I'll put my list after the cut)
Read different things! Different authors and different styles, especially poetry! I mean, if you're looking to fatten your vocab, reading poetry is one of the best ways to do it. Poetic writers must search far and wide for the perfect words to create rhymes and rhythms and audibly pleasing sentences---they practically do all the work for you! Honestly, I am so serious about this. One of the best things you can do is buy a fat compendium of poetry with all different authors and eras. Get you some Edgar Allen Poe, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson, and Shakespeare if you want to hurt your head. Also! The same goes for music! Try listening to the lyrics---you'll probably hear some words you've never thought of using in your writing.
Here's a cheap trick for bilinguals---write something in your own language and put it through Google Translate. Honestly, I've found so many words just by doing this.
Every time you feel you've used a word too much, or anytime a word bores you to read, search up its synonyms and try using something you've never used before---don't stop the search until you're satisfied. Sometimes, it takes me more time to find just one word than it takes to write an entire post. Not only does this enrich your vocab, but you've probably just written a whole other sentence with newer meanings and more nuance!
Make your own synonym lists! Seriously! Because you can only find that many creative synonyms by searching up "word+synonyms."
Additionally! Think outside the box! Often, the best synonyms are those words that aren't actual synonyms at all. If you read poetry, you'll see poets use unorthodox words in place of something all the time---it's called a metaphor. Take flesh, for example---you can use fat, meat, muscle, brawn, beef---but you can also use cake, down, plume, pillow, softness, etc... I find this one especially useful for writing erotica, as you have to describe a lot of the same actions and body parts over and over and still make it interesting. (I'll add my synonyms list after the cut)
Also! This one is trickier, but instead of using words and synonyms, try making sentences that can replace the word instead---such as longer metaphors and fuller descriptions! This aligns with the literary device of "showing vs. telling." Of course, outright telling has its uses too and should not be disbarred entirely from writing, but often, it's showing that persuades the reader more. For example, instead of saying nervous, make sentences that describe how the character in question showcases nervousness---does their throat close up, do they sweat, do their eyes go wide, do they stutter, do they fiddle with their fingers, pick their nails, bite their lip, kick the ground, hunch their shoulders, look away, blush, flush, cry, run away or do they feel stuck? Describing these things helps the reader better understand the type of nervousness the character is experiencing. Hence, it makes for not only more interesting writing but also clearer writing!
A similar literary device is "focus and expanding," which slows down the reading or puts focus on certain aspects of the text by describing something to a great extent. If, say, this nervousness the example character is experiencing is of great significance, then that's what the readers' takeaway should be. But the reader won't think too much of it if the text simply states that they're nervous without underlining it. Luckily, there are plenty of ways of doing that, firstly through showing vs. telling, such as in the examples above, then metaphorically, such as "the ground seemed to swallow him up, down the guzzle of a monster with an appetite for disaster---darkness ensued like a storm cloud, cold and clawing with a weight heavy enough to nail him to the spot---all eyes were on him, unblinking and all-seeing, no matter what, he couldn't escape, he was stuck, glued to the ground by the soles of his shoes." I mean, the options are truly endless. These metaphors piled together are also a form of focusing and expanding, but you can take it even further than that by focusing on a small detail and giving it significance. For example, say the character is sweating because he's so nervous---you might focus on a single droplet of sweat instead of everything else, "A chill ran down his back. No, not a chill--sweat. Cold and creepily tracing the rigid bones of his spine. He can't move--if he moves, then they'll see. The sweat will seep into his shirt, and everyone will know what a sweaty and pathetic wreck he is. So, he can't move. No, yes, leave it alone. The droplet continues, running down the cold skin of his clammy back, sliding undeterred until meeting the band of his boxers and disappearing in the fibers. He swallows thickly and sighs with relief--only for another to pill at his nape, tracking the same course as the former. A vicious cycle is forming. He needs to get out of there!" And that's focus and expanding, folks! Focusing on something minuscule and expanding it by using it to describe what the character is feeling. It's a way to have a fresh take on something that's been written a thousand times before, such as "he was nervous."
Anyway, I might have gone a little above and beyond, but really, all these literary devices are ways of "expanding vocabulary" or at least giving an impression of it.
NEW WORDS
Manically---like a maniac
Despotic---like a dictator, having unlimited power over someone, often using it unfairly and cruelly
Chasm---a deep fissure, like a ravine, wound, or metaphorical rupture
Shunts---track-change basically, scoots to the side
Dearth---a scarcity or lack of something, a shortage
Raucous---making a harsh or loud noise
Innocuous---not harmful or offensive---harmless and safe, but also bland and unremarkable, maybe even a little boring
Lanyard---the woven necklace of a festival pass
Gossamer---fine spiderwebs, almost mesh
Cossetted---care for and protect in an overindulgent way
Beribboned---decorated with many ribbons
pupil-fat---cool way of saying enlarged pupils
Chitters---snickers, like a bird
Decadent---corrupt, depraved
Blotting---either soak up and absorb, or stain, or obscure
Barbell---a bar “pole” with attachments on each side
Bunting---of animals, when they butt or rub their head against you
Garnet---red
Cherubic---angelic, plump cuteness, quality of a child
Haunches---hips
Sodden---soaking
Waxing poetic---speaking in a flowery or poetical fashion
Inkwell---a container for ink---a dark well
Rend---tear in two, or more pieces
Ebb---recede, go back, like a tide wave
Webbed---like a duck's feet
Cloying---sickly sweet
Saccharine---oversweet
Apple of your cheek
Swathes---wrap, swaddle
Shroud---obscure something
Moonstone---to describe something grey and dusty, but pretty
Kinked---tangled, messy
Leaden---heavy, dull, slow or the colour of lead, grey
Stygian---devoid of light and brightness, hellish
Flaxen---of hair, champagne colored---ashy blonde
Tepid---lukewarm
SYNONYMS
Related to sucking cock:
Swallow
Glug
Drink
Eat
Guzzle
Receive
Take
Suck
Suckle
Slobber
Gargle
Gurgle
Drool
Gulp
Gobble
Stuff
Glut
Choke
Gag
Lap
Lick
Kitten-lick
Slurp 
Allow entry
Related to kissing:
Kiss
Lock/brush lips
Tongue-feed
Suck faces
Smooch
Peck
Snog
Canoodle
Related to biting:
Bite
Graze
Nip
Nibble
Sink teeth into
Chomp
Related to crying:
Whimpering
Mewling
Bleating
Whining
Snivel
Sniffle
Cry
Sob
Bawl
Hiccup
Spluttering
Blubbering
Coughing
Croaking
Related to pre-cum:
Ooze
Leak
Weep
Well
Drip
Dribble
Flow
Drain
Bleed
Sweat
Seep
Pill
Pearl
Cry
Related to fear and panic:
Hysterical
Wild
Manic
Uncontrolled
Unrestrained
Frantic
Frenzied
Restless
Hectic
Sporadic
Swivel-eyed
Related to screaming:
Scream
Yell
Wail
Yelp
Yip
Yammer
Squawk
Howl
Squeal
Shriek
Related to moaning:
Moan
Whine
Yelp
Purr
Hum
Croon
Related to overstimulated moaning:
Mumble
Croon
Warble
Quaver
Burble
Bumble
Hum
Slur
Ramble
Mutter
Whisper
Stammer
Stutter
Scramble
Jumble
Muddled
Babble
Blubbered
Splutter
Blurt
Related to groaning:
Groan
Grunt
Growl
Grumble
Grouch
Hiss
Guttural
Feral
Rusty 
Throaty
Wet
Sloppy
Related to angry noises:
Howl
Roar
Bark
Grizzle
Grump
Related to surprise or fear:
Gasp
Gulp
Choke
Suck in a sharp breath
Flinch
Jump
Jostle
Wince
Hiss
Pull back
Related to comforting:
Coo
Fuss
Comfort
Hush
Shush
Tsk
Mollycoddle
Nurse
Cuddle
Babying
Consoling
Soothe
Loving
Smothering
Hug
Hug tight
Cocoon
Snuggling
Swaddling
Rock back and forth with
Cosseting
Petting
Overwhelm
Related to begging:
Beg
Pleading
Pray
Bargain
Related to soreness and pain:
Ache
Sore
Throb
Swollen
Fattened
Welted
Related to taking cock inside entrance:
Swallow
Receive
Take
Suck inside
Stuff
Fill
Allow entry
Submit to
Ease inside
Bully inside
Squeeze inside
Force inside
Push
Pry
Related to how the hole squeezes:
Kissing
Fluttering
Hugging
Pressing
Squishing
Squeezing
Tightening
Pulsing
Related to a wet hole:
Slush
Squelch
Squishy
Creamy
Sloppy
Wet
Soaked
Slosh
Sop
Cry
Slick
Weep
Drool
Gush
Swollen
Velvety
Gummy
Cotton
Silken
Satiny
Related to thrusting:
Squeeze into
Pound
Jam
Ram
Rut
Loll
Rock
Thrust
Stuff
Bottom out
Fill
Fit
Nestle
Cram
Prodding
Poking
Kissing
Hammering
Jack-hammer
Smack
Slap
Ream
Related to pleasure:
Ecstatic
Opium-eyed
Euphoric
Elated
Thrilled
Blissed-out
Rapturous
High
Cloudy
Numb
Related to overstimulation:
Overstimulated
Outdone
Aching
Burning
Sweating
Feverish
Delirious
Febrile
Numb
Immobile
Dazed
Dull
Related to being dumb, high, or overstimulated:
Ditzy
Dumb
Clumsy
Silly
Foolish
Giddy
Brainless
Dizzy
Fuzzy
Dopey
Whimsical
Fickle
Featherbrained
Daft
Hare-brained
Awkward
Graceless
Blundering
Bumbling
Klutzy
Clueless
Cloddish
Dense
Related to the body and the flesh:
Tender
Supple
Soft
Creamy
Plush
Doughy
Cakey
Downy
Pillowy
Malleable
Squeezable
Biteable
Pliable
Touchable
Putty
Plume
Related to cuteness:
Cute
Cherubic
Adorable
Sweet
Soft
Precious
Darling
Lovable
Endearing
Baby
Related to weak or smallness:
Breakable
Brittle
Weak
Fragile
Dainty
Delicate
Frail
Flimsy
Vulnerable
Petite
Small
Little
Tiny
Feeble
Defenseless
Powerless
Helpless
Worthless
Hopeless
Related to struggling:
Struggle
Winding
Striving
Straining
Toiling
Playing
Wriggle
Wiggle
Twist
Shake
Tremor
Shiver
Quake
Related to men:
Vulgar
Loud
Oafish
Rough
Rude
Rustic
Gruff
Gross
Doltish
Barbaric
Bearish
Beastly
Churlish
Coarse
Swinish
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writingwithcolor · 1 year ago
Text
Not all Second-Language Speakers are Made Equal.
@waltzshouldbewriting asked:
Hello! I’m writing a story that features a character who’s first language is not English. He’s East African, specifically from Nairobi, Kenya, and is pretty fluent in English but it’s not his primary language, and he grew up speaking Swahili first. I’m struggling to figure out if it’s appropriate or in character to show him forgetting English words or grammar. From what I’ve researched, English is commonly spoken in Nairobi, but it wouldn’t be what was most spoken in his home. For context, this is an action/superhero type story, so he (and other characters) are often getting tired, stressed, and emotional. He also speaks more than two languages, so it makes sense to me that it would be easier to get confused, especially in a language that wasn’t his first. But I’m worried about ending up into stereotypes or tropes. For additional context: I’m monolingual, I’ve tried to learn a second language and it’s hard. A lot of how I’m approaching this comes from my own challenges correctly speaking my own, first and only language.
Diversity in Second-Language English
You seem to have an underlying assumption that second language acquisition happens the same for everyone. 
The way your character speaks English depends on so many unknown factors: 
Where does your story take place? You mention other characters; are they also Kenyan, or are they all from different countries?
Assuming the setting is not Kenya, is English the dominant language of your setting? 
How long has your character lived in Kenya vs. where he is now? 
What are his parents’ occupations? 
What level of schooling did he reach in Nairobi before emigrating? 
What type of school(s) did he go to, public or private? Private is more likely than you think. 
Did his schooling follow the national curriculum structure or a British one? Depends on school type and time period. 
Does he have familiarity with Kenyan English, or only the British English taught in school? 
Is this a contemporary setting with internet and social media?
I bring up this list not with the expectation that you should have had all of this in your ask, but to show you that second language acquisition of English, postcolonial global English acquisition in particular, is complex. 
My wording is also intentional: the way your character speaks English. To me, exploring how his background affects what his English specifically looks like is far more culturally interesting to me than deciding whether it makes him Good or Bad at the language. 
L2 Acquisition and Fluency
But let’s talk about fluency anyway: how expressive the individual is in this language, and adherence to fundamental structural rules of the language.
Fun fact: Japanese is my first language. The language I’m more fluent in today? English. Don’t assume that an ESL individual will be less fluent in English compared to their L1 counterparts on the basis that 1) it’s their second language, or 2) they don’t speak English at home. 
There’s even a word for this—circumstantial bilingualism, where a second language is acquired by necessity due to an individual’s environment. The mechanisms of learning and outcomes are completely different. 
You said you tried learning a second language and it was hard. You cannot compare circumstantial bilingualism to a monolingual speaker’s attempts to electively learn a second language. 
Motivations?
I understand that your motivation for giving this character difficulties with English is your own personal experience. However, there are completely different social factors at play.
The judgments made towards a native speaker forgetting words or using grammar differently are rooted in ableism and classism (that the speaker must be poor, uneducated, or unintelligent). That alone is a hefty subject to cover. And I trust you to be able to cover that!
But on top of that, for a second language speaker, it’s racism and xenophobia, which often lend themselves to their own ableist or classist assumptions (that those of the speaker’s race/ethnicity must be collectively unintelligent, that they are uneducated or low class due to the occupations where they could find work, or conversely that they are snobby and isolationist and can't be bothered to learn a new language). Intersections, intersections.
If you want to explore your experiences in your writing, give a monolingual English speaker in your cast a learning disability or some other difficulty learning language, whatever you most relate with. And sure, multilingual folks can occasionally forget words like anyone else does, or think of a word in one language and take a second to come up with it in the other language. But do not assume that multilinguals, immigrants, or multiethnic individuals inherently struggle with English or with multiple languages just because you do.
~ Rina
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librarydeyo · 7 months ago
Text
Ugh, it's a question I have yet to answer myself as a multilingual writer. Translations are so annoying and kinda ugly. I constantly dream of writing a book that has no translations and is written fluidly between two or more languages.
Your format seems good though. I've also read a few books that have the translations italicized instead of parenthesis. I also usually write it italicized, but either way looks fine.
It's only a matter of preference. Here they are side by side:
"Me estás molestando." You're annoying me.
"Me estás molestando." (You're annoying me.)
Good luck! Your story sounds extremely interesting!
Writers,
(that includes fanfic writers, hobbyists)
How do you include dialogue in another language, assuming all the character speak it, but not the reader?
More (not really necessary) details under cut, please answer me with reblogs or comments, you can also reblog even if you don't have an answer, for more visibility.
My story takes place in the french province of Québec ('ello there), but the story is in english, and so are most characters talking. However, i do wanna include french in some dialogue, because every bilingual québecer will easily switch between the two. I don't wanna do it too much, but only to add a touch of quebecism and make people understand that some characters have french as their first language. Some of my characters also have spanish as a first language and don't speak a lot of french
here's two dialogues example i got:
"Damn, she's so pretty." "She's gay." "Ouin, pis?" (Okay, so?)
"Bonjour, Alex. Je m'appelle Charlotte." (Hi Alex. My name is Charlotte) "They- They don't speak much French..." "You said they were bilingual!" "English and Spanish. Sorry."
"¿Qué diablos pasó ahí fuera? ¿Alguien te lastimó?" (What the hell happened to you? Did someone hurt you?) "Sí. Pero estoy bien, Anton. Solo tengo un- una- a concussion. I'll be okay." (Yes. But i'm fine, Anton. It's just a concussion.) "Y qué pasa con esto?" (And what about this?) "Me estas molestando" (You're annoying me.)
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