Like all of us, I do not remember the first words I spoke. I do not remember my first sentences. I cannot recall whether my first words were addressed to my mother, our dog, or to myself. However, I do remember language as one of the most important elements of my earliest experiences. Reflecting on that has helped me understand better my decision to become an English teacher.
My mom told me that my first word, after ‘eema’ (Hebrew for ‘mother’) and ‘abba’ (Hebrew for ‘father’) was ‘parpar’ ー Hebrew for ‘butterfly’. This beautiful choice of a first word perplexes me, and it would make me very happy to be able to step into my 7-month old head, and understand what inspired it. The word flew by, just like butterflies do, and soon my mouth filled with all the other words of the Hebrew dictionary, Hebrew becoming my own primary language, my mother tongue. My first memories come from the time when I was about three years old. I remember myself singing a song with my parents, trying to imitate their pronounciation, and failing slightly, which made laugh them a little. Despite the difficulty, it is a deeply positive memory as the initial process of learning my mother tongue has been in itself positive.
