Language v. Language: Chloe Quinn
Growing up facing multiple challenges Chloe describes her life and experience in literacy as a rollercoaster. It was hard for Chloe Quinn to achieve her success in literature due to dyslexia, moving schools, and lack of support from her parents but she overcame these obstacles with the help of her sponsors. At a young age Chloe was already facing situations where others her age were not. As of now even though it was very challenging, she is relieved to have learned two different languages and sees it as an advantage and skill.
To illustrate what Chloe faced growing up we asked her what challenges she had to face. Chloe answered that one of those challenges is having a reading disorder called Dyslexia. Dyslexia is a reading disorder that causes difficulties to read quickly, spell, write, and sound out words, which made literacy very difficult for her especially at a young age in the middle of learning two languages. Whenever it came to reading or writing it was hard for her to understand the grammar rules because of her dyslexia, this meant that she would mix both grammar rules of English and French. Another challenge was the lack of support from her parents. Her mom is from France and because of that she wanted Chloe to learn French which led to her enrolling in a private French school, on the other hand her dad is from America and an English writer so this also pushed Chloe to learn English. Her parents are some of the sponsors she had towards literacy because they provided her with the materials needed to learn, the reason it was a challenge for Chloe was because her parents lacked the support in helping her understand the grammar differences between the languages and schoolwork. She would be shamed and rejected for expressing how she needed help. Being at a young age having to learn two separate languages while having a reading disorder was already tough enough, but the lack of support made it even harder. Chloe’s teachers played a big role in her overcoming these challenges.
Chloe identified that some of her sponsors towards literacy were her parents, friends, and teachers. When asked who she thought the most important and impactful sponsors towards her literacy were, whether negative or positive, Chloe answered “Probably the teachers at the schools that I attended… especially at the private school I went to, in a positive and negative way I wouldn’t necessary pick one or the other because you know they really did have me juggling two languages from a very very young age and so yes, I now have the ability to use a whole other muscle in my body, mentally… but it definitely was a challenge being so young and having to learn… everything everyone else was learning but twice as much.” As a young student she would move from school to school due to her parents being divorced making it hard to be comfortable and maintain a good relationship with those around her, but this came to an end when Chloe entered a private French school. Having dyslexia made it hard for her to understand two different languages which led to the feeling of insecurity. Chloe’s teachers made her feel comfortable and were there to provide the help for learning both languages and overcome these insecurities.
As she attended school it was Chloe’s teachers that helped grow her literacy skills. As she describes it, her teachers “brought a depth to the English language.” Whether this be vocabulary or literary devices, this helped her form her own identity when it came to writing and style. One of the difficulties when learning multiple languages is understanding the rules of each one. This not only applies writing but speaking too. Chloe’s dyslexia made this even more of a challenge and she even had to go to special tutoring to help her with it but tells us that it’s just “all part of learning two different languages at the exact same time.” Chloe began to have more confidence from the help she was receiving and was able to overcome these challenges.
Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom growing up learning multiple languages. As language is a cornerstone for cultures around the world, Chloe shared with us how she valued these opportunities. She explains how she has a broader scope when looking at things and is able to make more connections. When it comes to literacy, she says she has more to work with when it comes to angles and perspectives of what she’s writing. Using her identity to her advantage is something that Chloe doesn’t undervalue when it comes to literacy.
“I immediately knew I had an edge”
Chloe recognized this when she moved from a private French school to public school. This hurdle of having to learn twice as much as her peers flipped on its head as she now had twice the amount to work with.
As Chloe reflects on her journey with literacy, she deeply values what was once a struggle for her. She shares how the insecurity she once had when it comes to writing now has benefitted her. She explains how she now uses journalism as a form of therapy. What once was a tremendous hurdle for Chloe now has become a sort of “superpower” of for her in the world of literacy.
By: Jafet Ascencion, Conor Coffey
