WHAT LANGUAGE DO I DREAM IN? A MEMOIR - A FLOP
Elena Lappin´s memoir What Language Do I Dream In , and John Gallagher´s review of it in The Guardian , are both disappointing. I have read the book because of my interest in languages and bilingualism only to find an autobiography of a person and her family who have had a thirst for travel. From Russia to Czechoslovakia, then to Germany and Israel, to continue to Canada, the US, and finally, to the UK. We are told about grandparents, parents, and relatives, with side escapades to odd people of many nationalities. In passing, Ms Lappin mentions the languages she has been exposed to in her wondering, in her world-trotting. All of us can write an autobiography. Lappin´s experiences might be of interest to her family and offspring but to nobody else. Her insights into languages show that although she speaks several languages, she´s no linguist. She says: " To this day, my brother owes his perfect Russian accent to his extended stay in Moscow at the age of almost two." Really? A...