American English · C1 · Unit 10
Identity and belonging
Identity and belonging
By the end you can
- Discuss how language shapes identity
- Reflect on where you feel at home
- Understand a reflective essay
Words and phrases
| American English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I feel at home | I feel that I belong here | After ten years, I feel at home here. |
| caught between | between two things, and not fully part of either | I often feel caught between two worlds. |
| my heritage | the culture and traditions of my family | I'm proud of my heritage. |
| my mother tongue | my first language | My mother tongue is Tagalog. |
| a sense of self | who you feel you are | Speaking Spanish at home gives me a sense of self. |
| an outsider | someone who isn't part of a group | I'll always be a bit of an outsider. |
| Mexican-American | an American with Mexican roots | As a Mexican-American, I grew up with both languages. |
| code-switch | change language or style depending on who you're with | I code-switch all day without noticing. |
| assimilate | become part of a new culture | My parents pushed us to assimilate. |
| lost in translation | lost when said in another language | Some jokes get lost in translation. |
| the melting pot | the idea of the US as a mix of cultures | People call the US the melting pot, but it's more like a salad bowl. |
| rootless | without a place where you belong | Sometimes I feel rootless. |
Then talk it through
A conversation about whether you feel at home in the US. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.