Memory Speaks: On Losing and Reclaiming Language and Self

As a child, Julie Sedivy left Czechoslovakia for Canada, and English soon took over her life. By early adulthood she spoke Czech rarely and badly, and when her father died unexpectedly, she lost not only a beloved parent but also her firmest point of connection to her native language. As Sedivy realized, more is at stake here than the loss of language: there is also the loss of identity.



Language is an important part of adaptation to a new culture, and immigrants everywhere face pressure to ...