Oct. 24, 2007

For Miami junior Alex Lacombe, being bilingual is always something that came naturally. Growing up just outside of Ottawa surrounded by other French Canadians, Lacombe's first language is French, but he learned English through school and playing sports. It wasn't until he moved hundreds of miles from home to play hockey for the RedHawks that he learned the difficulties that come with knowing two different languages. Lacombe often has to translate his thoughts from French to English or vice versa. However, he also realized that importance of staying true to his French Canadian heritage.

Thinking in French, Studying & Playing in English: My Adventure South of the Border
By Alexandre Lacombe

I never thought much about the fact that my mother tongue is French until I came to Miami University in August 2005. I am from Ottawa and lots of French Canadians live in that region but most are bilingual. I never really had to make an effort to learn two languages; it just came naturally because of my environment. It was the way of life. I spoke French at home and all my schooling was in French except for the one English class every year. I learned English informally by hearing it as a member of various sport teams that consisted of half-French, half-English speaking individuals. Therefore, I was concerned that post-secondary studies in a language other than my mother tongue would be challenging but I didn't believe it would be impossible. I sometimes need to translate my thoughts from French to English before expressing them as well as to translate what others say to me (in my head) to understand vocabulary and expressions. Whether in class or in the dressing room with the boys, I find myself struggling at times to find the words, to understand the words, and to say the words. "How do you say such and such in English? What does such and such mean?" In time, I realized that it is not solely a question of language but also a question of culture.

Elements of the French language culture have been transmitted to me by my community, my school and, first and foremost, by my family. My mom's side of the family isn't that big but on my dad's side of the family, there are 52 of us and that's just his immediate family! My dad is the fifth of nine children. There are 15 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. With new people at every family event, I sometimes have trouble remembering everyone's names and I haven't seen the last two babies in person yet. Family gatherings are important and one is expected to be present unless one has a very good excuse, like living 13 hours away like me. This past summer, I was lucky enough to be able to attend a family picnic. It is at such family get-togethers that I was introduced to traditional French Canadian food and music but also, this is where I learned about the traditions, customs and values that form the basis of the French Canadian identity which includes hockey in a unique way.

Do you know any families planning a hockey tournament on an outside rink this coming winter? Mine is. One of my uncles built his own log home in the woods. It has its own private lake. He and my dad chopped down a few trees to make room for a hockey rink for the winter months. My uncle even researched how the rink should be built, NHL dimensions and all. He has been working on it all summer and it will be ready for the Christmas holiday. Like they say, hockey is in our blood.

The following values are what I brought with me to Miami: respect, pride and the work ethic that stems from a passion for the sport of hockey difficult to explain logically but absolutely essential for a team to succeed. It is the love of the game and the willingness to sacrifice all to achieve the ultimate goal. Working hard to survive is nothing new to French Canadians, this has shaped our history.

And so, while I study and play in English, I continue to think in French.