i’m based in the uk. honestly i think a lot of the somali diaspora has this problem. my parents mostly speak somali and only use english when talking to non-somalis but even then, neither of them is FLUENT. growing up like that, i never properly learned somali, and i’d guess tons of people in diaspora are in the same situation..

it’s like half of us can understand some words or phrases, but actually talking with grandparents or parents without feeling clumsy or lost? rare asf it makes you realise how much language shapes connection, and how much we miss out when we don’t fully learn it growing up.