Hola, Oi, Ciao, Where Am I and What's My Name!?

I recently read an article about how bilingualism seems to stave off dementia and Alzheimer’s in seniors. It doesn't actually prevent it but keeps it at bay for an extra 5 to 10 years or so. I suppose when you’re 85, 5 years can mean an awfully lot.

The thing is, what constitutes full bilingualism? I mean, I speak a little Spanish, dabble in the French, I’m working on Portuguese, and speak Italian - more or less. I would like to say I’m fluent in the last of these, but I fear that would be a half-truth. 
I can carry on a conversation and make myself understood even if that means occasionally relying on descriptive phrases to discuss topics in which specific language is used or just due to a plain lack of vocabulary. At times, I confuse verb tenses - but for general, every day use, my Italian is quite adequate - but am I bilingual?

There are varying degrees of proficiency, that to the untrained ear would go unnoticed, but like any subject one studies in depth, it becomes apparent that at a certain level of proficiency one is made aware of the lack of depth of one’s knowledge and how very much more there is to know.

The same thing occurs for me in music. I play the piano - but I am not a virtuoso - in fact, I’m not very good. But for someone who doesn’t play at all, or plays very little, they might think I am far more skilled at the keyboard than I’ve any right to be considered (especially now that I don’t play nearly as frequently as I once did). Along with that comes the awareness that I’ve barely touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the depth of musical knowledge out there. In this case, it is clear to me that I wade in the shallow end of the musical pool.

But language. Language is another thing. Yes, I know, music is a language all its own and should be considered one - but on the other hand, the method in which it conveys ideas, feelings, etc. is far different from the syntax of a spoken language.

Understanding that vocabulary, or the lack thereof, in our mother tongue, does not make us any less fluent in it - and yet, were we to work at the continuous improvement of our own personal lexicons, would that simply make us more proficient, knowledgeable, or would it render us more fluent? How does one know, or who is to decide, and what tools are used to measure? I don’t know, although I’d like to.

In some ways, it’s an exercise in vanity - I like the ‘idea’ of being a polyglot - at the same time, I have a very keen interest in languages and I like the idea of being able to communicate with others in their own tongues. I think it’s fascinating.

Well, whether it’s fascinating, vain, or simply curiosity, I plan on continuing the pursuit of language - and if it prevents me from becoming senile at too tender an age, all the better!


(This was certainly grasping at 'subject' straws!)