Between Two Languages

Teresa Takeuti Milnitsky, an English student, was born in Jacaresinho, PR, where she lived until she was five years old.

At that age she moved to Joaquim Távora, a city in Parana’s countryside, where she grew up. After some years there, she moved to Telêmaco Borba, also in Parana’s countryside, where she finished the Fundamental School. Then she got into university and graduated as a math teacher. She taught math for about 8 years.

In 1978 she moved to Porto Alegre and started studying English, a language she has always liked. Her parents spoke Japanese, but they never taught her, then some time later she began studying this language, mainly because of her curiosity of knowing the language and culture of her parents’ country.

She has been a Japanese teacher since then, also teaching at UFRGS for some time as a substitute teacher of Japanese, Culture and translation, a dream she achieved. And in 2006 she went to Japan, where she stayed for one month, “The best place I’ve ever been to”, she says.

She is a dynamic person and is always smiling. She is also dedicated in the subjects she studies or works at. Sometimes while speaking English she switches to Japanese, a thing that only happens with bilingual people, though.