--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I grew up listening to people speaking…" description: "\"I grew up listening to people speaking broken English. I probably picked that up. And I probably speak English almost as a second language.\" — Christop..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/christopher-walken-1773_broken_i-grew-up-listening-to-people-speaking-b_3201886.jpg" --- # I grew up listening to people speaking broken English. I… ![“I grew up listening to people speaking broken English. I probably picked that up. And I probably speak English almost as a second language.” quote by Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/christopher-walken-1773_broken_i-grew-up-listening-to-people-speaking-b_3201886.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/christopher-walken-1773_broken_i-grew-up-listening-to-people-speaking-b_3201886.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/045/christopher-walken-1773_broken_i-grew-up-listening-to-people-speaking-b_3201886.jpg) > “I grew up listening to people speaking broken English. I probably picked that up. And I probably speak English almost as a second language.” [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes that growing up hearing broken English shaped his own speech, making English feel like a second language. **In simple terms:** Broken English influences personal language style. Key Takeaway Acknowledge how early language exposure shapes communication. Themes language identity adaptation culture Mood introspective analytical Type personal educational When to use this quote - immigration experiences - language learning - public speaking Key Concepts linguistics socialization acculturation Questions to Reflect On - How does early language environment affect later speech? - Can broken language become a creative asset? A Different Perspective Assuming all speakers feel the same may ignore individual differences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Broken english](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken-english/) [English Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-probably-5631713/) [English Second](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-second-778354/) [Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew/) [Grew up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew-up/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Second Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-language/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speak english](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-english/) ## Related quotes > [Wherever I go, I have to speak English, which is my second language. So whenever you get a chance to speak in your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivica-zubac/wherever-i-go-i-have-to-speak-english-which-is-my-second-language-so/) [Ivica Zubac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivica-zubac/) > [English is my second language. Laughter is my first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krassner/english-is-my-second-language-laughter-is-my-first/) [Paul Krassner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krassner/) > [It's always a unique challenge when you're working with somebody where English is their second language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/it-s-always-a-unique-challenge-when-you-re-working-with-somebody/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [“We, Brandy and Alfa and me, we've been speaking English as a second language so long that we've forgotten it as our first. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-brandy-and-alfa-and-me-we-ve-been-speaking-english-as-a-second/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [We've been speaking English as a second language so long that we've forgotten it as our first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ve-been-speaking-english-as-a-second-language-so-long-that-we-ve/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“English is my second language, My first language is love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/english-is-my-second-language-my-first-language-is-love/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [If your computer speaks English, it was probably made in Japan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/if-your-computer-speaks-english-it-was-probably-made-in-japan/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [Oh that's very English, that's probably why. 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It's a rhythm thing - people who speak English where they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/both-my-parents-had-heavy-accents-and-so-did-everybody-they-knew-it-s/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [Somebody said to me that I speak English almost like somebody for whom English is not their first language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/somebody-said-to-me-that-i-speak-english-almost-like-somebody-for/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) ## More by Christopher Walken > [One thing that's happened to me is I've been around a long time and I've played a lot of villains and so forth. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/one-thing-that-s-happened-to-me-is-i-ve-been-around-a-long-time-and-i/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [In my personal life I'm very conservative. I've been married to the same person for nearly 50 years, I'm scrupulous about paying bills, avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/in-my-personal-life-i-m-very-conservative-i-ve-been-married-to-the/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I grew up in the '50s, in New York City, where television was born. There were 90 live shows every week, and they used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-grew-up-in-the-50s-in-new-york-city-where-television-was-born-there/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I think that a good movie creates its own world, and that world needn't refer to anything that's real. 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I felt it quivering, spitting out broken teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/my-life-was-incoherent-to-me-i-felt-it-quivering-spitting-out-broken/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [Don't fix what's not broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-atkins/don-t-fix-what-s-not-broken/) [Robert Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-atkins/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. 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