--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father had barely any education. He…" description: "\"My father had barely any education. He could hardly write or count. But his great pride was that he was perfectly bilingual. In the household, he enter..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/robert-lepage-5205_education_my-father-had-barely-any-education-he-co_1704898.jpg" --- # My father had barely any education. He could hardly write… ![“My father had barely any education. He could hardly write or count. But his great pride was that he was perfectly bilingual. In the household, he entertained this idea that we had to speak both languages.” quote by Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/robert-lepage-5205_education_my-father-had-barely-any-education-he-co_1704898.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/robert-lepage-5205_education_my-father-had-barely-any-education-he-co_1704898.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ef/robert-lepage-5205_education_my-father-had-barely-any-education-he-co_1704898.jpg) > “My father had barely any education. He could hardly write or count. But his great pride was that he was perfectly bilingual. In the household, he entertained this idea that we had to speak both languages.” [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A father, despite limited formal schooling, values bilingualism and insists his family maintain both languages, reflecting cultural pride and identity preservation. **In simple terms:** Father values bilingualism despite low education. Key Takeaway Embrace and preserve language heritage. Themes family culture identity education pride Mood proud reflective determined Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - immigrant families - multilingual households - language revitalization - parental influence - cultural education Key Concepts bilingualism cultural transmission self‑esteem Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape family identity? - What challenges arise in maintaining bilingualism? A Different Perspective Limited formal education may hinder broader opportunities despite linguistic skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barely Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barely-education-1186850/) [Bilingual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bilingual/) [Bilingual Household](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bilingual-household-1186848/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Perfectly Bilingual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectly-bilingual-1186849/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) ## Related quotes > [I came here when I was almost 22. I'm perfectly bilingual, but I'm never going to sound like Sandra Bullock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roselyn-sanchez/i-came-here-when-i-was-almost-22-i-m-perfectly-bilingual-but-i-m/) [Roselyn Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roselyn-sanchez/) > [My new play 'Chinglish,' which will go to Broadway, is about a white American businessman who goes to a provincial capital in China, hoping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/my-new-play-chinglish-which-will-go-to-broadway-is-about-a-white/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [I'm bilingual, I speak english and photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mckain/i-m-bilingual-i-speak-english-and-photography/) [Nigel McKain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mckain/) > [He speaks English, Spanish, and he's bilingual too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-king/he-speaks-english-spanish-and-he-s-bilingual-too/) [Don King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-king/) > [My first languages are German and Spanish because I was brought up by a Spanish mother and a German father, so I always spoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-bruhl/my-first-languages-are-german-and-spanish-because-i-was-brought-up-by/) [Daniel Bruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-bruhl/) > [“In my opinion, dual language education is a great public good that ought to be developed everywhere, as it can positively transform a child,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrice-jaumont/in-my-opinion-dual-language-education-is-a-great-public-good-that/) [Fabrice Jaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabrice-jaumont/) > [My grandmother is bilingual, but she preferred to speak Spanish at home, so she would speak to us in Spanish, and everyone responded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-navedo/my-grandmother-is-bilingual-but-she-preferred-to-speak-spanish-at/) [Andrea Navedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-navedo/) > [If you do not learn English in this country, you cannot get anywhere. We are in America. We are not in Mexico, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-cruz/if-you-do-not-learn-english-in-this-country-you-cannot-get-anywhere/) [Rafael Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-cruz/) > [I think it's not an easy task because there's not enough Latino writers that are being given opportunities to write things - and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karla-souza/i-think-it-s-not-an-easy-task-because-there-s-not-enough-latino/) [Karla Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karla-souza/) > [I'm bilingual. I speak English and I speak educationese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hufstedler/i-m-bilingual-i-speak-english-and-i-speak-educationese/) [Shirley Hufstedler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hufstedler/) > [My films have become bilingual. When everyone saw 'Chennai Express,' they said it was a bilingual. But I am proud that 'Chennai Express' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-shetty/my-films-have-become-bilingual-when-everyone-saw-chennai-express-they/) [Rohit Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-shetty/) > [History shows, in my opinion, that no nation can survive the tension, conflict and antagonism of two competing languages and cultures. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lamm/history-shows-in-my-opinion-that-no-nation-can-survive-the-tension/) [Richard Lamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lamm/) > [You'd never be able to convince someone to give you money to do a bilingual story where you're not translating half of it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-k-vaughan/you-d-never-be-able-to-convince-someone-to-give-you-money-to-do-a/) [Brian K. Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-k-vaughan/) > [My wife and I have spent most of our lives in France, and we are both pretty well bilingual, my wife more purely than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/my-wife-and-i-have-spent-most-of-our-lives-in-france-and-we-are-both/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [I grew up in a community that was bilingual. I've done it for a while, singing in both languages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-secada/i-grew-up-in-a-community-that-was-bilingual-i-ve-done-it-for-a-while/) [Jon Secada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-secada/) ## More by Robert Lepage > [Without meaning to sound crass, I've never had any psychological... help. It's because I feel my work is so revealing about who I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/without-meaning-to-sound-crass-i-ve-never-had-any-psychological-help/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [We tend to forget that in those days before the Internet and HBO and Imax and 3-D cinema, opera was the thing. Opera and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/we-tend-to-forget-that-in-those-days-before-the-internet-and-hbo-and/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [The first 'Ring' in Bayreuth was about the poetical world, the mythological world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/the-first-ring-in-bayreuth-was-about-the-poetical-world-the/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [For me, theater will always be very, very much alive, but not necessarily in the theatrical tradition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/for-me-theater-will-always-be-very-very-much-alive-but-not/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [I can't really define myself as a dramatist or as an actor or as someone who is interested in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/i-can-t-really-define-myself-as-a-dramatist-or-as-an-actor-or-as/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [When we work on a new theatre piece, we improvise a lot. But it's the opposite in opera, where everything is fixed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/when-we-work-on-a-new-theatre-piece-we-improvise-a-lot-but-it-s-the/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [Everybody loves Vegas, and everybody puts it down, especially intellectuals and artists. We have to rub our feet on it, but we're all secretly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/everybody-loves-vegas-and-everybody-puts-it-down-especially/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [I've always had a passion for geography. Even at a very young age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/i-ve-always-had-a-passion-for-geography-even-at-a-very-young-age/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [I want to be surprised by life... I think that's more interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/i-want-to-be-surprised-by-life-i-think-that-s-more-interesting/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [Reading fairytales to children expands their imaginations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/reading-fairytales-to-children-expands-their-imaginations/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [My naivety is to assume people will think there's compassion and solidarity in wanting to play someone even though we are not them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/my-naivety-is-to-assume-people-will-think-there-s-compassion-and/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [A puppet, for example, is just a piece of wood, a couple of rivets, but put them together, and if you know how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/a-puppet-for-example-is-just-a-piece-of-wood-a-couple-of-rivets-but/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [In everything I've done, I've always tried to make room for indigenous people, to include them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/in-everything-i-ve-done-i-ve-always-tried-to-make-room-for-indigenous/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [When I went into the conservatory at 17, then I was able to open up and accept everything about myself and show my feminine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/when-i-went-into-the-conservatory-at-17-then-i-was-able-to-open-up/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) > [During the tour of 'Circulations,' we spent a lot of time in Canadian Chinatowns. I was fascinated by the idea that you can cross…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lepage/during-the-tour-of-circulations-we-spent-a-lot-of-time-in-canadian/) [Robert Lepage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) [Explore all 100 Robert Lepage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lepage/) ## More Bilingual quotes > [I grew up in a community that was bilingual. I've done it for a while, singing in both languages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-secada/i-grew-up-in-a-community-that-was-bilingual-i-ve-done-it-for-a-while/) [Jon Secada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-secada/) > [My wife and I have spent most of our lives in France, and we are both pretty well bilingual, my wife more purely than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/my-wife-and-i-have-spent-most-of-our-lives-in-france-and-we-are-both/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [You'd never be able to convince someone to give you money to do a bilingual story where you're not translating half of it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-k-vaughan/you-d-never-be-able-to-convince-someone-to-give-you-money-to-do-a/) [Brian K. Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-k-vaughan/) > [History shows, in my opinion, that no nation can survive the tension, conflict and antagonism of two competing languages and cultures. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lamm/history-shows-in-my-opinion-that-no-nation-can-survive-the-tension/) [Richard Lamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lamm/) > [My films have become bilingual. When everyone saw 'Chennai Express,' they said it was a bilingual. But I am proud that 'Chennai Express' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-shetty/my-films-have-become-bilingual-when-everyone-saw-chennai-express-they/) [Rohit Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-shetty/) > [I'm bilingual. I speak English and I speak educationese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hufstedler/i-m-bilingual-i-speak-english-and-i-speak-educationese/) [Shirley Hufstedler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hufstedler/) > [I think it's not an easy task because there's not enough Latino writers that are being given opportunities to write things - and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karla-souza/i-think-it-s-not-an-easy-task-because-there-s-not-enough-latino/) [Karla Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karla-souza/) > [If you do not learn English in this country, you cannot get anywhere. We are in America. We are not in Mexico, we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-cruz/if-you-do-not-learn-english-in-this-country-you-cannot-get-anywhere/) [Rafael Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-cruz/) > [My grandmother is bilingual, but she preferred to speak Spanish at home, so she would speak to us in Spanish, and everyone responded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-navedo/my-grandmother-is-bilingual-but-she-preferred-to-speak-spanish-at/) [Andrea Navedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-navedo/) > [“In my opinion, dual language education is a great public good that ought to be developed everywhere, as it can positively transform a child,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrice-jaumont/in-my-opinion-dual-language-education-is-a-great-public-good-that/) [Fabrice Jaumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabrice-jaumont/) > [My first languages are German and Spanish because I was brought up by a Spanish mother and a German father, so I always spoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-bruhl/my-first-languages-are-german-and-spanish-because-i-was-brought-up-by/) [Daniel Bruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-bruhl/) > [He speaks English, Spanish, and he's bilingual too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-king/he-speaks-english-spanish-and-he-s-bilingual-too/) [Don King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-king/) > [I'm bilingual, I speak english and photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mckain/i-m-bilingual-i-speak-english-and-photography/) [Nigel McKain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mckain/) > [My new play 'Chinglish,' which will go to Broadway, is about a white American businessman who goes to a provincial capital in China, hoping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/my-new-play-chinglish-which-will-go-to-broadway-is-about-a-white/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [I came here when I was almost 22. I'm perfectly bilingual, but I'm never going to sound like Sandra Bullock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roselyn-sanchez/i-came-here-when-i-was-almost-22-i-m-perfectly-bilingual-but-i-m/) [Roselyn Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roselyn-sanchez/) [Browse all 56 Bilingual quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bilingual/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My father had barely any education. He could hardly write or count. But his great pride was that he was perfectly bilingual. 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