No instance exists of a person's writing two language perfectly. That will always appear to be his native language which was most familiar to him in his youth.
Interpretation
Mastery of a language is often tied to the one learned in childhood, reflecting familiarity and comfort.
Thomas Jefferson's quote highlights the idea that language acquisition is deeply rooted in our early experiences. A person's proficiency in a language is typically strongest in the one they were exposed to during their formative years, emphasizing the lasting impact of childhood learning on linguistic skills and expression.
In practice
In a language class to emphasize the importance of early education.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
βWe must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.
The game of life is the game of everlasting learning. At least it is if you want to win.
Studying goes deeper than mere reading. There are surface nuggets to be gathered but the best of the gold is underneath, and it takes time and labor to secure it.
When I say history is a matter of life and death, I mean this: If you really don't know history, you are a victim of whatever the authorities tell you. You have no way of checking up on them. You have no way of deciding whether there is any truth in what they are saying.
Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.
Let others pride themselves about how many pages they have written; I'd rather boast about the ones I've read.
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