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.
Education fails unless the Three R's at one end of the school spectrum lead ultimately to the Four P's at the other-Preparati on for Earning, Preparation for Living, Preparation for Understanding, Preparation for Participation in the problems involved in the making of a better world.
I've been telling my students, 'Imitate, imitate.' And they say, 'Well, what if I plagiarize, or what if I'm not original? I want to be myself.' And I always tell them, 'Your self will shine through'... If you allow yourself to feel deeply and honestly, what you say won't be like anyone else.
We have a complex system of government. You have to teach it to every generation.
What is much harder to handle is the sense that you have to live up to the mark someone else has set for you. The grades become too important, the competition too frantic, the fear of disappointing those who believe in you turns into an overwhelming nightmare.
The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.
Kids will remind you that, even though you've gone down a road 100 times, it's brand new for them - and that's healthy.
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