"We hear much about need for study of languages by the singer, and
indeed too much stress cannot be placed on this branch of the work. I
realize that in America it is perhaps more difficult to impress people
with this necessity, as they have not the same need to use other
languages in every day life. The singer can always be considered
fortunate who has been brought up from earliest years to more than one
language. My mother was Spanish, my father Italian, so this gave me
both languages at home. Then in school I learned French, German and
English, not only a little smattering of each, but how to write and
speak them."
"You certainly have mastered English remarkably well," I could not help
remarking, for she was speaking with great fluency, and with hardly any
accent. This seemed to please her, for she gave me one of those flashing
smiles.