If I learned english and another language simultaneously when I was growing up, could I list them both under first language in the common app?
I think there is a question asking what is the primary language spoken at home. But there is also a question asking how many languages you are fluent in. So,you should have it covered.
Why not? We know families where the parents made a concerted effort to speak only in their own (different) native languages to the kids so they would be fluent in both. Those kids put down two languages as ‘primary.’ (I remember asking them what language they dream in…they said it depended on whom they where speaking to and what about.)
Yes.
When I was applying to colleges last year, I listed 3 languages as my first language. @“N’s Mom” 's example above is exactly what happened in my house - my parents each spoke a different first language, which also differed from the language of my country of birth. I’m sure a linguistics expert could figure out which one is my true first language, but since my first word (mama) is the same in all 3, I don’t think it really matters.
FWIW, my dreams (the ones I remember, anyway) tend to follow the prevalence of how much I’m speaking the language. Going to school here, they tend to be mostly in English; back home; I rarely dream in English.