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Is it at all idiomatic to say "between doing something and doing something else, I've realized that..."?

English Language & Usage Asked by Felipe Langaro on August 23, 2021

I’m writing a personal statement and I want to explain that while on a language learning journey and, later on, on a language teaching career, I realized what languages actually represent in the world. While doing it, I had a feeling that if I wrote something like

between learning and teaching, I’ve realized that…

it would be fine, but I’d like someone to back this up first.

3 Answers

You can use the idiomatic expression what with:

What with learning and teaching, I have realized ..

(Cambridge Dictionary)

Answered by user 66974 on August 23, 2021

This is a correct locution for expressing what you have in mind, as shows the folowing OALD definition.

​between doing something - used to show that several activities are involved
Between working full-time and taking care of the kids, he didn't have much time for hobbies.

There is, however, another one, which is "what with" (it's the object of user 121863's answwer). I couldn't assert which of the two locutions is more common or preferred but it seems to me that "what with" would be somewhat more expressive, maybe because of its carrying no ambiguity.

Answered by LPH on August 23, 2021

I am going to disagree with the highly upvoted answer by @LPH

Between refers to a place that is neither one thing nor another.

Between working full-time and taking care of the kids, he didn't have much time for hobbies.

This means that there was no time or space between working and caretaking to have a hobby.

between learning and teaching, I've realized that...

This could mean that you took a break between learning and teaching and it was during that gap that you realized something.

At best it is ambiguous.


Suggestions

Through learning and teaching, I've realized that...

Having experienced both learning and teaching, I've realized that...

Having been both learner and teacher, I've realized that...

Answered by chasly - supports Monica on August 23, 2021

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