After reading a book about hyperpolygottism titled
Mezzofanti’s Gift, I was inspired to keep a journal of my language learning
journey and my language projects. I decided that the best first post would be
for me to share about what I feel to be the key things that really helped me in
my journey. Hope this list is useful to you guys! And do let me know if there
are other points that you feel should be included.
One: Choosing Wisely
The first question that you have to answer, is why are you
learning this language? If it is for prestige, for the bragging rights of
adding another language to your repertoire or to indulge in some odd display of
geek machismo, then you are already off to the wrong start. Choose to learn a
language because you think it is beautiful; because you are fascinated by its
literature, theatre, drama, cinema; because your best friend (or group of
friends) speaks that language; because you have always wanted to travel to a
particular place; because you want to challenge yourself; because you want to
work somewhere else; because you are dating someone who speaks that language;
because that language sings to you. Having the right reasons (and powerful
motivations) behind learning a language provide you with a solid foundation for
embarking upon an amazing journey.
二： Stop doubting yourself
Too many think that only extraordinarily gifted people can
learn three or more languages asides from their native tongue. The myths about a
language gene, about elite brains, about having a superior memory or just being
innately attuned to sounds may be true. I am not denying that perhaps some
people have been gifted with certain abilities that make language learning
easier. Still, just because someone has longer legs does not mean you cannot
run faster than them. Language learning is about a combination of things, of
which the most important in my opinion is motivation and dedication. Think of
language learning like growing a tree. You head out to the shop and decide what
kind of tree you want and why you want that tree. Is it for shade or fruit or
just for beauty? You buy the seed, and you bring it home and plant it. You take
care of it. You water it, nurture it, protect its leaves from harmful pests and
you watch it grow day by day. Having courage to actually start on a language,
to break that fresh, new ground is key. Too many people end up growing old and
regretting that they did not start learning a language at a younger age. So get
that language off your annual resolution list and turn your dreams into
reality.
Drei: Set a Goal
Knowing what you want and where you want to go is key in
language learning. This is also intimately connected with why you want to learn
the language. For example, I just decided to start on Cambodian or Khmer (more
on that in a later blog post) a week prior to my short trip to Cambodia. I just
wanted to know enough conversational Khmer to be able to get around, order food
and perhaps start a small conversation. Even the most pathetic seeming, lame
ass conversation starters like “Hello, how are you? My name is ____” in the
local language could be the beginning of a much longer and more fruitful
conversation (presumably after you switch to a language that both of you are
mutually comfortable in). Some people just want to be able to read in a
language – in that case, conversational skills are secondary. Some people only
want to speak a language and do not necessarily want to go through the hassle
of learning how to read and write, particularly if the language uses an
alphabetical system unlike those of the languages they know. Knowing what you
want can help reduce the amount of stress that often accompanies language
learning. Not everyone wants to or can become “native” in a language, but that
often isn’t necessary. We all have different aspirations and different aims.
The idea that “If I learn a language I should continue till I’m fluent in it”
is completely misleading and dangerous. In fact, I think more often that not it
deters people from picking up a language. I am unlikely to continue Khmer after
my trip to Cambodia, but if I ever return, I will probably review the material
that I have accumulated so far. Khmer is not a language that I expect to use in
the future, so it makes no sense for me to invest more effort in it once my
trip is over. Not everyone wants to be able to read and discuss Nietzsche in
German or be able to debate Russian military tactics in Russian or write
Chinese poetry.
أربعة : Grammar isn't the be all and end all
Sometimes I have found myself worrying about my grammar.
What if I mix up my present and future tense – or worse my past and future
tense? What if I forget to say/write the את
before a
definite noun in Hebrew? What if I forget the past conditional tense? Honestly,
don’t panic! Many native speakers make various grammatical errors. Take
Singaporeans for example. Even as native speakers of English we still make tons
of mistakes. Germans aren’t even comfortable using the Genitiv case these days.
Learning a language is about being able to communicate to your target audience,
to be able to write an email to someone, to be able to have a conversation with
the fruit seller on the street. Mistakes are inevitable as one progress in
language learning (though ideally they should decrease as one becomes more
familiar and confident in the language). Grammar is meant to help you
communicate your ideas, not have you worry about it so much that you become
afraid to use the language for fear of making a mistake.
Cinco: Mistakes – Learn to Accept Them
What
if I misspell schießen (to shoot in
German) as scheißen (to shit)?
Really, don’t worry. The people you are talking to or writing to will
understand you even if you make mistakes. I have had my German friends burst
out laughing when I mispronounce certain words like schießen and scheißen but
it is all in good fun. When foreigners learning Chinese try to practice what
they have learnt with me – sometimes I have no clue what they are saying as
their tones are completely off. But mistakes, like boggarts, are best defeated
by laughter. Laugh at your mistakes, remember them and try not to make them again.
They are a critical part of the learning process and sometimes crucially
necessary. I could not get the hang of the Arabic iDaafa (إضافة) until after I received
my essay corrections and comments from my teachers. It took me a long time to
internalize and understand the concept but once I did, my mistakes in this area
fell dramatically. Time, effort and determination are ultimately key to
overcoming language difficulties.
שש: Never be Alone
Even
if you are intent on studying Akkadian, languages should never be done alone.
We are not hermits secluding ourselves in an inaccessible cave. Having someone
to practice the language with, be it a fellow language learner, a teacher or a
native speaker is immensely beneficial. Not only do you get real life speaking practice, you also get instant real time correction of your errors. Nothing
forces the brain to internalize grammatical concepts and words than having to
actually use them in conversation. You will have to make spilt second decisions
regarding word order, tenses, cases and at the more advanced stages, word
choice. Embarking on such an ambitious project as language learning can be
lonely, exasperating and stressful. Like most things in life, it is nice to
have someone you can talk to and work out your language difficulties with.
Sete: Throw that Schedule out of the window
I
do not necessarily mean you should have no plans or timetables for learning a
language. It is great to have a rough idea of where you want to be in say a
week, or a month or a year. It is great to set yourself a goal of learning a
set of vocabulary by the end of the week (I just finished trying to internalize
the Cambodian names of 23 types of fruit). But it is unproductive and frankly
(at least to me) quite off putting to declare a certain segment of the day as
your language segment. It’s like saying that 3-4pm every day will be my German
hour. No! It should not work like this. Take advantage of every little opening.
The more time you spend on something may not necessarily make your learning process more productive. That 5
minutes whilst you are waiting for the train is a perfect time to review
vocabulary or learn a couple of new words. Your language acquisition should not
be limited temporally or spatially. You can do it on the bus, whilst in the
queue at the supermarket, trying to kill time at that unexpected stopover and
especially whilst waiting for friends who are late. Putting your language
learning into a rigid timetable is a sure set formula for sucking the life out
of it. Learn when you can, wherever you can and when you want to.
ប្រាំបី: Talk to yourself
I
have received countless weird stares from strangers as I walk from place to place as I am usually talking to myself. Sometimes they are coherent
sentences that make sense in relation to what I must do: “Heute muss ich meine Hausaufgaben schreiben” (I have to do my
homework today). Sometimes it is simply just random words like la coyuntura or derribar.
Sometimes they are just random phrases that pop into my head – the weirdest one
being a famous quotation from Mao Zedong – 中华人民共和国成立了， 中华人民从此站起来了 (The People’s
Republic of China has been founded, the Chinese people have arisen). Recently,
I have taken to singing הַתִּקְוָה (Hatikvah) whilst walking home from the subway
station simply because I use the song to remember a ton of new Hebrew words. So
yes, sometimes I seem a little crazy to others talking to myself, but I find
that it is the best way to practice pronunciation and also to recall words that
I have only just recently learnt. Just earlier today, I was creating a mini
introduction in Cambodian and saying it out loud just to practice the tonal
structure of what I find to be a rather unusual language. I have gotten used to
the stares and sometimes it helps. Just picture their bamboozlement and how you
have managed to confound them by just mumbling some strange sounding foreign
words and you’ll understand why this is an effective and usually hilarious
exercise. For those learning Arabic though, a word of caution – some people do
not really take it kindly when you start reciting a list of Arabic vocabulary on public transportation, especially in the US.
Sembilan: Listen to Music and Watch Shows
The bombardment of sounds that
one gets when listening to a foreign song or watching a foreign movie is key in
getting one’s ear attuned to the range and variety of sounds in a foreign language. Later
on, it becomes a great way to pick up slang and also to see how words fit
together in grammatical ways. Things like metaphors also abound in song and
film. Unless you are learning a dead language like Latin or a really difficult
to find minority language like Tucano, it is almost always quite easy to find
songs on YouTube and their accompanying lyrics online. Finding subtitles to
films can be challenging but definitely not undoable. Perhaps one of the most
satisfying things can come from understanding a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph
or even an entire dialogue from a song or film. There is really no greater
validation and morale boost to your language-learning quest – except for being
able to have a conversation in your target language with a native speaker.
பத்து: Have fun!
You are not about to go for a
trigonometry exam. You are learning a language (I hope) because you want to and
because you like it. It should be a fun process! Do not burden yourself with
trying to learn every word in the language. I do not even bother with
scientific and technical words in any language that I learn. I mean seriously,
unless you are a physics aficionado, there is no need to be able to discuss
string theory in any language. Learning languages is a lifelong thing. If you
cannot have fun learning them, perhaps you have to reevaluate why you want to
learn a language or reexamine your approach towards learning. Sure there are
points in language learning that can be excruciatingly torturous – like memorizing tables of verb forms and declensions. But it cannot be all pain. Take pride in
key moments – your first joke in German, your first pun in Arabic, the first
time you understood a news broadcast in Hebrew, being able to understand what
people are saying to a reporter without looking at the translation, being able
to watch a movie without any subtitles. Every small triumph should be
celebrated!
In German there is a word
called Sprachgefühl or literally language feeling. That is perhaps
the key to language learning. Successful language learners should try to
distill the essence of a language, to find both its heart and skin. Understanding what makes a language tick is often the key to unlocking good pronunciation,
rhythm of speech, expressions and even appropriate facial and body language.
Like my Spanish teacher used to say “Cada lengua tiene su
propia alma.” (Every language has its own
unique soul). Aim to feel your language and soon you will be able to think and
dream in it.
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