February 2008
The key to learning a new language is all about the motivation behind it.
The why is more important than the how. By understanding the drive in spending
hours upon hours to master a language will give you the inspiration to continue
when it gets all boring and dull. Some people choose to learn a language because
they are about to live in a new country. Other individuals seek to take on a new
language to expand their network of friends, business relationships and a chance to meet new people.
Even people who are natives to the English language cannot take for granted that everyone will understand them. To truly appreciate a country is to understand its language. Some expressions loose their flavor in translation. By learning the language of a country you are visiting, shows a willingness to people living there that you take them seriously. Your trip is more than just getting off a bus, taking a picture and saying to your friends back home "look I was there." The fact remains while you may have Kodak moments of your trip in some foreign country, you really never took the time to converse with the people and understand their culture.
Don’t worry about making mistakes when trying to speak a new language. The only way to learn is practice, practice, practice. People are willing to give you the time and help you when you demonstrating a commitment to speak their language.
We live in a global community that is just a simply click away. Physical landscapes may separate us, but with the arrival of the internet make those borders disappear. A person from China can chat with another individual in Ireland. Computers now can actually carry phone call conversations. Not only can you write to a friend in a different country, but you can also speak with that person as well and it does not cost much. Learning other languages is becoming less and less of an option and more and more of a necessity.
Learning a language should be more than just getting by on how to order in a restaurant, find directions to nearest museum and where the toilet is. Taking the time to master a language should give you the ability to communicate properly and carry on a conversation than just who won in the latest soccer game. Language influences culture. It helps you understand how other people think. It expands your general understanding of our world and the many people who live in it.