Easy as A-B-C. What I Learned While Learning a Language.
Photo by: http://x1brettstuff.blogspot.com
In 2002, when I landed in China, I was committed to learning the language. I had spent a semester abroad prior to this trip, but not managed to pick up much. I was committed this time. There was nothing that was going to get in my way from gaining fluency. Being unaccustomed to the food and losing fifteen pounds in my first month also did wonders for my motivation. Language learning quickly moved from “passing hobby”, to survival skill.
The learning journey came with its highs and lows, but never got me into more trouble than I could talk myself out of. Most importantly, it connected me to my humanity in three important ways.
1) Wonderment
“We don’t have a word for that in English.” Sure, I have heard people say this, and, with English’s propensity to adopt foreign words, it makes sense that words and phrases exist outside of its boundaries. However, to experience, and finally realize that there is this emotion or idea that exists outside of the language you have always known, well, it is pretty magical.
It’s like a little secret, that once you uncover, infuses you with energy. You’ve somehow attained a new way to connect to others, as well as your own experiences.
My first such phrase was cha bu duo (差不多). A phrase in Mandarin that approximately means approximately, but this translation just doesn’t do it justice. It is an idea, some might argue a philosophy, to approach life by not getting so hung up on the details. You would be just as likely to use it comparing two restaurant’s menus as you would after having just finished hanging a picture on your wall at home. “Pretty much the same” and that’ll do” could be interchanged in these situations, but, honestly, neither of them truly capture the meaning. We just don’t have a phrase for it in English.
To fathom that there are these ideas out there, among so many other languages, creates a real sense of wonderment. These windows into unknown emotions, ideas, or feelings, are just out there, waiting to be discovered.
2) Patience
I remember reading a short story in high school about a Mexican immigrant to the United States. The story revealed the anxiety and stress this woman felt while rehearsing the vocabulary necessary to run her daily errands. She feared being misunderstood, or worse, bullied or scolded for not speaking English. I have never known the pressure or stress that woman felt (except for this one time in Paris).
My language speaking was never met with such expectation. Being able to converse in Mandarin was only ever met with happiness and interest from the Chinese. The novelty resulted in a curiosity as well as a patience to allow me to mispronounce words and mangle sentence structures. I could fail, and as a result, quickly improve.
It has served as a nice reminder, that whenever I hear someone speaking with an accent, it is likely their second or third language. They are trying to solve a problem, buy their groceries, or simply connect to others. Patience, then, can go a long way to making learning a language as enjoyable as it should be.
3) Achievement
Ordering my first meal. Purchasing my first train ticket. Telling my first joke. Each of these marked a milestone. Hitting each of these milestones created a rush. Until now, you have stood behind the red velvet rope, but now, the bouncer waves you in, to join the other VIPs.
Like both physical and emotional growth, this intellectual growth also did not happen predictably. There is an ebb and flow to language acquisition, which made the sense of achievement even sweeter, as it often came on the heels of days or weeks of frustration.
Even better this feeling is available to anyone. Achievement doesn’t require permission as much as it requires persistence. There is always a next milestone, another adventure to be had, in search of achievement.
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Language provides a deeper insight into a culture and way of thinking, and the nuances that exist between people. It provides an opportunity to create new pathways in our brains and realize the assumptions we operate under when speaking in our mother tongue.
By learning a language, I have been able to connect with so many new people. I have enjoyed fulfilling interactions, rowdy nights, and good-humored exchanges. Even better, the wonderment, patience, and sense of achievement I have gained along the way, offer me an opportunity to connect to anyone, as this is a language we all share.