❝You can never understand one language until you understand at least two.❞
Problem #2456 of being a linguist: Arriving in a country and instantly wishing that you spoke the language. Then ensues the feeling of annoyance and guilt that you don't speak the language. Then deciding 'Actually, when I get home, I'm going to learn this damn language'.
The thing that I love most about languages, is that they are always accessible. It is not like a certain job, wherefore someone can tell you that you're not right for it, or you don't have the required qualifications. No one will ever tell you that you don't have the right characteristics or grades to learn a language. Okay, perhaps there are requirements to study a language at University, but that goes without saying for every degree (and perhaps it's not right, but that's another debate itself, that, might I add, the French seemed to have solved quite easily in their questionable policy of 'education for all'...). This is perhaps one of the downfalls of education, in my opinion, for it only takes one person to tell you that you're not capable of something in order to push you away from this venture for life. University of Southampton, before I left for my Year Abroad had started to offer a free language course, for all students, run by Santander. This consists of a week long intensive language course, at the end of the year, and as far as I believe gives you a certificate at the end. What a fantastic idea and opportunity, and a brilliant way of making languages fully accessible to anyone and everyone. Besides this pitfall in education, I am always drawn back to my school years, wherefore at the beginning of year 9, each child is either given the option to study a language or told they are not able to. This is a mediation of their current grades, and their expected grades and progress for the rest of their school career. As I have mentioned, language learning is an inherent ability that every human possesses, and perhaps one of the most important (and fascinating), so why, on Earth, would you want to hinder the possibility of this process? Why not encourage children, to the absolute full extent, to learn numerous languages? For surely, this is something that will, perhaps beyond other subjects, set them up to be able to integrate and work within numerous societies and countries. I have always felt that the English Schooling system could do with a few tweaks, and this is one of those tweaks that I feel very strongly about. I remember in my French class, in year 9, it wasn't cool to be good at the language. If you put your hand up to answer a question, you would most likely get looks of disgust and confusion and god forbid you knew the French word for 'ham'. You utter nerd, you. What a shame though, because I knew that damn word for ham, and consequently, I'm having the time of my life in France!
Every single human has the capacity to learn a new, if not numerous new, language(s), and that itself brings so many incredible opportunities. I am currently in the midst of learning German, a language that I have always wanted to learn, but was foremost inspired by the abundance of German friends that I have made here in France. Being in a situation such as this, wherefore one is surrounded entirely by linguists whom can speak 2,3... even 6 languages, besides making me feel a little bit inferior, has also given me a bit of a wake-up call. I have been learning French on and off for around 8 years now, and I have gotten to a point where I can comfortably get by daily and encounter minimal problems in every day life... but I want to learn more. In fact, this led me to good old Google, which told me that it is humanely possible to retain around 100 languages, at a spoken level. No time to live abroad you say? A top guy named Cardinal Joseph Caspar Mezzofanti knew more than 70 languages and could speak 38 without ever having left his homeland of Italy. If this doesn't inspire you to maybe just take up beginner classes in a language then I don't know what will! From someone who almost gave up studying French at University, I can quite honestly say that being able to speak to a native in their language gives a sense of satisfaction and achievement that I have personally never experienced elsewhere. It's a damn hard struggle at times (you might even shed a few tears), but my God, it's worth it.
I personally believe that physical and mental capacity are almost entirely redundant factors in language learning. Lifestyle, interest and willingness, attitudes and habits are however, in my opinion, the foremost important factors, and tend to determine what we can achieve much more than our physical or mental capacity.
To finish it off, I have compiled ten reasons, which in my opinion, are why you MUST learn a language! (and study or live abroad if you ever get the chance):
1. Languages open doors which you wouldn't otherwise know existed: I am currently studying in a French university, in the south of France, with complete strangers who some of no doubt will be good friends for life. If anyone had told me 3 years ago I would be doing this right now, I would have probably just made a strange face and walked away.
2. 'Travelling' takes on a complete new meaning: Wherefore before I would travel with family, take some pretty photos and Instagram them (Yes, okay, the Instagram part has yet to cease), being able to speak the language will allow for you to not only experience the beauty of a place, as before, but enable you to converse with the locals and learn things that you could not otherwise possibly encounter. You cannot possibly feel at home somewhere unless you are able to immerse yourself fully within the place itself, and the people. Besides this, learning a language gives you the opportunity to Study Abroad. I can honestly say that there is nothing about this year that I do, or will ever, regret. My little bubble in England has popped, and I am already making plans to study a Master's in the Netherlands when I have finished my degree. Amazing what a few months in a foreign country can do, eh?
3. Meet new people/ make lifelong friends: As I have already mentioned, I know without a shadow of doubt, that I have met people here who will be friends for life. It goes without saying that this was also the case at University in England, but there is something a little bit more special about meeting someone who lives (quite literally) on the other side of the World, and knowing that if it wasn't for this experience and choice in life, that you would have never encountered these people. It really does make you cherish things, and friendships, just that little bit more. Knowing also that you merely have one year with these people also puts things into perspective.
4. Career prospects: Arguably the most important, or the least, depending on your outlook on life. We live in an increasingly globalized world, wherefore companies are constantly expanding and moving overseas and companies alike are creating more and more relationships with clients all over the world. You have a bunch of candidates whom are all equally alike; a good degree, excellent people skills and strong work experience. Yet, one is bilingual... you do the maths. For me in particular, as someone studying English Literature, whilst it is a good basis for many careers, there are a lot of students who will most likely wish to enter the same career path as I. Therefore, I was indefinitely encouraged by this to master a language in order to possess skills which others may not. It's a dog eat dog world out there, I'm afraid!
5. Being stuck, mid-degree, is something we have all encountered. What on Earth am I going to do with this degree?/Why am I not studying Medicine?/ Why am I here?/ Should I give up and get a job in Portswood Burger King? - they are all questions which I can almost guarantee every student has thought of at least once or twice (maybe not the last one, but maybe so... good staff benefits, I hear...) Studying Abroad has, whilst allowing me a year out of intense English education, enabled me to seriously think about what I would like to do and explore some other options which might befall me in a foreign country. Even down to the fact that I have been able to take classes which are outside of my degree program, such as history modules. Wherefore my usual degree program is in its most part, structured to just literature classes, here I am able to explore different humanities and therefore perhaps explore things I may be interested in career wise.
These guys though...A. x
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