The idea of being fluent in a foreign language is exciting.
It is enticing to think of being able to speak to someone from foreign land in their native language.
Isn’t it?
Well to me, it is.
I really want to be a polyglot with fluency in at least 10 languages.
But it is not the idea of nuanced interaction with foreigners in their native language that excites me.
It is this sense of wonder I have about how the mind of a polyglot processes a multitude of thoughts during such interactions, is what drives me to try learning different languages.
So far, I have tried learning four languages for a short while – Mandarin, Italian, German, and Spanish (in that order).
Learning a new language teaches you not only how differently the sentences are structured in different languages, but also the different patterns of thoughts required to create such sentences structures.
It is intriguing.
Let’s look at a simple example:
In Hindi:
Mujhe yeh kaam karna hai.
‘Mujhe’ is ‘I’ (Subject),
‘Yeh kaam’ is ‘This Task’ (Object)
‘Karna hai’ is ‘Have to do’ (Verb).
The structure becomes: I, This Task, Have to do, I.e. Subject, Object, Verb
In English:
I have to do this task.
The structure becomes: I, Have to do, This Task, i.e. Subject, Verb, Object.
Languages like Japanese, Mandarin are further varied, with some sentences beginning with the Verb.
Yet, all the languages manage to get nuanced and detailed communication across.
This is the very idea that makes me want to learn more languages.
It is not so much about the language, it is about the experience of culture, ideas and mindset.
Together, these give a deeper insight into the lifestyle of people of a particular culture.
Apart from the commercial benefits of learning a third (foreign) language, there is a great social benefit that it brings with it.
This has been beautifully expressed by Confucius:
To learn and to practice what is learned time and again is pleasure, is it not?
To have friends from afar is happiness, is it not?
To be unperturbed when not appreciated by others is gentlemanly, is it not?
See you. 🙂