Do
you need to know local language to speak with locals in a new country? Maybe
not!
Does
it help to speak the local language?
I hear
the answer is country specific, e.g. – in France, an outsider has a better
chance of receiving help if he speaks English as compared to bad French– and
similarly perfect French as compared to English. But in Germany, supposedly,
they appreciate the efforts made by an outsider to speak German (even if it is
bad German). Same holds true supposedly in Latin American countries.
Over
last year, I´ve been trying to learn a few languages. I realize I may not be able to speak them as
fluently as a local can, but then while learning the languages I also get to
learn a lot about the country, e.g. – Ojala is a Spanish term that is used to
start sentences that talk of wish. Ojala is Spanish way of saying Oh Allah!
Spaniards were ruled by Arabs for 100-200 years in early 1000s, and their
influence can still be found in Spanish language and customs.
So having
determined that I would want to learn a few languages, next question is - what
is best way to learn a language?
The
answer lies in objective, which in most cases, is understanding what someone is
saying, understanding what is written, and being able to communicate in that
language.
While
it´s easier to be able to read and write a language, it is much tougher to hold
a conversation and to comprehend what is being said.
But
an attempt must be made in communicating and comprehending spoken word- else
learning is incomplete.
I
tried learning Spanish for over a year – only to realize that I was not
comprehending perfectly what was being said.
Over
last few months, I have started listening to Spanish podcasts regularly. My
comprehension of and my ability to hold a conversation in Spanish have
increased significantly.
So
you would understand my joy when in Washington DC, Megha and I gave directions
to a Spanish family (none of members could speak English) in Spanish. The man
in the family was touched – he looked me in the eye and thanked me profusely –
the family had been trying to get the directions for quite sometime without
much success.
I
wish I could have shared with him how happy I was to have held a conversation
in Spanish with a Spaniard in a foreign land and help him out. :)
-
Sourav
