Learning a Second Language

INTRODUCTION

Globalization: old concept, new implications. In the past, it meant that you could buy goods from other places without having to go to those other places. Imagine being able to buy Chinese silks, Asian spices, American vegetables, or African woods without having to leave the safety of your own European village. The thought of new markets and less expensive ways to import and export from those new markets was one of the reasons history books suggest that Columbus asked Queen Isabella of Spain to finance his expedition to India, thinking that he could find a shortcut going west instead of going east.

Nowadays, it's become easier to travel to a prospective market or customer and stay there for a while. Even with the ability to have phone and Internet conferences, many businessmen find that personal contact still has its place in business dealings. How are you going to communicate with someone who speaks a language different from your own? It was easy in the past to say, "Let them learn my language," if they were coming your way. And if you were going their way, "Well, I'll just get an interpreter."

But interpreters take away the direct, personal communication that helps to establish a good relationship. This guide will help you understand a few of the factors involved in taking matters into your own hands, or tongue — namely learning a second language.

WHY SHOULD YOU DO IT?

It's well known that if you expose a child to more than one language while he's growing up, that child will grow up multilingual. What an advantage that child will have! For language is not just a matter of grammar and pronunciation. It involves ways of thinking, of manners, of behavior.

Of course, a child is still learning, and so picking up new ways of thinking is not a serious problem for him. The test comes when you're older, and the ol' brain cells are quite happy with one pattern of thinking, one way of vocal expression, one cultural blueprint. Can you get those gray cells to learn to be flexible, to expand their "vocabulary"? That's what you'll find out, if you decide to learn another language.

The reasons to do so are many. As I mentioned in the introduction, globalization has become the trend of the day. Many companies are coming to realize that if they want to stay in business, they must look for new markets. In innumerable cases, those markets are overseas, and the people there don't necessarily speak or read the same language as the business.

Immigration has also brought people of different races and languages together, with perhaps no language in common. This has, in turn, opened up the possibility of bilingual employment, as the immigrants strive to adjust to their new home, and the natives struggle to understand their new neighbors, schoolmates, workmates, and associates. Teachers, medical personnel, social workers, lawyers, storekeepers, taxi drivers, supervisors, bank employees … the list is endless. If you know the language of your acquaintances, you'll have a sizable advantage over those who don't.

Nowadays, many employees are asked to move overseas. It's a big decision, and one consideration is having to learn a new language, or even languages. If you're planning to take an overseas assignment, it's best to be prepared linguistically ahead of time, at least mentally. And if you have a family, you need to get everyone involved. You may even find that the kids learn the new language before you do!

Not just employees, but volunteers head to many different areas of the world. Sometimes this involves learning another language. One advantage: everyone around you speaks that language, making it easier to learn.

Perhaps you want to learn another language simply as a hobby. If so, your hobby may pay off unexpected dividends one day. And, in the meantime, you'll have unlocked the key to understanding another culture.

Even knowing the benefits of being multilingual, if you're a parent, you may wonder if it's worthwhile for your child to learn a language other than English. Many parents remember the difficulties that they had learning Latin or French or Spanish when they were in school, and they may be reluctant to put their children through the same "torture."

And, there's still the feeling of "why should my child have to learn another language? Everyone knows English!" Unfortunately, we all have a little bias toward our native language, and we sometimes resent the fact that we don't hear it as much as we used to. However, the fact is that many of the people who we deal with on a daily basis don't speak English, although they live in an English-speaking country. Like it or not, our children are growing up in a multilingual world, and naturally parents want to give their children the opportunities that they themselves didn't have. Learning a second language certainly is one such opportunity.

There are many resources that can give you a sense of the benefits and difficulties of raising bilingual children. For example, the Educational Resources Information Center has an interesting article called "Why, How and When Should My Child Learn a Second Language" that examines different bilingual educational issues from a parental viewpoint. The book Making Sense of a New World: Learning to Read in a Second Language, by Eve Gregory, is especially good for parents who want to understand what their uni- and multilingual children will be up against.

And there are lots of books that will help adults as well as children with the mental preparation they need to start learning a new language. All you have to do is walk into any library, or open up the Web page of any online bookstore, search for languages or learning languages, and you'll see what I mean. Don't underestimate the importance of getting yourself mentally prepared.

What do I mean by being "mentally prepared?" For one thing, you've got to commit yourself to hitting the books. It's going to take hours of sitting down, repeating words aloud again and again. Yes, at first it'll be sentences like "Dick and Jane went to the store." Will you be able to be proud that you can finally say "Dick and Jane went to the store" without taking an hour to think of how to say it? Can you be content with a little bit of progress every day? Are you really willing to put in the time and effort necessary? It doesn't take huge blocks of time, once a week; it takes a little bit of time, say 20 minutes, a day. Persistence and endurance are the tools that will make you succeed.

WHICH ONE?

Which language? Why, the one you need, of course! It may seem like a silly question, but it's a very good one. The correct answer depends on your situation.

School

How do you narrow your options? Well, do you have an ear for mimicking accents? Are you a musician, especially one who can learn by ear? Do you find it easy to pick up individual words in other languages? If so, then you may not have to worry about whether the particular language is hard or easy. If you are tone deaf, go for an easier language, one similar to your own in sound. In school Spanish was a required subject for me. It was certainly not my favorite one, and I studied only hard enough to get good marks. Never thought that I would be using it for the next 23 years, to the point that now I'm teaching it!

Work

What country have you been assigned to? This goes for whether you have to move to that country or whether you simply have to deal with international clients by phone, fax, or Internet. What languages do they speak there? What dialects of your language are spoken there? Find out!

Immigration

Is your neighborhood's ethnic makeup changing? Are you changing with it? Could you learn a few words of greetings in the languages of your neighbors? It would be worth your while to do so, especially if you have a neighborhood business that depends on the local clients. Or you might see or hear of an item that your new neighbors need, and you might want to fill that need. There's no doubt that people appreciate it when you speak their language.

Hobbies

Tired of always doing the same thing every weekend? Weary of the same ol' routine of Internet, movies, videos, etc.? Why not do something else with your time, like learn a new language? You never know where it might lead!