There are far too many advertisements claiming to make things easy. To be fair, new technology often simplifies life, but sometimes, the only way to learn is the hard way. Learning a new language is hard. At times, really, really hard. And no magical learning tool will change this. I’m a fifth-year Spanish student, and while at times my learning journey has been incredibly challenging, I carry with me a conviction that it has been worth it.
Learning a new language is difficult. For one, it is a very hefty time commitment. I’m two months away from finishing my fifth year formally learning Spanish, and I’m still only about half way to being conversationally fluent. Proficiency takes a lot of time. Beyond the time commitment, there are a lot of concepts to remember. Sometimes you find yourself looking up the same word you’ve looked up 10 times. Sometimes you find that you’ve been saying a phrase wrong your whole life. Sometimes you forget how to say very simple concepts and wonder if you’ve learned anything at all.
Foreign language is also difficult because it comes in leaps and bounds. There are weeks where you see yourself improving 10-fold, and there are months when you feel like you work and work and practice and practice and try and try, and you just can’t get any better. And it’s really hard to persevere through these ruts.
And yet, from a first-hand experience, I’m convinced that all of the blood, sweat and tears are worth it. I’ve never met one person who says that they wish they hadn’t put in the time. I’ve never found one person disappointed they know a foreign language.
Foreign languages broaden experiences. They allow you to talk about non-speakers right in front of them without them knowing it. They often lead to opportunities to try new delicious food. And they allow you to explore whole new realms of music on iTunes.
Light-hearted reasons aside, foreign languages expand opportunities. Options for studying abroad drastically increase. In addition, language allows you to immerse yourself in a foreign culture while abroad and to truly appreciate it. Languages also boost creativity. I often find myself puzzling over the correct words for these Odyssey articles and find I can express my idea perfectly in Spanish, which bolsters my English. New languages expand rhetorical capacity.
It’s predictable to conclude an appeal for foreign languages with a meta-emotional plea, but language is intricately and innately emotional. Humans are creatures built upon stories. Stories unite societies; stories distinguish individuals; stories create hope for the future. Exchanging stories builds trust, friendship and ultimately, love. Language allows us to share stories, which is perhaps the most relational act we have.
I do not want this to be just another stale, idealized appeal for learning a new tongue. I want to be honest. Learning a language is hard. It will be confusing; it will be frustrating; it will be difficult. So do not go into this ordeal half-heartedly – it’s not worth your time. An abandoned half-learned language is like a painting half-completed. The pieces are there, but the beauty of the gestalt is missing. If you do, reader, decide to pursue proficiency in a foreign tongue, it will be hard. But I want to encourage you, for clinging to advice can weather a myriad of storms:
When you don’t understand, know that demonstrating your effort is worth more than the concept in front of you.
When you feel left adrift in a foreign sea, hold fast to your buoy; you will learn how to swim.
And when you want to quit, remember that what you are pursuing is perhaps the greatest act of love one can show.
