Musings on the benefits of learning a new language
I grew up watching the lovely British TV show called “Mind Your Language”. It was about a set of adult immigrants who lived in London and were taking adult education classes to improve their English. Each class was always a hot mess because each student understood English from the context of their native language. The teacher always had a tough time breaking down sentences, grammar, idioms, etc so the students would learn. It always reminds me how important it is to learn new languages.
I love listening to people speak in their indigenous tongues. I often marvel at how words are formed in different languages, how emotive some languages appear to be, the similarities between some languages, and especially all of the other nuances and intricacies that come with each language. Every language is beautiful and when spoken in the native accent with the right intonations and cadence, each language comes across much like a song or poem. Granted some languages are more musical than others but each language has its unique properties.
By now, you should be able to tell that I love languages. I speak English and Yoruba fluently, and I have a basic understanding of a few other languages. Unfortunately, I have never seriously acted on my love for languages until sometime last year when I decided I would rekindle my love for French.
My father studied in France and spoke French fluently, so I developed an early affinity for it. I studied French all through primary school and junior secondary school, and I would have continued till I left but it wasn’t an option for science students in the senior class. I guess I did love the language because once I got an opportunity to do a diploma course when I was in uni, I took it on and that helped me. I learnt a lot and could hold basic conversations at the time. The only thing that was missing from my education was immersion so I found it easier to read and understand than to speak. I still do.
And then I got introduced to Duolingo, one of the most popular language-learning apps, about a year and a half ago. Ok, I must confess that I had always known about the app but I never bothered to download it. I guess it was a case of “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. I have been hooked on that app since the first day I started using it and I have learnt a lot. If you want to learn a new language, you could try a language app.
Another language I love is Hausa. It has always fascinated me and I got to learn a bit of it when I spent almost a year in the North during youth service. Living with native speakers helped as I eventually learnt how to hold basic conversations and navigate my way around town relating with the indigenes of the town I served in. Without constant practice after NYSC though, I soon forgot most of what I had learnt.
Recently, I started thinking a bit more about the need to learn another language when it dawned on me that Nigeria is bordered by French-speaking countries. Ironically, not a lot of Nigerians speak French! One would have assumed it would be a common language in Nigeria but unfortunately, its absence just shows how very little we all integrate in Africa. I remember that General Sani Abacha’s regime attempted to make French compulsory in schools so it could be one of our official languages but I don’t think that policy ever succeeded.
Learning a new language can offer many benefits, both personal and professional. One of the most beautiful for me is the fact that the learning process itself keeps one mentally alert and aware. It ignites one’s curiosity and keeps one in a constant state of discovery. When you find yourself translating words from the language you are learning to the one you are native to, it also presents an opportunity to question some of the translations and transliterations.
Whether we are learning indigenous or foreign languages, learning new languages also provides access to new worlds which we would not have been able to access. There is no way one would learn a new language and not at least have some understanding of the culture behind that language so clearly, new languages open us up to new cultures. We also gain better insight into the customs and traditions that underpin that language. We are thus better able to understand the context that people from that new culture operate from.
One thing I noticed with people who speak more than one language is the ability to improve their thinking capacity. When you think in more than one language, you are constantly challenging your brain because each language has its specific nuances which compel you to see things from different angles. For example, to say “I am hungry” in French, you would say “J’ai faim” which literally translates into English as “I have hunger” and in Yoruba, you would say “Ebi n pa mi” which literally translates into “hunger is killing me”. If you were to provide these literal translations to people who didn’t understand either French or Yoruba, they probably would not understand you. However, to someone who understands either or both languages, the context is pretty clear. Understanding these contexts can enhance reasoning and problem-solving skills because you always have to challenge your brain when switching languages.
Now that japa “relocating abroad” has been the in-thing for a while, knowing another language can also enhance your chances of settling into a new country and finding work or business opportunities. As the world has become even smaller than a global village, many globally focused companies seek multilingual people to help them relate to customers, partners, suppliers etc in other countries. And it is very often not just about speaking the language alone but also understanding the cultures to enhance seamless interactions.
Even if you don’t intend to japa but would love to go on holiday to an exotic foreign location or even a new location in-country, understanding a new language can make it a lot easier for you to navigate your way around the location. Many people report how easy it is for strangers to warm up to them once they realise that they can speak their language because languages are very personal to many people. For English speakers, it also helps in non-English speaking countries because a lot of non-English speakers consider English speakers as rigid and unwilling to learn new languages.
Learning a new language is also definitely a challenging but rewarding experience as one very often has to forget about the language patterns they are used to in order to understand the patterns of the new language. That process is challenging existing knowledge and building mastery can bring a sense of accomplishment and pride in one’s abilities, which can translate to increased confidence and self-esteem in other areas of their life.
Some people are lucky enough to be able to learn by ear, while others need a more structured form of learning and this can be achieved by using a learning aid, immersing self in the literature and music of the new language, and more importantly, finding people who speak the language to have conversations with. Frequent practice can build better language skills and we should never be afraid to try and fail because that is the best way we can learn.
My charge to everyone now is to learn a new language. It could be local or foreign, just improve your language skills and watch how much better you would become with relating with diverse people. This is the way I see things today.