Lost in translation
Why learn another language
Learning a language is one of the most commonly set new years resolutions. Like any other, we do we only temporary or never commit to them.Having good reasons to do something ignite motivation and reinspire over the long run.
Literature, movies music, and many other cultural aspects that are translated from one language into another lose some of its original meaning. Languages shape our awareness. The perspective of One language may be lost and distorted by fitting it in another languages way of expressing.
Languages open the door to new cultures, cuisines, music, people and countries. A broader and more diverse access to information, media and education are available.
Understanding another language sharpens your sense of the history of a culture.
Words can tell stories without being interwoven into stories. Where they are inherited from and how they have changed over time is visible in etymology. Contacts with other cultures that become visible when examining how words they share relate.
You will learn about your own language and culture by looking at it and comparing it with the foreign one. Since you are adapting to this new culture it leads to a mindset of less prejudice and more positive attitudes — It broadens one’s horizon
When travelling or meeting people from another country instead of using a common lingua franca why not learn to speak in their language. It will make them feel more home. Talking to natives in their own language will be a different experience, they are more attached to it.
“Language is the only thing worth knowing even poorly.” ― Kato Lomb
You don’t have to be fluent to experience the language. Even by knowing only a few words, you are showing true interest in their culture and that will leave them with a positive feeling that they appreciate.
Speaking more than one language allows you to connect with more people. At the same time, you connect differently.
You come into an exchange with people who lived in different parts of the world. Through their words, you travel to other places and experience what they saw. These stories are told differently in their native language where they can express themselves fully.
A new perspective, new culture, see the world from different eyes. They say the same things in different ways, thus you adapt to a new way of expressing your thoughts and perceiving the world. Other languages use different gestures and mimics, that makes using them feel different. Emotions are expressed in slight variations.
I’m very likely to write more about languages and languages learning, which is one of the areas of my utmost interest.
This is my 13th post for the ILLUMINATION 30-day writing challenge by Dr Mehmet Yildiz described in this article.
