new language - new ways to learn

Inspired by her year abroad, Anisha shares how we might find learning another language beneficial and most importantly, easier...

The famous Tower of Babel myth recounts how God split one, universal language into a varied mish mash as a way of punishing the human ego for daring to build a tower towards the heavens. In doing so, communication between one another, and their quest, failed. Would it be easier if we all just spoke one language, as (according to the parable) was originally so? What triumph does speaking in another tongue bring? And, more importantly, how can we go about it? In this blog, I´ll be talking about all of this through my experience with learning, and practising, a foreign language abroad.

1. Opening Doors
This is one you've most likely heard before. Being able to speak in a language which isn't your own brings so many new experiences and opportunities, from travel, meeting new people, or just being able to involve yourself within an entirely different culture. In my personal experience, this year abroad has taken me outside of my comfort zone to be able to communicate with all sorts of people on a whole host of random topics. It also brings links in the world of words. Especially in romance languages such as Spanish which stems from the Roman use of Latin, word groups and families all belonging to each other in some kind of way, with such a long history of use, is a pretty special thing to be able to recognise.  
​
2. Big Brain Energy
Speaking in a non native language can, of course, be exhausting. I´m sure the lucky listeners to my Spanish can sometimes hear my brain cells working up a sweat as I drown under the subjunctive. Of course it's a little challenging having to wade through five different possible conjugations of one verb, or deciding if you want to be Dr Who time travelling in the past, present or future, just to simply communicate the idea of making plans for next weekend, or telling a friend about a funny encounter that morning. However, this constant stimulation of neurons firing off in terms of the neurological benefits on memory and cognitive function have been proven time and time again. Flex those brain muscles of yours! 

3. Appreciating your Mother Tongue
At a certain point of noticing patterns and habits when focusing on a language that isn't your own, you start to become more conscious of how you use your native speech. Being exposed to the beautiful variety of words that can be used, and how they can be placed in different contexts means that you automatically start to get curious at utilising the richness in your own language. For example, a textbook translation of many Spanish words seem quite outdated, or things we wouldn't ordinarily say on the street. But through this, you start to become more accustomed to new ways of translation. It's almost a way of preserving the extinction of alternative phrases or patterns of speech which are disappearing from everyday use (and, needless to say, better for those scrabble points).

So, with all these wonders of the world of words, what key tricks can you use to boost (or begin) learning a new language?

1. Learn with what you Love
One of the main reasons people drop languages in school, or become disinterested, is because it becomes boring. Four walls, a teacher and a textbook can only do so much. When you begin digging into the culture and context of another way of communicating, you become exposed to a whole range of options. Whether it's through cooking new dishes, watching youtubers from a different country or picking up some new dance moves (my two years of Salsa and Bachata is still itching to be used when most places seem to be addicted to Bad Bunny reggaeton). This ´outside of the classroom´ learning can be approached with different levels, and can help not just with day to day vocabulary and phrases, but also improve cultural understanding. If, for example, you enjoy cooking, there's a strong probability that the dish you´re trying has a rich history from those who passed it down, to how and why it came about (and an even richer flavour). 

2. Fake it till you make it
Fail, fail again and fail better! Aside from being a general rule of thumb for life, language learning is truly a humbling experience of failing and making a fool of yourself (if you’re doing it right) until it starts to stick. Although I´ve been studying Spanish inside the classroom since secondary school, and continued through integrating it into my degree, this applies to utilising language skills to any level. There are always fun false friends in any language, like mixing youŕe pregnant (embarazada) instead of embarrassed (avergonzada), or confusing neck (cuello) for ass (cullo). It takes a whole lot of study and immersion to truly get to a native level, so getting comfortable with doubt and mistakes is essential!


Read of the Month 

All About Love by bell hooks

No, this isn’t a soppy love story about going puppy eyed with rainbows in the sky over somebody you hardly know. bell hooks touches on all the different aspects of love, from partners to parents, and, of course, the self. This book shows that love, just like learning a language, is a skill that takes practice, time and patience.

Author

Anisha Minocha is studying English and Spanish at the University of St Andrews, currently living in Andalucía. She is a writer and poet whose work has been showcased in winning competitions, readings and anthologies. She co-edits SINK Magazine, which gives a platform to Northern creatives, and founded the "Roots"" project with Friends of the Earth that looks at the intersections between South Asian identity and ecology. Twitter: @anisha_jaya

Picture by: 1983 (steal my _ _ art)