People! This is a topic I am so passionate about and personally love, so I am stoked to share some of the information that I've gathered with you. I hope that this might be the final push it takes for you to go ahead and start the journey of learning a new language. First of all, why should you do it?
First of all, I think that people who are bilingual, trilingual, or polyglots (aka people who speak a kazillion languages hahahaha) are actual superheroes. You CANNOT convince me that they do not have superpowers... Not gonna lie, there is definitely a huge shock factor when you're in another country, it's very obvious that you aren't from there, (aka me: blonde hair, blue eyes, and a very American look...in Mexico) and then out of nowhere pulling out the local language. That is such a fun and cool thing to be able to do at times and that is part of what has pushed me this far in my language learning journey, and partially what makes me want to continue.
If that's not convincing enough though, let me tell you the real reason I've kept learning Spanish and why I've now started to learn Portuguese:
It's about the relationships I have with people. I thank God for charade-like signing, body language, and the universally-understood smile (can't forget about Google translate either lol)... They're all things that help connect us to and communicate with those who we do not share a common language with. However, there is something special about learning someone else's first language. You begin to understand them and connect with them in a whole new way. You begin to see pieces of their personality that don't necessarily "translate" to English. I have found it extremely rewarding to watch language-learning bring me closer to people that I love and care about. Quick side note about why I'm learning Spanish and Portuguese:
Spanish – In elementary school a Spanish tutor came to our classroom twice a week and eventually in middle school we had to choose a language to learn. I was set on taking Mandarin. Middle school Andrea didn't really care what language she took, but her friends were all taking Mandarin, so by nature, she didn't want to be excluded from the fun. My mom said no to that pretty quickly, given we live in California and Spanish is essentially the second most-used language here, and she never foresaw me using Mandarin. I was upset at the time, but looking back I am so grateful. Three mission trips and a total of 7-8 visits to Mexico later, needless to say, Spanish came in pretty handy. Today I work with an organization that brings healthcare to underserved populations in Mexico, and when I'm working over the border, my host mom there only speaks Spanish. Learning Spanish allows me to be closer to her and achieve my goals of serving God's kingdom through serving His people.
Portuguese – When I arrived on my college campus, I met a group of the sweetest, kindest, most Jesus-loving, and encouraging people from Brazil (Isa, Cainã, Ju, and Bruna––this one is for you haha). As we became friends, I learned a couple of basic words in Portuguese––which was fun to toss into conversation. More than anything though, I learned a lot from them as people and from their experiences. As they shared what it was like living in another country, learning the language by immersion, sometimes feeling uncomfortable or scared to speak in English, and being nervous about their accent, my heart went out to them and I felt something I had never felt before. My friend Cai also shared with me what it was like wanting to make deeper connections with others and feeling as if you couldn't fully express yourself in the language that they spoke. As I began my trips to Mexico, I began to better understand what it felt like being the one learning a language that everyone already had in common with one another. So out of a genuine love for the language and a strong desire to make the extra effort to communicate with my awesome new friends, I started learning Portuguese.
If you're wanting to learn a language whether the reason be for fun, for work, to travel, for love, or just because, here are the tips and resources that I strongly recommend:
Get consistent input in your target language. Watch shows and movies in the language you are attempting to learn. Kids shows are a great place to start. Listen to podcasts, watch YouTube videos, listen to people you know speak the language, etc...
Learn the phonetics. I am bolding this one for a reason... Depending on what language you are learning, it might have sounds that simply do not exist in your native language. For me the Spanish phonetics came very naturally, but the complete opposite was the case for Portuguese. A fun fact about your brain (courtesy of a psychology major hahaha): according to American linguist, Noam Chomsky, you are born with a 'Language Acquisition Device' (LAD). Essentially it is the innate ability to learn language. Your brain picks up and learns sounds that it hears frequently and prunes away the ability to speak the sounds it does not hear. This is why when learning a language, you might think you are saying a work correctly, but a native speaker will insist that it is said differently––all the while, both words sounds exactly the same to you. Learning the phonetics is training your brain to hear the sounds of that new language, processing them, and learning how to babble them. This is essential if the language you're learning has non-intuitive sounds that don't exist in your native language. (Search YouTube for: *insert language* phonetics OR how to pronounce the common sounds on *insert language*).
Start with commonly-used vocabulary words and verbs, worry about getting the grammar and tenses later. Try to communicate the gist of your point, don't stress about perfection right off the bat. The goal is communication, and if people can understand what you're trying to express then that is a HUGE leap forward.
Speak with natives often. I know, it's scary, especially when your knowledge of the language is minimal, but seriously... Your improvement will be extremely slow if you do not actually use the language.
Don't be embarrassed to mess up. Babies have no shame in learning a language and using it incorrectly––in fact, adults think it's adorable. Part of the reason adults typically take much longer to learn a language is because of fear. So, just go for it!
MY FAVORITE LANGUAGE-LEARNING APP EVER... (and no it's not Duolingo lol):
Tandem – An app that connects you with people who are learning your native language and who fluently speak your target language. You can do voice messages, texting, phone calls, and more (all within the app, without sharing your real phone number). You can ask questions to native speakers, practice whenever it's convenient for you, practice as much or as little as you would like, and ask any questions you may have. This app's basic features are free, and it has awesome tools for correcting and learning. The best part is that while you're learning, you're also helping someone else learn. It is extremely rewarding and you have the chance to communicate with some really awesome people around the world.
Whew, okay, I know that was a lot, but it's all straight from my heart haha! Best wishes to all of you future bilingual, trilingual, and polyglot people, I hope this was of help to you.
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