Brenton
Why Everyone Should Learn a Second Language
January 24th 2008 12:40
Nihongo ga dekimasuka? I can! I speak Japanese and English. Kevin Rudd can speak Mandarin. Kerry Armstrong can speak Italian.
No matter who you are, learning a second language is more than worthwhile. But why?
Let’s take the obvious one first. Speaking another language helps you communicate with people from other countries. It may take a while to develop a level that lends itself to practical use, but it is rewarding when you can develop that level.
This communicative ability extends beyond direct conversation. It also helps us to understand what other cultures say about us, or any other issues.
How do you know when there is something wrong under the hood of your car? The Mechanic tells you, because he can understand what the inside of your car means. How do you really KNOW though that he’s honest, not just hitting you up for more that it’s worth? You don’t.
The second language equivalent of this broken car is a broken conversation. OR worse yet, a broken communication. If we rely on other people to convey the information we leave ourselves open to being mislead.
THIS IMAGE above is of a magazine sold in Japan, the title 外人犯罪ファイル is translated as Foreigner Crime file. One might think from looking at this, and it’s terminology (using terms such as ‘nigger’) that it reflects a general dislike of foreigners in Japan. However, if you can translate such things as Reviews on Amazon.com, you would be able to see what the Japanese really think of the publication. For this particular magazine there are two Japanese reviews, discussing concerns about the way in which Japanese may be thought of for the publication and expressing displeasure with the hypocrisy of the publication.
There are always controversies somewhere tied in with language, and the better your linguistic ability, the better you can understand all points of view to a debate. There was a great deal of fuss about the terminology used in a Japanese textbook to describe the Nanking Massacre (Have a look here for more on Japanese textbook controversies). Protests in China linked to the term ‘Incident’ being used instead of ‘Massacre’. We as a Western society consider these terms in their translated context – how we would feel if K-Rudd referred to Iraq ‘Incident’ instead of ‘War’. However, while the choice of terminology is definitely in this case political, a speaker of Japanese knows that incident (事変) carries dark connotations that would permit it as appropriate terminology.
Second example. Sheik Al-Hiali, who famously made the statement ‘If you take uncovered meat and put it on the street, on the pavement, in a garden, in a park or in the backyard, without a cover and the cats eat it, is it the fault of the cat or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem,” when referring to a victim of rape.
I remember early on following these comments, a story on the news, stating that they had their own ‘special translation’. In a world where one word could be translated as incident or massacre, imagine what a ‘special translation’ could possibly do. Not only could a second language specifically help you to understand the meaning of an original statement, the basic knowledge of a second language gives one a rudimentary grasp of the very nature of the flawed and malleable science of translation.
In conclusion it would be difficult to underestimate the value of learning a second language and I recommend it – for both the value of a second language and the value of the greater understanding and appreciation of the very nature of language.
Image W00kie licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.
No matter who you are, learning a second language is more than worthwhile. But why?
Let’s take the obvious one first. Speaking another language helps you communicate with people from other countries. It may take a while to develop a level that lends itself to practical use, but it is rewarding when you can develop that level.
This communicative ability extends beyond direct conversation. It also helps us to understand what other cultures say about us, or any other issues.
How do you know when there is something wrong under the hood of your car? The Mechanic tells you, because he can understand what the inside of your car means. How do you really KNOW though that he’s honest, not just hitting you up for more that it’s worth? You don’t.
The second language equivalent of this broken car is a broken conversation. OR worse yet, a broken communication. If we rely on other people to convey the information we leave ourselves open to being mislead.
Gaijin Crime File
THIS IMAGE above is of a magazine sold in Japan, the title 外人犯罪ファイル is translated as Foreigner Crime file. One might think from looking at this, and it’s terminology (using terms such as ‘nigger’) that it reflects a general dislike of foreigners in Japan. However, if you can translate such things as Reviews on Amazon.com, you would be able to see what the Japanese really think of the publication. For this particular magazine there are two Japanese reviews, discussing concerns about the way in which Japanese may be thought of for the publication and expressing displeasure with the hypocrisy of the publication.
There are always controversies somewhere tied in with language, and the better your linguistic ability, the better you can understand all points of view to a debate. There was a great deal of fuss about the terminology used in a Japanese textbook to describe the Nanking Massacre (Have a look here for more on Japanese textbook controversies). Protests in China linked to the term ‘Incident’ being used instead of ‘Massacre’. We as a Western society consider these terms in their translated context – how we would feel if K-Rudd referred to Iraq ‘Incident’ instead of ‘War’. However, while the choice of terminology is definitely in this case political, a speaker of Japanese knows that incident (事変) carries dark connotations that would permit it as appropriate terminology.
Second example. Sheik Al-Hiali, who famously made the statement ‘If you take uncovered meat and put it on the street, on the pavement, in a garden, in a park or in the backyard, without a cover and the cats eat it, is it the fault of the cat or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem,” when referring to a victim of rape.
I remember early on following these comments, a story on the news, stating that they had their own ‘special translation’. In a world where one word could be translated as incident or massacre, imagine what a ‘special translation’ could possibly do. Not only could a second language specifically help you to understand the meaning of an original statement, the basic knowledge of a second language gives one a rudimentary grasp of the very nature of the flawed and malleable science of translation.
In conclusion it would be difficult to underestimate the value of learning a second language and I recommend it – for both the value of a second language and the value of the greater understanding and appreciation of the very nature of language.
Image W00kie licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.
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