By: Shunsuke Higuchi | Staff Writer
Learning another language broadens your perspective on the world and allows you to talk to new people while finding unique cultures. Among a seemingly endless number of languages, English has been the most dominant and convenient language in the world, and many people are learning English every day worldwide.
Some people who learned English as a second language are incredibly fluent with a fantastic vocabulary. They can communicate with native speakers without problem while freely expressing their thoughts. Some people even dare to claim they are as proficient as native speakers, as they have a strong confidence in the language; however, they need to be aware of the reality of language learning.
When learning a second language, the goal would likely be to become as fluent as a native speaker. Still, it must be acknowledged that this goal is entirely unrealistic. There are several reasons for this undeniable truth.
First, it is simply too overwhelming to remember enough vocabulary at a level that can be used in any conversational context. Typically, average native speakers know 15,000 to 30,000 word families. One would have to make flashcards for any unknown vocabulary daily, likely using spaced repetition (one of the most efficient ways to learn language). It generally takes at least two decades to understand a conversation with 100% accuracy, no matter how you approach the formidable task. It requires an uncanny ability, such as a photographic memory or an uncommonly high IQ, to shorten the process.
Secondly, it is excruciatingly difficult to grasp the exact idea of every word or phrase you encounter. For example, in English, people say, “What’s up, bro?”, “What’s up, pal?” or “What’s up, dude?” when they see a friend. In most cases, they mean virtually the same thing, but each pattern is technically different in a specific sense of meaning. Native speakers subconsciously use each of these phrases differently, depending on the situation. Even though this example may sound trivial, it shows that languages are subtle and delicate works of art with realms that only native speakers can step into. From perplexing medical terms and names of ancient dinosaurs to informal Internet slang, native speakers rarely realize that they learn a large amount of knowledge as they grow up. Native speakers are masters in their language ability from the perspective of a non-native speaker. No matter how tired or drunk they are, they can perceive linguistic sense and articulate their thoughts with automatically accurate pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.
Once you acquire a specific language level, you will realize that you must also understand the cultural references of the country whose language you are learning. For instance, many Americans grew up watching TV shows like SpongeBob or The Simpsons. Second-language learners are often unfamiliar with those shows because they were not exposed to them as a child. Although not having watched children’s shows rarely causes practical problems in life, it certainly affects the dynamics of how a native speaker’s brain works at on a social level. The bottom line is that to be 100% fluent in English; you must “develop a brain” that thinks like an American person would.
The issue of building such a brain is that getting more fluent in one language means you become less articulate in the other. This theory argues that with the development of a new language, there is a decline in superficial vocabulary, social behavior, mannerisms, and even personality in a mother tongue. For example, some Americans who are proficient in Japanese are often more reserved and timid when speaking Japanese than when they are speaking English. This phenomenon shows that as they become fluent in this new language, they “become”Japanese people, most of whom generally act more passively than Americans. Significant changes like this happen because language massively shapes culture and defines behavior. Such transformations can lead to struggles with identity because speakers feel they are losing their original personality as a person who grew up in their home country. Thus, realistically speaking, to be wholly one, you cannot be the other. This often leads people to say unnatural or incorrect things in either both languages.
For these reasons, learning a language is not only a challenging process to go through, but the consequences may also be difficult to face. It seems like torture to follow the path of learning English. Is it worth pursuing this new language for a considerable chunk of your life knowing you will never be able to reach a place of perfect fluency that feels nonexistent?
Yes.
When passionately motivated to keep learning a language, we improve daily while appreciating the development process. It is genuinely satisfying to realize that you can communicate with native speakers in the language you are learning. Even though we must accept the harsh reality that we will not be able to “master” the language in a literal sense, we can and should embrace the pure joy of discovering new things. Through a never-ending adventure, I have learned that language is a mysterious yet mesmerizing concept.
Photos from Pixabay.com
