In Germany, for the first time in my life, I learned what it’s like to sit in a group of people and not understand a single word, but still have fun.
I learned to be much more engaged and try to pick up pieces of conversations from a language I don’t speak. It worked. Spoken language is aided by gestures, tones of voice, and the overall expressions of people. Words carry the easiest form of communication, but they are certainly not the only form.
I learned how to say, “thank you”, “thank you very much” and an informal version of “goodbye”. The essentials, really.
I also learned that people will blurt out the English word “sorry”, just like we do, when I dropped a perfume bottle in the middle of a department store.
I’d picked up the Windex-shaped bottle because it looked cool, but it wasn’t until it was hitting the ground that I realized that the top wasn’t on all the way. I had to ask my friend Leonie how to apologize quickly and “sorry” was by far the easiest to pronounce of the options she gave me.
I learned that language can be a barrier and a teacher at the same time. Without understanding the conversations, I had more time to focus on my surroundings and I noticed the way people seemed to interact with each other more.
We can be completely oblivious to what’s going on around us but when, suddenly, the veil-such as a language barrier- is lifted we are suddenly enlightened to what we have been missing or not quite grasping.
I think life is a lot like that.
My mom always says, “You don’t know what you don’t know” and it is so true, we learn and grow and every experience we have helps push us along to new paths and new knowledge.
Language can be perceived as a hindrance or a treasure, it is all in the view we allow ourselves to have. Of course it can be difficult to comprehend situations or feel involved when you don’t understand what others are saying. Of course it can be hard when you’re like me and have learned (some of) 5 different languages but still don’t know enough.
It can also be wonderful when you hear a word enough to feel confident in using it yourself. It’s even more interesting to learn about languages, especially the words that don’t translate. Some places have multiple words for love, because the distinction between family, friends, and your soulmate is a significant one. Some places have a word for a certain feeling that you get, whereas the English language cannot come close to describing it.
We all have different words to convey our thoughts and desires. Vernacular can be so different across a single language that a non-native speaker may not realize that it is all one language at first.
I’ll be in Barcelona soon, where they speak Catalan. My knowledge of Spanish will help me some, but not nearly as much as it would in Madrid or Zaragoza.
There is always more to learn and improve. In our own language in culture and in ones that are new to us. But the most amazing thing is being immersed within any culture, and really experiencing it with the best of your ability.
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