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Many people are amazed by those that have learned a foreign language and
even more so by those that can speak more than two or more. Yet, the term
“learn” is subject to countless interpretations, ranging from being able to
function as a tourist to writing scholarly articles in the foreign language. As
a translator that makes a living by working with foreign languages and a person
that has conducted my daily routine in my
non-mother tongue for most of my life, I can say that learning a foreign
language is a journey with a goal that is essentially unattainable in terms of
structure, vocabulary and culture. Nonetheless, the path to mastery of another tongue is a pleasure in
itself and merely ultimately depends on effort, not on innate ability.
Every language has its unique way of phrasing ideas. For example, some
languages, notably English, prefer direct active expressions while others,
especially Russian, often use passive or indirect forms. Compare the English I
feel like (doing nothing) as compared to the Russian мне хочется [mne hotyetcya], literally to
me is wanted. Likewise, the use of delayed subject varies: compare It is
raining in English
to יורד גשם [yored geshem] in Hebrew, rain is falling, without the “it
is”. These variances create native language interference with the foreign
language. It may take years of practice and correction to stop the leakage, if
ever. Thus, foreigners, even when they speak fluently, struggle to speak like
the natives in terms of sentence structure.
Total word
knowledge is essentially a mirage. No matter how long a person lives in the
country and uses the language, there remains a large quantity of unknown terms.
For example, despite some 35 years in Israel, I just learned that gamalim
means “camel drivers” as compared to gmal-im, which means “camels”. Another interesting pair in Hebrew is germanit
with the accent on the third syllable means “German” as compared to “Germanic”
when the second syllable is stressed. On a more general level, some languages
prefer specific language while others tend to make the concrete abstract,
notably French. Despite all of one's efforts, it is impossible to know and
understand the entire lexicon of a second language.
Culture
is a multilayered factor. In most countries of the world, there are many
subcultures, each with their own list of preferred and disapproved expression.
One interesting example is the use of the word cousin. In most countries, the terms refers to a blood relative. However, many Irish indirectly
refer to the British as their cousins while Israeli Jews similarly refer to Israeli
Moslems (on the basis of the Biblical story of Hagar and Sarah) simirly. Generational differences also affect language use. For
example, Israelis over the age of 50 will easily understand quotes from the
legendary comedy trio Hagashah Hahiver while younger ones may have no
clue to what they mean. For English speaking audiences, imagine the difference
in saying “happy feet” to those over 50 as compared those in their 20’s. Of
course, religious references differ depending on the dominant faith in a given
culture. As we can only exist in one four-dimensional position at a time (as
far I know), it is impossible to master all cultural references.
It may
seem that I am implying that learning a foreign language is a waste of time if
we can never attain full mastery. On the contrary, being able to communicate in
a different language not only opens gates of understanding to so many people,
it also enriches the mind. In my experience, regardless of age, it is exciting
to learn something new. As the language learning experience is never-ending, it
provides a never-ending opportunity to discover the unknown. People always have
more to learn.
Not
only is this potential not limited by financial or physical capacity, it also
does not require extraordinary intelligence. To learn a foreign language only
requires effort and practice as well as the willingness to make a fool of
yourself and learn from mistakes, just like a four-year old. Clearly, innate ability
and intelligence make the task easier but they do not determine success. The
worst language learners have become fluent when “forced” by circumstances to
function in that language. More importantly, reaching the peak of perfection in
a foreign language is ultimately irrelevant. It is important to remember that
even native speakers never master all aspects of their mother language. In
practice, the trek up that mountain of fluency is filled with amazing discoveries and
funny stories. For many people, especially translators and interpreters, it is
the intellectual journey of their lives.
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