Being Mindful of Learning Another Language
Written by Mikaela February 25, 2016
This past weekend, I traveled through Slovenia; a country where I knew none of the local language. While there, I became much more mindful about the importance of language and culture after an insightful conversation (in English) with a local.
Up until now, I have only been to countries where I knew enough of the language to be able to function comfortably and understand at least a portion of the culture. Though I appreciate that small amount of knowledge, I appreciated it even more when I went to Slovenia and didn’t know the the basic Slovenian words for hello, water, or bathroom. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a problem because most everyone spoke English. This felt odd. Then, I talked with a local guy who shrugged off my concern of not knowing basic Slovenian words because he said English is taught at a young age there and mostly everyone speaks it. This experience and conversation made me analyze American culture and stereotypes more than I ever have before.
The idea of Americans having a lower expectation of learning another language surfaced to the forefront of my mind. This past weekend in Slovenia, I felt like the stereotype of lazy and ignorant Americans. Granted that image is only a stereotype and does not apply to every American, but it was still an image I was not proud of. The true effort from other countries to learn English (or any other language) is so valuable that I wish the same amount of expectation was held for Americans.
Since the value for learning another language has come to the forefront of my conscious, I reflected on two situations that have shown me the value of understanding another language and culture. The first one was when I started taking Spanish language and culture classes in high school. Through learning about the Spanish cultural values, I started to understand actions and thoughts that differed from my own. For example, before my Spanish language and culture classes, me and my best friend, who grew up in a household that strongly held Spanish cultural values, clashed on certain ways of thinking or what and how things should be done. Then after my Spanish language and culture classes, I had a better understanding of the values that shaped her decisions and thoughts. This made our communication and relationship grow because we understood where each of us were coming from. Currently, while learning some Italian and Italian culture through CIMBA’s programs, I act and speak according to Italian values to successfully communicate in a way that does not offend the people I meet. I am also less frustrated or confused with the local ways of doing things that differ from American ways because I have an understanding of which values are supporting those ways of doing and I can act accordingly.
Though I was aware of the difference in language expectations, my experience in Slovenia made me stop and be more mindful about it and appreciate language and cultural classes in the US. Before you make your journey to study abroad, I hope that you truly realize the value of studying another language and that you feel passionate to either start or continue your learning. The power of putting in the effort to learn a different culture through language can be powerful for successful cross-cultural communication and for learning new ideas, perspectives, and values.
Zbogom (Goodbye in Slovenian)!
Mikaela
Blogger: Mikaela, University of Minnesota
