Language

I am taken aback by American arrogance.  The idea that the world should come to us or be like us is more prevalent today than ever before.  I spent the weekend surrounded by people who are fluent in multiple languages.  I did a very unprofessional survey to find that every European head of state speaks multiple languages.  65% of the population speaks a language other than their native language. Only two of the ten candidates for President from the Republican party speak a language other than English or are willing to admit that they speak something other than English.  Our last four presidents could not arrange for dinner, travel, a hotel room, or negotiate anything in a language other than English.

 The optimal age to learn a foreign language is children under 10 years of age.  Our elementary schools teach only in English.  Almost half (43.9) of California’s population speak a language other than English at home.  California has a population that is culturally 50% Latin and Central American.  If our schools were to teach bilingual education, California’s youth would be able to converse in two of the most spoken languages.  English and Spanish are the number one and number four most spoken languages in the world.

 Why should we care – everyone speaks English.  First, that is not true ---- not everyone speaks English. Second, speaking another language makes any circumstance in a different country ---- well, different.  It is a richer more inclusive experience.  It is also a chance to practice your language skills. More importantly, it indicates that we are part of the global community and respect others enough to make an effort to understand them in their native tongue.

It is not that our schools do not offer second language education but that does not begin until high school or college. It is not required, as most foreign languages are electives.  There is no requirement to teach children a foreign language in elementary school.  The minimum requirement is one year at the high school level and that can be substituted with technical education, visual, or performing arts. The Bilingual Education Act was renamed the English Language Acquisition Act thus abandoning bilingual education.

 Our abandoning of education of foreign languages continues to isolate us from the rest of the world.  While the world around us becomes more global through language we insist on being isolated in our Englishness.  

 Several years ago, I was invited to the wedding of an Italian friend of mine.  The wedding was held in the south of Sardegna.  I was painfully aware that not only was I the only American at this wedding I was also the only person who spoke one language.  Everyone else spoke from 2-7 different languages.  It was at that point I decided to learn a different language.  Trust me it would have been easier if I had started this process 40 years ago.  I have a love affair with Italy so decided that would be my language.  Asian languages seemed a bridge too far, and Germanic languages too intimidating.   After several years of study, I am proud to say, that with a fair degree of confidence, I can make a reservation, order dinner, get a hotel room, and take us from point A to point B.  Aside from the practical application my ability to partially speak this language has immeasurably enhanced my experience in Italy.  My insistence that I speak their language has made my trips to the Bel Paese extraordinary.  It demonstrates respect for their country and culture and therefore they reach more genuinely..  I have made friends purely through my desire to participate in their country at its most basic level --- language.

 I was reminded of the importance of learning a language over the weekend.  I took a friend to dinner at an Italian restaurant.  Our waiter was Italian and the three of us ordered and conversed in Italian for the entire meal.  The food was great but the experience was much better.  All three of us created an experience that others in the restaurant were not able to.  We learned something about our waiter beyond just the ordering and receiving of food.  As we drove to another destination in an Uber, the driver was struggling with our directions as he was from Cuba.  Fortunately, my dinner partner spoke perfect Spanish, and off we went.  The driver felt respected, we made it to the next stop and for all of us, the experience was rich and full of nuance of human connectivity.

 The next night I was having dinner with a hotelier and his girlfriend.  He explained that he spoke four languages.  That progressed to a conversation about emotional intelligence.  The ability to speak another language is one pillar of strength for enriching one’s emotional intelligence and thus creating a closer richer experience with another human.

It is worth the effort…..

Grazie ai miei insegnanti per avermi guidato in questo percorso…