The Danger of Learning a Foreign Language
Photo by ahp_ibanez on Flickr
Just came across an very interesting article by Tim Sullivan on how learning a language outside of its culture can hinder your abilities to speak. I find this is especially true with Japanese as much of the language and word choice depends on your relationship to the speaker.
It dawned on me that learning a foreign language didn’t assure effective communication would happen. I learned the hard way that if you don’t understand the values, assumptions, thought process and culture behind the language you’re studying, then it’s better if you don’t speak the language at all.
2 Responses to “The Danger of Learning a Foreign Language”
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Tim Sullivan on January 24th, 2013
Aloha and thanks for the plug.
Just made a very brief video version of this article called “One Minute Insights: The Danger of Learning a Foreign Language.”
Feedback is welcome. Enjoy!
Tim
Tyler Muse on November 1st, 2013
Throughly enjoyed this. I think this is something to read before choosing one language-learning method over another. Great article!