I adored this article - thank you for writing it. I agree with the notion that learning a new language enriches our understanding, especially when we note that languages generally reflect things that are, or used in the past to be, important to the culture from which the language arises. On the downside, over-reach by eager students is not unknown. One classic anecdote is the Asian gentleman who studied English assiduously for many years and became to all intents and purposes fluent. Such was his love of the language that he found idiomatic expressions particularly charming. Which, alas, led him one day to tell a group of fellow-businesspeople, "I like to have my fingers in as many tarts as I can."
Sadly, given that (British) schoolboy French really doesn't count, I am almost entirely monolingual. Nevertheless, I do occasionally catch tantalising glimpses of a richer, multilingual world. Some years ago, I worked in a small team made up of Australians, English, Welsh, Polish and Spanish speakers. We often found fertile ground in the differences across idiom from the various cultures.
How the rest of us laughed when the Spanish speaker told someone to leave him alone by inviting him to 'go and fry some asparagus', only to be reminded that 'go jump in the lake' was no less barmy.
But my favourite exchange went something like this:
English speaker: Hmm, I don't know what to do about this. Let me sleep on it.
Spanish speaker: You mean you'll decide tomorrow?
English speaker: Yes. Why, what would you say?
Spanish speaker: Let me consult the pillow.
Polish speaker: (laughs) Ah, you guys have no poetry!
English speaker / Spanish speaker: Why, how would you put it?
I adored this article - thank you for writing it. I agree with the notion that learning a new language enriches our understanding, especially when we note that languages generally reflect things that are, or used in the past to be, important to the culture from which the language arises. On the downside, over-reach by eager students is not unknown. One classic anecdote is the Asian gentleman who studied English assiduously for many years and became to all intents and purposes fluent. Such was his love of the language that he found idiomatic expressions particularly charming. Which, alas, led him one day to tell a group of fellow-businesspeople, "I like to have my fingers in as many tarts as I can."
Lovely column, thank you Angela.
Sadly, given that (British) schoolboy French really doesn't count, I am almost entirely monolingual. Nevertheless, I do occasionally catch tantalising glimpses of a richer, multilingual world. Some years ago, I worked in a small team made up of Australians, English, Welsh, Polish and Spanish speakers. We often found fertile ground in the differences across idiom from the various cultures.
How the rest of us laughed when the Spanish speaker told someone to leave him alone by inviting him to 'go and fry some asparagus', only to be reminded that 'go jump in the lake' was no less barmy.
But my favourite exchange went something like this:
English speaker: Hmm, I don't know what to do about this. Let me sleep on it.
Spanish speaker: You mean you'll decide tomorrow?
English speaker: Yes. Why, what would you say?
Spanish speaker: Let me consult the pillow.
Polish speaker: (laughs) Ah, you guys have no poetry!
English speaker / Spanish speaker: Why, how would you put it?
Polish speaker: Morning is wiser than night.