Learning a Foreign Language

 

Learning a Foreign Language

By Neeti Badwe in July 2009

0.Introduction

We are all aware that learning a Foreign Language as well as having intercultural competence give an additional edge to the aspirant. It adds up to her curricular vitae and enhances employability.

1.Learning a Foreign Language

Language and culture

Language and reality

Acquiring new perspective

Learning a FL is much more than learning vocabulary and grammar rules, because language cannot be separated from culture. Every word can be understood only in the context of history, geography, traditions, customs, art, beliefs, value systems, religion, etc. of that language community. Each language perceives, divides and labels the surrounding world in a different way and establishes its own reality. The same phenomena are looked upon in one linguistic community sometimes in an entirely different way than in the other e.g. Rain or  Sun. In our culture we associate rain with above all longing, waiting for something that can bring bliss and happiness. Rains bring a great relief in human life after the scorching heat of summer. Rain is especially associated with erotic longing. We get drenched in happiness, love, flowers are showered to honour a person, praises and prizes are bestowed, which are the moments of joy and pride. Because of the climatic and geographical differences rain is associated differently, sometimes in a opposite manner for example in German. As an honour a German achiever is placed on the zenith, whereas to build a house for a person in the sun means a punishment for the person in Marathi. If one escapes an unpleasant situation and gets into a worse, one says in Marathi, from fire into embers or from the frying pan into fire, for Germans in such a situation one goes from rains under the eaves of trickling water.

Learning a FL means gaining a new perspective and getting acquainted with new reality.  

2. Relevance of Foreign Language Learning

Function and Future

Create affinity

Strengthen bonds

Develop relationship

What is the status of language on the whole in this changing scenario of the globalised world? In this shrinking world with endless opportunities and intangible commodified images? What function and future do different languages have today? Are the linguistic differences vanishing and cultural identities lost to the invasion of jeans, McDonalds, coca colas, PCs, cell phones and Englishes? If one observes, one can easily notice that use of English is actually restricted to such areas of invasion as mentioned above. English is neither the language of masses in Europe, nor in South America, nor in north-west Africa, or in China, Japan or Russia. English can no more establish its linguistic hegemony to subordinate peoples as in the past. For the business relations one may find English useful. For establishing human relations however, use of the regional and national language is inevitable. Use of the local or national language certainly creates affinity and strengthens bonds. Virtual reality is encoded to a large extent in English, whereas for the ground reality people and folks use their own language.

3. EU Language policy

Linguistic identity

Multilingualism and intercultural dialogue

Language means business

In the European countries like France and Germany one would come across more people, who can speak and are also willing to speak English. On the one hand that stern egoistic attitude towards one’s national language is changing to more tolerant approach in Europe, on the other hand - in spite of the common currency, common trade and commercial interests - every partner country in the EU is keen on preserving its own ethnic, cultural and linguistic identity.

Multilingualism is seen as a great asset in the intercultural dialogue and it is believed that multilingualism should be reflected in (…) the ‘Programme for Research and Technological Development’ of the EU. It also intends to start a Business Forum on Multilingualism, which can help in sharing best practices and successful business approaches.

(Orban on Council of Europe's web site )

The commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth,  Androulla Vassiliou (2010-14) says, “Languages mean business. Language skills are crucial for growth and jobs.”

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/vassiliou/index_en.htm

Simultaneous to Unification of Europe we have also witnessed disintegration of nations like Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, etc. In both the cases, as we can see, awareness about ethnic and linguistic identity has sharpened. Take examples like Bosnia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Herzegovina. All are vehemently protecting their ethnic and linguistic identity. We can also see examples of traditionally multilingual small nations like Great Britain or Switzerland. Scottish, Welsh, Irish people are proud of their own languages. In Switzerland there are four national and officially recognized languages.

India has celebrated multilingualism and multiculturalism since times immemorial. Europe is striving now from mono towards multiculturalism and multilingualism.

4. Relevance of FLL in India

 Digital revolution

Free market policy

Status of India in the global trade

Strategic partnership

International corporates

Intercultural dialogue

 What has developed interest of Indian youth in learning a FL?

 In retrospect we can easily identify two major factors beginning of  1990s that have indeed been the “turning years” for India. Firstly, the digital revolution. That changed the means of communication, and more importantly, the co-relation between time and space. And the second factor is free market economy which India adopted. Free market policy gave a tremendous impetus to the Indian markets.

 Beginning of this millennium India has become a preferred destination for foreign investments.

 5. New economy

 The New Economy has brought along a paradigm shift. The approach of foreign players towards partnership with Indian companies has changed noticeably. Almost until a decade or two ago India was conceived as a colonized, subordinated, exploited, poor, underdeveloped country belonging to the so called third word. It is only with the emergence of the digital era and development of electronic technology in the 90is that India gained importance and a more respectful place in western minds and in the globalising world. This  reflects e.g. in the commercial slogan of the recent entrant in India, the German automobile giant BMW, which says : “BMW and India : Two success stories one future”. It took almost half a century after independence to gradually change our status and the perspective of  “others”. With a number of acquisitions in Europe, India is now looked upon not only as a strategic partner, but also as an investor in the EU. The relationship between the East and the West is slowly but surely changing.

 6. The postmodern era

 Networking

International markets

Marketing strategies

Simultaneity, multiplicity, horizontality

If we have to pick a singular significant characteristic of the last two decades, then it is the rapid transfer of knowledge and wealth which defines and controls our lives. With the emergence of the Knowledge and Service industry, commodities have become intangible. With global connectivity the geographical location has become literally immaterial.  Thus, globalisation is essentially reduction of physical and geographical distance, quick access to information and people, most efficient transportation and logistic facilities. This necessitates innovation in marketing strategies. Industries and firms are perpetually on the lookout for new international markets and worldwide destinations for investments. Professional international networking is widening the scope of trading and businesses spatially and horizontally. The era of postmodernism, which we are living through, is typically the era of multiple choices. Both, diversity and inclusion are distinctive characteristics of this age. The contemporary world doesn’t operate in terms of ‘either-or’, but it welcomes ‘this as well as that’ : e.g. the old and the new, classical and ordinary, traditional and modern. Local and international products. The perspectives and products are juxtaposed. like Pizza and Dosa, salwar and jeans, Lassi and coca cola, are surviving happily side by side. One talks in terms of co and con, multi and pluri.

Simultaneity, multiplicity, horizontality are the key concepts to describe the present times. Polarities and contrasts appear to be bygone concepts.

Concurrence is conquered by collaborations or mergers.

In the geo-economic context the boundaries have become blurred and superfluous.

The ‘mega’, that matters. The mini has to merge.

The local is losing out to the global. Global influence is local reality.

7. Conclusions

post-modern reality is hybrid and complex

use synergies for an intercultural dialogue

Learning a FL helps achieve skills in:

Intercultural communication

Diversity management

Intercultural competence

To conclude, we must recapitulate the real challenges lying ahead.

As we know the post-modern reality is hybrid, complex, evolved by networking, cress-crossing of threads of civilizations and cultures, of fractured identities representing pluralistic value systems. We must make sure that the synergies are used to establish a dialogue and intercultural communication.

Diversity management and intercultural competence are most valued skills in the international corporate. Learning a FL helps develop intercultural competence.

8. FLL advantages

new treasures of knowledge

a new world view

acquaintance with new reality

a new perspective to know own culture

widening of horizons

The horizon of our world is the horizon of our language.

Access to a new language means access to new treasures of knowledge, which are concealed in each language. Each language shows some strong points, it has some strongholds, special zones and areas, which are developed extraordinarily in a particular language.

As we have seen, by learning a FL one acquires a new standpoint and perspective to look at the world, but most importantly to look at oneself, one’s own culture and language. One gets a chance to gain the necessary distance to observe oneself in a larger context. Learning a FL means widening your horizons and understanding the world in multi-fold dimensions. The horizon of our world is the horizon of our language. An acquaintance with another language and culture ensues confrontation with and understanding of other ‘realities’ which in turn means enrichment of one’s personality.