Languages – How Many Do You Know?

Languages – How Many Do You Know?

The first words a baby says are “mummy” or “dada” or perhaps in some languages “mama” and “papa”. It doesn’t matter what language is used, the emotions in language are enough to connect one heart to another. However, language is a means by which we communicate with one another. Our mother tongue is a language that we speak as a native and are quite fluent in it. However, has it ever happened to you that you hear another language and have the urge to be able to speak it as well?  

Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian, Mandarin Chinese and English are the six official languages of United Nations. It is an intriguing thought that had these languages not been important they wouldn’t be UN’s official languages. How many of these languages do you know apart from English? Hindi, Hebrew, Bengali and Thai are a few other examples of different languages.
    
The chances are that you don’t know a language other than your very own, English. However, if you want to learn the way people speak these other languages, then you can make use of the Internet. There are various websites available on the internet that can help you learn different languages. However, one must be careful with these online sites, as some offer little other than basic words to learn. Until and unless you can study the basics of a language such as alphabets and grammar, it is not possible to learn it.  

If you are a tourist, going for a family vacation or your honeymoon to France or Spain or even Italy then these websites may come in handy. Or you could go for a small pocket dictionary. It is better to know some of the basic words or sentences in the native language of the foreign country you are visiting. Knowing simple words such as hello, goodbye, restaurant, motel, taxi and many others can help you communicate better. 

However if you are genuinely interested in fluently speaking another language then you must be prepared to commit yourself. It is easy to teach a child a new language; however, adults prove to be difficult. Many courses and classes are available to learn a new language. People who actually want to learn a new language for the language itself and not as a hobby or trend must work hard. After the initial few classes, when the basics of the language have sunk in, it is better to progress. Thinking in your desired language, keeping it in mind while doing routine work helps develop the skills. Do not consider it a secondary language to English.  

Talk to a person fluent in the particular language. You will end up fumbling and confusing words and sentences at first. However, that is the time to pick your self up. Practice makes a man perfect and that is exactly what you should do. Practice and practice and you will eventually get it right.