Language Isn’t About Being Perfect…It’s About Creating Authentic, Human Connections

Let it be known that I excelled in English and writing course assignments despite the English language’s ranking as one of the most difficult languages to master. Because of its unpredictable spellings and difficult-to-learn grammar, it challenges native speakers and second language learners, too. The poem below is a prime example:

In contrast, language experts say that the Spanish language is one of the easiest to learn. Therein lies the rub. When in tenth grade, a difficult transitioning-to-high school year for me, Spanish was my nemesis course. Additionally, I was experiencing a social anxiety disorder and everyday interactions caused me significant angst, self-consciousness, and embarrassment. I feared I was being scrutinized or judged negatively by others. But, in Spanish class, I was especially uncomfortable to the point I could not concentrate or apply myself. This severe stress also affected my relationships with others my own age and other areas of my life. Thank goodness for my life-long friend, Georgeanne. She pulled me out of my discomforting phobic zone and helped me get back on track socially and scholastically. By year’s end, I eked through Spanish probably with a “C” grade but I was afraid to ever again try to learn another language. My self-perception remains (even at this age), that yours truly failed and didn’t achieve higher goals both professionally and socially.

Yet, inwardly I still yearned to revisit Spanish as a second language because our world has become multicultural; I long needed to overcome my fear of failure again; and research has proven people who speak more than one language have improved memory, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, enhanced concentration, ability to multitask, and better listening skills.

In the U.S., 13 percent of the population speaks Spanish at home, earning it the title of the most common non-English language spoken. The U.S. also has the 2nd largest population of Spanish speakers in the world (Mexico has the largest). Further, my home state of Maryland is ranked third in the U.S. Census Bureau’s index of racial or ethnic diversity groupings–nearly 12 percent of Maryland’s population reported that they were of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Hence, about a month ago I went online to an application called “Duolingo.” Initially, a free software application that I could test my desire to move forward and drive through. It’s actually a fun learning atmosphere without intimidation of others observing my progress or lack thereof. I’m in my fourth week of a consistent learning streak. The Spanish language is like nothing I remembered it to be, and as the rankings stated, it is not a difficult language to learn. So, yes, I’m hanging in there and feeling better over all for moving out of my comfort zone. I plan on testing my new language skills out on our server at our local Mexican restaurant and maybe even watch a Telemundo soap opera! My lesson learned: Language isn’t about being perfect–it’s about creating authentic human connections. I highly recommend learning a new language to others.