Learning the language is exhausting

When I first came here in Belgium last year in September, I did not understand anything about the language at all and did not even know how to speak or say a single word. But looking back, with just a span of one year and two months to be exact, I think I have made a huge and amazing development in learning the Dutch language. Now, I would be able to speak, comprehend, react and listen to other people especially the native speakers of the language and even write and spell the words. I may not be able yet to talk and understand perfectly the way Belgians do, but that is understandable enough: I did not grow up here and not even born here.

I am not a linguist and did not even study as one. But since I studied teaching, I had a little knowledge about how language learning works, how grammar works, discovering and exploring the uniqueness and nuances of language. Before, I did not value too much what my teacher explained over language because that time I found it so boring. My main concern before was just only to pass my subject, to write a good lesson plan and to perform it perfectly. It was boring for me because that was just mostly studies about different theories. Everyday, we were assigned to the different topics for report. Mostly, I understand what I read and reported but some not, maybe because the content of the text was difficult to fathom or probably I needed to reread the text or I was just too preoccupied with stress from the things to remember and study for my other subjects as well. Well, that was normally the life of a student. During those times we studied about the different theories of how language is acquired and learned. We studied about the theories of great contributors and proponents of human language, learning and development especially the contributions of Noam Chumsky, Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, et. al.

Language is an indispensable factor in a society and without it means havoc and chaos. Learning the language in a certain place is not easy especially the grammar, sentence construction and the pronunciation of words because every language is unique and complicated. Good thing that we, Filipinos speak English as a second language and that helped me understand and learn Dutch fast. The way I learn English as my second language in the Philippines applies to the way I learn Dutch as another second language. I remember my English teacher once said that in order to learn a certain language, we should learn and acquire it as much as possible like the children do. They learn most of the things basically at home. So when a child grows in an environment where the people around him speak pure English or pure Filipino or a combination of both, then the child naturally acquires the language fast. Although English is the second language in the Philippines and is taught from the very first day I stepped in my kindergarten school, I would say that my English is not yet perfect until now and I am too far to become proficient in the language. My grammar is always not perfect and I think my vocabulary is not as wide as the writers, editors or any language genius. But at least I tried my best to correct every faulty grammar I wrote or said or every imperfect pronunciation I said. Some Filipinos cannot speak or write or even articulate our own national language, how much more the English language? It is the same here in Belgium. Some Belgians cannot speak or write and even articulate Dutch impeccably. It is the same everywhere. Americans, Australians and Britons cannot speak or write flawless English. Sometimes we prefer to communicate slang terminologies because they are “in” and you are also considered “cool” and mostly the new generation invented new words that did not yet exist in the dictionary. Language develops fast like technology (or even faster). Language is dynamic. There are so many factors to consider before someone becomes proficient and fluent in the language. Remember: Nobody is perfect.

Books, teaching materials and school activities in school for the children or students should be as much as possible based on the actual happenings and events of our daily lives where they could relate or associate and not scripted. The way we learn to communicate using our mother language should also be the same way on how we should learn to communicate on our second language. How we were taught to talk and respond since we were young using our mother language must also be the same with our second language. Based on my own observation in my school where I am studying Dutch and French, they use texts and materials based on everyday happenings and events, which is really good and effective. We do not only learn the language but also the actual application of what we have learned. What I find interesting in Dutch and French is that these two languages have different manners in addressing someone of authority, in position, a friend, a colleague or a stranger in a formal or informal way while in English, it is always the same i.e. “you”. In English, “you” is always you no matter if you speak to the president, prime minister, your friend, or a colleague while in Dutch, “u/uw” for formal and “je/jij” for informal and in French, “vous” for formal and “tu” for informal. I do not have plans to scrutinize every word, every grammar or every sentence in Dutch and French because I am not planning to become a language specialist (hehehe). I just want to learn to communicate and understand the people around me and adapt and blend to the society so that I could at least make my life easier.

I met so many foreigners who are living here for so long and yet they could hardly communicate because they are probably not willing or interested, I am. Maybe they did not realize the importance of learning the language. Some of them said that English is very important because it is the universal language and almost everybody around the world speaks English, I agree. Every language is important. The size of the country does not make their language less important. But since I am living here now, then I must learn to communicate and socialized at least. Studying the Dutch language here is cheap and almost free but I just could not understand why some foreigners refuse to take that chance to learn and just take it for granted: “It’s just language, it’s nothing…I don’t need too much of that for my job.” Right…very right!!, why should someone waste his time grabbing the best chance and opportunity? It is very time and effort-consuming, exhausting and boring. They said that why should they waste their time learning the language when in the end they could not get a better job. This is Belgium so naturally the Belgians have all the priorities. They said, for foreigners like us, we should only work in a low paying job. If we have the qualifications and capabilities, then why not compete. There is nothing wrong with a healthy competition. Well, to be honest, I have ambitions. Imagine… what would the world be without our ambitions? Nothing. I am a competitive person. It is better to try and fail than regret and lament in the end because you have not even tried anything. Well, it is our personal choice, and this is mine. Others would probably like to learn the language but they do not have the time. There are reasons why other people do not have time to go to school and learn because they must work to support their family here, children, family in the Philippines, sickly parents, supporting the nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters and even the rest of the bloodline.

Anyway, now I am still studying Dutch and in first level in French language. I did not study the language like linguists do but I study these languages to be able integrate and blend to the society and of course, find a decent job here. My first three months here were not so simple since my in laws do not speak and cannot understand English. Sometimes I find it so annoying when I tried to explain something but I cannot express it in Dutch. But everyday actual communicating using the Dutch language at home and in school makes me better although my vocabulary is not yet wide enough to compete with the native speakers of the Dutch language and not yet good enough to start a conversation in a formal or informal situation or not too good to write a formal letter or cv for job hunting. But I am always thankful that I live in a surrounding where I get the chance to speak, listen, write and hear everyday Dutch. The more I actually practice and apply the language at home and in school the faster I learn and acquire it just like children do. I may like it or not, I have to communicate in Dutch everyday because I live in an environment where people hardly speak and understand English. I am not degrading anyone but I find it beneficial in my part. The only thing that is difficult for me to grasp most of the time is when they start talking in dialect but I did not plan to learn the dialect anymore since I am aiming to learn the formal language. It feels great knowing that I could speak and understand other language than just my mother language.

(November 21, 2008)