Ignoring the power of language is a fatal mistake

Russian imperial idee fixe aside, I’d like to go back to the topic I know quite a bit about: language learning and teaching.

The language you speak shapes how you see yourself and the world. A North Korean kid who learns to say American bastard as one phrase is, sadly, likely brainwashed for life. You get the idea. A kid brought up in a Russian imperial cult is highly unlikely to develop the ability to look beyond his or her window of language determinism. What you get is what we call ”zombirovani” Russians who lack the ability to transcend their own worldview even if they wanted to, though, of course, we’re all ”victims” of that kind of conditioning to an extent. The difference is: we question our limitations while, say, a Z-Cult member has no such cognitive tools.

A native Hebrew speaker is going to have a different understanding of the world than a monolingual (just English) American, or a bilingual Hebrew-American speaker. The bilingual speaker is going to have different associations with Hebrew (say, he or she speaks Hebrew with his or her mother and only in Israel) and different with English. Same, of course, applies to all the other language mixing. Most of us have our little language quirks even if we aren’t consciously aware of them. We can be profiled that way – in fact, the Unabomber was profiled and caught that way. The phrases he used were so idiosyncratic that his family members could tell it was him from his manifesto.

When learning English, don’t be linear. Look for the following role models:

1. Third culture kids ― individuals who meander between cultures, because they moved around the globe a lot as children. They could be diplomats, military brats, international school graduates, academics, etc. They likely have great language learning techniques up their sleeve. Just ask them. Don’t be shy.

2. Bilingual/multilingual individuals ― people who can effortlessly switch between languages are useful English conversation partners to have. Monolingual native English speakers don’t really know how hard it is for you to learn English, because they can’t relate. Someone who speaks your language and English on a native level can be a source of useful advice monolingual teachers probably won’t give you.

3. Diplomats ― Diplomats are usually intelligent people who are great conversationalists. They are practical and ready to help others. It’s their job to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue. That’s exactly the kind of attitude you’re looking for. Perhaps there’s an American (British) club in your area?

4. Priests ― yes, you read that right. There are religious scholars who are excellent language teachers. Fast language learning is the sine qua non of missionary work. Just look at the Society of Jesus and their missionary work in China a few centuries ago. You’re interested in the linguistic aspect, and not the theological one. There are shady religious groups out there, so exercise caution. These groups use English teaching as a cover for cult brainwashing.

Now, onto the topic of nativism. You see, if you’re learning English, there might be an emotional charge involved, i.e. you feel cheated in life because someone else didn’t need to spend hours learn English and the bane of your existence: phrasal verbs that native English speakers pick up as children.

Emotional charge could also involve, say, learning Arabic when it has negative associations for you. This seriously impairs, or renders impossible, the language learning process. I’d imagine a former hostage who associates Arabic with his or her abduction and torture won’t be able to overcome the barrier erected in the brain. It isn’t discriminatory, it’s a normal defense mechanism. Same with a Holocaust survivor who has a panic attack upon hearing German. The sound of German conjures up a set of associations in his or her mind, causing the survivor to relive the horrors. Language learning can be a complex process, particularly in our complex and convoluted world. We’ve got to understand that sitting in front of a book for hours won’t do a damn thing if there’s an emotional charge/barrier involved. It needs to be resolved first for the language learning process to continue.

Who is a native English speaker, anyway? Some say that citizenship determines who is a native English speaker ― and who is not. For example, you can be an awesome speaker of English but you can’t teach in China without a passport from an English-speaking country. No one cares about your side stories, no matter how marvelous and masterful your English is for whatever reason. Then, some guy who can’t even spell, but was born in the US, comes along and gets the job. Fair? Nope. Welcome to the real world where such examples of linguistic imperialism/dictatorship abound.

But, surely, an American passport holder is a native English speaker? Not necessarily. The US has no official language. What if the US passport holder is an immigrant from a non-English-speaking country? What if your mother is an American, but you were born in France? You never visited the US, but your English does not contain a trace of a foreign accent. What if you went to international schools, where you were taught exclusively by educated native speakers? What if you are a brilliant autodidact from a Chinese village?

Granted, native English speakers are the purveyors of culture ― but culture is not tied to a particular piece of land by a divine diktat.

If we disregard the passport-citizen criterion, there are probably millions of people around the world, who qualify as native English speakers. English language testing is prescriptive in nature (this is the correct grammar, end of story), rather than descriptive (how does the language actually work in the real world?).

Some people cling onto the notion that only they know what is proper Hebrew, English, ad infinitum. It could be nostalgia, it could be trying to keep a sense of control in a wacky world, just like someone who cleans a lot because it gives him or her a sense of control.  You’re nodding, huh? Yeah, we all know people like that. Or it could be a sense of entitlement. If you have no other reason to feel special, then claim you’re the guardian of language purity. Same old, same old. Funny thing, I doubt that Steven Pinker, for example, wouldn’t play that game. It’s usually the people who know little to nothing about (psycho) linguistics.