Everyone Should Learn Languages.

One of the first things I realized when I got here, or rather the first time I really came to appreciate it, is the importance of language. You never really realize how essential language is until you go have to make your way in one vastly different from your own. German is difficult, but I can get by, and I learn new words every day. But Czech?? There is nothing in that language that even remotely resembles English. Context clues are impossible, in German you can figure certain words out (wasser, hunt, trinken, etc.) but in Czech there is no resemblance. And it didn't hit me until we landed in Prague and our taxi driver spoke zero English. On my trip, I had a layover in Frankfurt. Apparently I look very German, because on the flight (out of Chicago) people were coming up to me and asking me various questions in German. I am by no means fluent, but I can understand enough to answer their questions as well as getting myself by and having conversations. But when we landed in Prague and I couldn't even understand a little of the language, that was when I realized how important it was to be able to communicate. Does that make sense? I don't think I'm articulating it well right now. Anyway, it was almost a relief to get back to Germany, where even though I can't understand everything, it's coming and it's much easier to be here. So I guess the moral of my story is everyone should learn languages. It's so important. In the world we live in today, where everyone is constantly connected, it is essential to learn languages, to become a new type of world citizen. In the American mentality I think we rely on people from other cultures learning English so we can communicate. When you are in America, speak English. But when you travel to other parts of the world you are in a foreign territory and cannot expect people to understand you. We get so aggravated when people in our country don't speak English (because it's America) yet when we travel we expect others to understand us, rather than us understanding them. I think Eddie Izzard says it best, "We are going to have to be bilingual, we going to have to be. And English speakers hate this, 'two languages in one head? No one can live at that speed! Good God man, you're asking the impossible!'" So yes people, LEARN LANGUAGES!!!! 

And for your enjoyment:

Eddie Izzard: Languages