Learn a foreign language this year

By THOMAS HUKAHU

HAVE you wished that you can learn a foreign language in addition to those you already speak – English, Tok Pisin and your local dialect?
Have you tried one and found that it is too difficult and decided to end all your efforts in mastering the basics in it?
Well, in this article I will offer you some tips from my experiences of working with some languages.
But before I get into the nuts and bolts of language learning, let me make some vital points regarding my articles on developing good hobbies.

Developing good hobbies
OVER the past few weeks, I have been sharing tips on working on developing hobbies – creating 3D computer animations, playing the piano and now learning another language.
I made a point in the first article in this series that in today’s world, some of the best firms look for talented and skillful people to help them achieve their goals. They want people who can do more than just have a diploma or degree in a specialised field – just possessing a nice-looking resumé is not enough.
Developing good hobbies too can help you find a better job – one that is better than the one that your diploma can get you.
Some of the best discoveries or inventions came from someone’s hobby. Wilbur and Orville Wright ran a bicycle repair shop but in their spare time they worked with ideas of an airplane – as a hobby.
Today, the Wright brothers are credited with inventing, building and flying the world’s successful airplane. They are remembered as aviators, engineers and inventors even though both did not complete high school.
Your quest in learning a new hobby can add more to your life and the community if you create something new – as in creating an animated movie that is loved by millions or record a piano piece that is beautiful and which may attract a recording label to sign you up.
Be aware of such possibilities.

Why learn a foreign language?
There are many reasons why learning a foreign language will be an advantage.
Firstly, you want challenges – or just for the love of it.
I had this desire too during my first year at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) decades ago. The languages that interested me then were Spanish and Russian. Spanish was then offered at UPNG in the 1990s but unfortunately, I was a science student and it was not one of our optional courses to take. Russian was definitely not one of the languages offered then.
Interestingly, almost 10 years later when I returned to Port Moresby, I noticed that Alliance Française de Port Moresby (French Alliance of Port Moresby) was offering French classes and I signed up for that. It was a good decision. In a way, it took me back to my wish a decade ago to learn a foreign language. The years and money I spent in learning French has opened up the world for me.
Secondly, in some jobs, learning a foreign language is a must. If you are aspiring to be a Christian foreign missionary, diplomat or translator/interpreter in international meetings, you must learn a foreign language. In the Pacific, the two regional languages are English and French.
There are at least three states in the Pacific that use French as their language of commerce and education.
We must not forget too that to our west, in the Indonesian province of Papua, Bahasa Indonesia (or Indonesian) is the lingua fraca.
Thirdly, you can make friends from other nations easily. As a student of French (and I am still learning the language) and someone who has worked with French-speaking people, I have enjoyed a number of privileges. I was working as the liaison officer with Team Wallis and Futuna during the 2015 Pacific Games and am happy to say that were I to visit the islands, there are a number of people who I could call by name from working with them while they were here.
Fourthly, knowledge of a language opens up another world to you. You have been told this before – but think about it. Knowledge about a language enables you to understand people singing in another language, read books written in another dialect and cultures that may be better understood by first comprehending the language. There are people who love a beautiful Spanish or Maori song but the sad thing is they cannot understand the lyrics – which is the most important part of the piece.
Fifthly, learning another language opens up business opportunities. International artistes who sing in two or three different languages sell more albums than those who sing in only one language. There are contemporary artists who learn another language with the sole aim of increasing the size of their fan base.
Someone who is francophone (or French-speaking) can learn English and start working on songs that would appeal to an anglophone (English-speaking) audience.
Two weeks ago, I was watching videos of Jack Ma, the founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group and I realised that he became a successful entrepreneur because he was a Chinese who learned English by mingling with English-speaking tourists when they visited Hangzhou, a Chinese tourist destination.
I realised from Ma’s stories that his mastering of the English language enabled him to see China in a different way to what most Chinese saw it. He knew what China had (supply) and what the US wanted (demand). My view was that he became the middle man in bringing Chinese products to the English speaking world.

Tips on learning a foreign language
Now, here are some tips to help you learn a language.
1. Find a tutor to start you off with the alphabet and pronunciation.
French, Spanish, Italian and even Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) all use a similar alphabet as English, which is based on the old Latin script. Russian and other Eastern European languages use the Cyrillic script – therefore you have to work harder in learning a different set of symbols and sounds that go with it. The same goes for Japanese and Chinese where a student has to learn the characters and what they mean.
I emphasise that you must get a tutor to start you off – at least to correctly pronounce the basics words and phrases, as well as some peculiar sounds that are not present in languages you already know.
2. Go to YouTube and watch videos there. If you have a tutor (as in the first tip), use this tip as a complementary mode of learning. But it is advisable that you stick to one YouTube channel and work through each video in the order that the tutor suggests. Don’t visit many channels – that may distract you from learning well. This method of learning can be utilised by those who cannot find a tutor.
Take notes in a notebook too – something that you can revise from later on.
3. Learn the basics in grammar and structure of the language. You will have to revisit the basics in English (including parts of speech) to appreciate the structure of a sentence in another language. In English, we may say: “The dog is inside the house.”
That structure is more-or-less the same in French and Spanish, however, it is not so in Maori, where the preposition (inside) starts the sentence, followed by the subject (dog) and then object (the house). I learned this a few days ago.
4. Spend at least two hours per week on your language learning.
Just like playing the piano, mark times for your language learning and keep to it. Generally, if you have formal tutorials, spend one hour outside of class for every hour that you spend in class. (Remember: “Practice makes permanent!”)
If you are revising for a test or exam, you may add two or three hours more on top of your normal study time to review concepts learned.
In your weekly revision times, go over your class notes and complete all homework given by your tutor.
Also, check supplementary texts that you may get from a library or going online.
5. Use opportunities to practse your skills.
Look for opportunities to practise what you learn. If you are learning French and happen to hear some visitors speaking it, do not hesitate to say “bonjour (hello), comment allez-vous” (how are you) to them and introduce yourself to them if they are willing to talk.
I was informed by a young man who is learning French on his own that during the 2015 Pacific Games, he struck a conversation with some athletes from New Caledonia one afternoon and they invited him that night to a function. (Yes, he was rewarded for his effort in using their language.)
6. Watch movies and listen to songs in your language of interest.
Check for movies online that are in the language you are learning. Find songs (with lyrics) that are sung in that language. The more you listen and try to comprehend, the better you will become in that language.
7. Make friends on social network.
Make friends and communicate with people online – those who speak your language of interest.
8. Take online tests.
After spending 10 weeks or so, try to take a free online test (as in Oxford House Language School). If you go for another 10 weeks, take another test and see if you have improved on your language skills.
9. Here is an important note too for those you are learning any language on your own. Mark a 10-week period where you do two-three hours learning the language. Then after 10 weeks, take a break, and take an online test. Then start another 10 weeks again. And work in that manner before taking another two-week break.
10. Visit a country for an immersion.
If you learn Indonesian, visit Jayapura and immerse yourself in the language there. If you learn French, go to Nouméa.

A possible set of topics for the self-learner
If you are learning a language on your own, you cannot make good progress in your language if you do not follow a syllabus, a set of definite topics to cover in your 10-week periods.
Here is a list of topics that you can work on by getting help from YouTube videos or sites online:
1. Greeting words (hello, good morning/night, How are you, I am fine);
2. Learning the alphabet (A, B, C and so on);
3. Introducing yourself (my name is, I live in Lae);
4. Counting numbers up to 40;
5. Giving your age (I am 18 years old, my father is 48 years old);
6. Introducing another person (my father’s name is, he works as a doctor);
7. Verbs in simple present tense (to go, to be, to have, to live);
8. Basic nouns (School, hospital, boy, girl, man, boy, beach, home);
9. Simple sentences (I am a boy/girl, I go to the beach);
10. Prepositions in sentences (The cat is in the box, I go to the beach);
11. Conjunctions in sentences (Julie and I are friends, but we …);
12. Telling the time (12-hour or 24-hour time);
13. Common adverbs (I was going slowly, the car was travelling quickly); and,
14. Common adjectives (the beautiful woman, the intelligent man).
It does not matter which language you are learning. Try to split up your tasks under those headings and make your way through the topics.

Some final things
For a start, learn the greeting words and make sure you get the pronunciation right.
Do not worry about a dictionary, if you do not have one. Learn what you can and work on memorising words and phrases (including conjugation of verbs).
It is going to be a long journey. Not everything will become clear all at once.
Be brave to make mistakes – you cannot learn much if you are afraid of making mistakes.
You must be determined to continue working to realise your goal of reaching a level of competency.

• Thomas Hukahu is a regular contributor to Weekender.