📘 Part 3: Foreign languages

Questions and Answers

M: So, Rory, why do people want to use a foreign language?

R: Oh my god, this is like my TKT exam. So there are two main reasons why people learn. Instrumental and integrative motivation. Instrumental is for a specific purpose. And integrative is to fit in somewhere. Some people also do it for fun, but this is kind of a minority.

M: Is speaking in a foreign language easier than reading it?

R: Well, there are pros and cons to both I suppose. With speaking you have the chance to ask for support and use visual aids to support you while you convey the meaning. But it's live and in real time. So there's a lot of pressure there. With reading, you can see everything in front of you. But sometimes there're exophoric references that can be a problem if you don't know what to look for. Or you might need some kind of cultural knowledge, for example.

M: Is it necessary to write in a foreign language well nowadays?

R: Well, I think it helps a great deal at higher levels of communicating where the finer shades of meaning must be conveyed. But at lower levels, it seems like translation software can probably do most of the help for you in that sense.

M: Let's talk about learning languages at school. What's the best age to start learning a foreign language at school?

R: I don't think age is a major issue. It's more about the manner of delivery. So obviously, when you are younger than you'll be learning through playing more games, but when you're older, you can do sort of more book learning, you're more prepared for that stage.

M: Isn't it more beneficial for a person to start learning a foreign language at three or four?

R: Only for pronunciation I think. The only thing the age really plays a role in is the pronunciation part. That's the only thing that's been conclusively proven anyway.

M: What can teachers do to make learning a foreign language interesting?

R: We were talking about this the other day, actually. They could start with using flashcards and various related games. And focus on speaking from the beginning rather than boring grammar rules would also be of use.

M: How important are school trips to countries where the foreign language is spoken?

R: Well, that will come down to the level of planning involved. If it's just sightseeing, then who cares. But if students are meeting locals and participating in events, then it would be vital.

M: Let's talk about the benefits of speaking more than one language. What are the benefits of growing up speaking more than one language?

R: Well, your access to information expands massively. Imagine being able to use twice as much knowledge as your peers, that's a terrific advantage. Possibly another benefit will be? Well, your cultural knowledge will improve as well. Although all of this comes back to knowledge, I suppose.

M: So culture and language are connected?

R: Well, the knowledge of them is.

M: And does language help you to learn more about the culture of a country?

R: I'd say so, it makes it more accessible.

M: Huh. Do you agree that promoting the learning of foreign languages in schools can improve international relations?

R: Oh, higher levels of education tend to improve cooperation more generally it seems. Though, I don't think it's enough in and of itself, open communication between countries, friendly relations, exchanges, trade. Though they all come into play in such cases.

M: Why is it important to preserve a wide variety of languages in the world?

R: Well, an argument could be made that different languages provide different ways to perceive and understand the world, or at least the cultures of the places where they're spoken. For example, I remember someone saying once that the Russian word for safety translates to "without danger", which is a different way of understanding what safety is because it presents danger as the situation which is like the normal, the norm in the world.

M: Do you think minority languages will disappear?

R: Well, given how many there are in the varying degrees of usefulness and protection they have? It's hard to make a sweeping statement. I think it will be a bit like natural selection. So as long as there's some adaptation and utility, then they'll survive. And if not, then they'll probably disappear.

M: Do you think in the future, there'll be more people who will speak more than one language?

R: I think that's probably an inevitability. As globalization happens, and people become more interconnected, you will find that increasingly becoming the case.

M: Do you think that English could be replaced by some other language? Like Russian, for example? Or Scottish English is going to be a separate language.

R: That's hard to say. I would say not for the next 100 years. At least it seems that way. Because, based on previous trends, French used to be the language of like trade and communication. And before that, it was Latin. And they were eventually replaced by something. But it took like, a series of cataclysms and long term trends over decades and hundreds of years.

M: Rory, thank you very much for insightful answers!

R: No problem.

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