03
May
Can Learning Languages Help You Better Understand Science and Technology?
Author: Randomness // Category: Languages“I had 24 years where I first started to think and speak a foreign language. It was like the release from prison. I have seen my cell door swinging of my mind and open the flight freely. What took place in 40 years ago, but the image is now as fresh as if it has had just happened. ” I’m an iconoclast language. During my life (are now in my seventh decade), I heard the mantra that learning a foreign language gives invaluable insights into the cultures of people who talk. I don ‘t believe it. In addition to my English Christmas (I developed up in southern California), I became fluent in two languages and have a good knowledge of operation of three more. I doubt that all this effort has given me all insights on crops of people speaking these languages. At least no insights that I couldn ‘t bought more easily in 30 to 60 minutes reading a well-written essay or a few hours assisting conferences social and cultural well-crafted. On the contrary, I acquired a deeper understanding of science. What science regards the language? Actually, very little. But it has a lot to do with the thought flexible. And this is where the learning of languages and science converge. The contrary to common belief, science is not about certainty but rather the uncertainty. Good scientists are always looking for what was neglected, that are always looking for surprises and welcome as they occur. They know that moment believe that a phenomenon is “natural” and must be that sense, or that is “unnatural” and can not be that sense, lacking heading for difficulty or out on something important. For example, Albert Einstein has studied the “unnatural” belief that a beam of light in space must always have the same speed; other scientists avévano past decades that try to refute this. He wanted to see where this “unnatural” could lead. In fact, leads to the mc ² = e, the formula for atomic energy and has transformed the world. It is not necessary to be a genius like Einstein (who spoke German, French, Italian and English), or even a scientist at all, to profit from the benefits of elongation of learning foreign languages. In our daily lives we do all the assumptions about how the world works, we’re often not even informed that we are making them. And that ’s the danger. If we are insensitive to our assumptions, we are almost sure to conclude things up believers who aren ‘t align and refusing to believe things that are true. Language learning can help correct this situation difficult. How? Quite simply, because nowhere else our assumptions more quickly and effectively is challenged by other assumptions about what is or isn ‘t natural that is equally valid. Here are some simple examples. 1; Adjectives drag It is “natural” in order to put the adjectives before a name, such as “an object” unidentified flying;. Well not really. Many languages have the adjectives after their name, such as “non-identifie” ruffles of objet;. Could you discuss the “naturalness” of these practices contrasting both directions. In English, we prefer to describe something the first identification of what is, as if developing the suspense. In French, prefer to identify what is the first and describe them later. Who is right? 2. Pronouns optional The English-speaking so accepted that it takes to build a sentence requires a subject and a verb. The object may be a proper name (John talks) or a pronoun (communicate). If you are acquainted with Spanish, to know that in this language the pronoun is not usually necessary. Still say the “Habla” by Juan (Interviews John), but in most cases simply say “Habla” to “He talks.” In fact, if you use a pronoun where it isn ‘t request ( “Habla” by EL;), were committing a serious mistake. 3. No distinction between male and female The English speakers who learn French are often embarrassed by the language ’s apparent inability to distinguish between male and female. For example, “This is his book” and “This is his book” French is both the “C ‘livre” The Son of east;. The “possessive adjective; son” means both “his” and “her”. If it is absolutely necessary to distinguish between “his” book and “her” book, there is a sense to do so. However, it is used only once absolutely necessary. But isn ‘t it always absolutely necessary? It seems so artificial not specify whether the book ’s owner is male or female. Isn ‘t this basic information? They may seem so, but it isn ‘t. From the same logic, should be key information to distinguish between male and female when he says “This is their book”, but we don ‘ “T.; This is your book” may be the male, the female, or both, but not specify ever. Even “This is my book” may be male or female, but still we don ‘t specify. Growing up speaking only English, probably you have not ever noticed this contradiction in the language. None had I. I understand that it is simply that it was the “natural” to distinguish between her and her book, until a French not ask me why. I couldn ‘t says. 4. Forms and explicit including “You” In English, we have only one way to say “you”, which covers all situations. Many languages have several ways to say, considerably the “you” conventional, and the “you” expert;. English used to have an “expert; you” (thou), but it is essentially disappeared. But French and Spanish, for example, is still widely used by speakers of these languages feel that English is somehow “incomplete”. The Spanish speakers are especially poorly served. In their language, not only have a “conventional and expert; you”, they were both in the singular and plural. That is, in Spanish there are four directions say “you”: singular conventional (one person), singular expert (a person), plural conventional (many people), plural expert (many people). For Spanish speakers, have these four options is necessary and natural, not having English are artificial and constricting. 5. Exclusive and explicit forms of the verb English has very few forms of the verb. For example, in this we say the “Cook”; “You cook”, “He cooks”, “She cooks”, “We cook, cook.” That is, there are only two forms of the verb, “cook” and “cooks”, according to which we are talking about. In the past, English has only a form of the verb, for example, “Cooked”; “You cooked”, “He cooked”, “You cooked”, “We cooked”, “cooked”. Also in the future time; everything “cook”. In other languages this is quite artificial, because they use separate forms for each person different, which is spoken. For example, in French and Spanish; I “is associated with a form of the verb,” you “with a distinctly different form of the verb,” we “with yet another form, etc.. And of course there are distinct forms of the verb for “you” expert, and “you” conventional (singular in French and is remarkable that the plural in Spanish). But doesn ‘all these differences tonnes are other complex language significantly more than English? Yes, indeed. However, also make them significantly more precise. For the speakers of these languages, is fundamentally important to make these distinctions, because this is like their minds were trained to work. Just as for English speakers is fundamentally important to distinguish between “his” and “hers”, because this is like our minds were trained to work. Examples of these different ways of doing things from one language to another are endless. Every time we meet them our mind to open a little, because the conditions unexpressed us that all carry around with us are continually sfidandi. Growing up in California, I used to opporrmi high to language learning because it seemed so difficult and unnecessary. Since then I change ideaare. Now I support strong language learning. Not because knowing a foreign language teaches us much about others, but because it teaches us so much about ourselves. The acceptance that language learning is more about expansion of mind that the crop means that the teaching of languages must be fundamentally reformed. I live in Belgium, which speak two or three languages is the norm rather than the exception. This is generally true during Europe. In these countries, to teach languages in the belief that people really use has meaning. The functions mind-expanding effort forward as allowances are welcomed. However, for the English-speaking generally and Americans in particular, is almost impossible to learn to speak foreign languages because it is so difficult to esercitarsele out dell’aula. Here, the mind-expanding functions of language learning should be the primary objective and flows designed and taught accordingly. If this is done, I think that the American fear – and that I dare say that the detestando “â € of other languages could be reversed. Schools would establish the foundations of a language without trying to force pupils in desperate and operation of demoralization Trial speak it. With this foundation firmly in place when a person has traveled to an area where that language is spoken, could quickly transform his knowledge passive in active use. Even better, even if it has traveled to an area with a


