Language, Grass, and the Beauty of Complexity
When the seemingly simple is anything but.
Learning another language is an admirable goal, one that deep down most people share. But most of us make our way through adulthood doing little about it. For many, the reason is that it’s unlike many other forms of learning.
In addition to time and effort, it also requires a new way of thinking. I’m Welsh. I’ve written previously about my relationship with the Welsh language, and the obstacles I’ve faced learning it. But while each language has its own specific challenges, and we all learn in different ways, there are common themes that arise when learning any language.
For example, if a concept is simple in one language, we often assume this to be universal. Early on I expected, or perhaps desired, each new word to have a direct, dictionary translation.
I’m now at the stage of learning where my vocabulary is overflowing with wonderful, often obscure words (making me feel smug while monologuing in my own head). However, I simultaneously have huge blind spots for the most basic of words (helping me to feel like an idiot in actual conversation).
My children go to a Welsh-medium school. It’s hard to think of anyone better than a five-year-old to highlight all the things you don’t know, and gaps in…
