Language Learning and Associated Bias

Written by Harsh Kumar Mishra.

Being a linguist (that is what I obsessively call myself), I often get questions from people that are quite funny. One being, how long do you think it will take for me to learn this language (mostly in reference to Korean). Now, you might be thinking, what is funny about this question? Language is something you keep acquiring until your last breath because it is ever-changing. You do not actually learn a language completely. You just reach a level where you start acquiring it naturally; and to reach that level, a different amount of effort and time is required for each person. The answer to this question is impossible if you actually consider the nature of language.

We always make mistakes when thinking of the learning process for a mother tongue and a foreign language as being the same. Learning a foreign language is very different from acquiring your first language. For a foreign language, you “learn” first and then “acquire” later, and for the other, you acquire from birth. Another big difference is that with foreign languages, you also need to learn the culture(s) associated with the language, which is mostly omitted while acquiring your first language because you are raised in that culture.

A language is not just a set of words, grammar, and texts; it is the representation of the culture in which it is spoken. Every expression of a language is filled with cultural context. To learn a language, one will also need to get familiar with the relevant history and cultural background. This is because, if you learn a foreign language without knowing the culture, you will end up replying “아니요, 안 먹었어요” (No, I haven’t) or “아니요, 빵 먹었어요” (No, I had bread) to a Korean person asking “밥 먹었어요?” (Have you eaten?), because you’re not aware that “밥 먹었어요?” is actually a greeting, and 밥 simply means “a meal” in Korean rather than its more basic meaning of “rice.” Culture becomes more important when you are learning a language that is very alien to your language or culture. The reason is obvious: Knowing the culture will ease your language learning and you will not get frustrated about why 밥 has different meanings (rice, a meal) and functions (greeting).

This leads to another important aspect of language learning: bias. I will mention again some of the questions I get as a linguist, but more meaningful ones. Some examples are what is most important while learning a foreign language and how to learn a language without feeling stressed. I can and do answer these questions. I think the most important aspect of learning a language is to love and respect it, and to accept it with an open heart. When you are starting to learn a language, forget all of the negative preconceptions about it. These include, but are not limited to, this language is very difficult; it takes a very long time to learn; it has too many similar grammatical structures and expressions; my friend could not learn it; it is hard to pronounce; and I can never develop the accent.

Do not start to learn a language if you do not like the people or the culture of the people speaking it. Loving a language makes your learning not just fruitful but also quite entertaining. You keep experimenting with words, mixing the expressions with your mother tongue, listening intently when hearing the language spoken, and so on. Respecting the language also plays an important part. People often judge others for making spelling, grammar, or pronunciation mistakes. I have also seen people going after a perfect accent (English accent mostly) and laughing at others for not using it. English flourishes and has become a global language because it has allowed different countries and cultures to accept it in the manner they have wanted, as a means of communication. David Crystal, one of the most renowned linguists of our time, said this about accent: “There is no such thing as an ugly accent, like there’s no such thing as an ugly flower.” Accent is not that important if you are able to communicate with the person you are speaking with in a respectful manner.

Since arriving in South Korea, I have been meeting and seeing Koreans who are obsessed with learning English. Many of them become successful in getting high scores on proficiency tests. Their vocabulary has breadth and depth. Yet, I still find them uncomfortable while they are speaking in English. The reason behind this is none other than being the target of people’s judgement and the burden of years of learning. They are so afraid of making mistakes that it causes them to make those very errors. As in all aspects of learning, making mistakes is part of it.

In South Korea, people see English as a talent that is very difficult to master and can hence be biased about it. Many of them think that English should be mandatorily taught by a native English teacher to best learn it, rather than learning it from a knowledgeable and educated Korean. A native speaker of a language may be a good speaker of that language, but that does not always make them a good teacher. To teach a language well, one can benefit greatly from a course or program in teaching methodology and practice. Learning a foreign language from a professional language educator is, in most cases, more effective than learning from a native speaker without teaching skills.

There is much more to be said about language learning, but I will conclude with, “To learn a language you must love it, respect it, and make mistakes.”

The Author

Harsh Kumar Mishra is a linguist pursuing his PhD in Korean linguistics at Chonnam National University. He is also a freelance Korean translator/interpreter, content creator for TopikGuide.com, and does online Korean teaching through the same organization.