Language learning and its variations

Language is a medium to transform ideas to reality.
Language holds the rings of communication.
Language represents expressions in words
Language dictates power in the words of poets
Language is what makes world a village.

It is universally accepted that language is the central to our existence as ‘Global citizens’.  Human evolution for long has stamped its travel adventures in history.  Moving across the globe and wandering, civilizations have communicated from sign to sounds to letters.  Defining a language and learning its rules to communicate has fascinated mankind all along.  Ever wondered, how people learned a new language.  It is not an easy task. 

Moving to a new place was considered difficult just because the person had to converse and live with a new language.  I still remember the good old days when my mom had to move to a new place and she found it difficult to master the language there.  However, the same has not been the case with me.  Though, the 90’s and early 2000’s were not so tech savvy, thanks to the communication networks, televisions and local networks saved us from the burden of embarrassment in making mistakes while learning a new language.  Movies and news were the major programs which helped develop a language then for the non-native speakers.

Today, apps like ‘Duolingo’, ‘HelloTalk, Babbel etc., provides a better opportunity for such migrating speakers.  The comparison of a foreign language, its structure and grammar with that of a local language has become possible.  Language learners, see a wide opportunity in learning new language.  Pronunciation was also a bitter task during the yester years, the speed of native speakers become non-adaptable for non-native listeners.  With the prominence of such language building apps, and the speed that can be controlled, pronunciation checks are better amongst its users.

Free courses offered by online platforms like Edx or Allison or Canva has also provided scope to interact and learn, not only within leaners of the native country but also to those outside the country. 

Focus on language learning is prioritised on building the four basic skill development in the order as – Listening, speaking, reading and writing.  The development of these four basic orders of language learning has also become possible through technology.  It is astonishing that not only can we learn the fundamentals of the language here, but also correct ourselves through recording our voice and analyse in comparison with the original pronunciation.  Sentences can be translated into the language of learning and it is automatically corrected, which gives the learner immediate feedback on the learning process.

Art and architecture transcended boundaries even in the era when technology was non-existent.  With a larger platform of social media available for sharing common interests and to review the works performance cannot be outmatched.  Language learning has crossed barriers of culture in the form of ‘motion pictures’.  Characters of ‘Tom and Jerry’, Mickey Mouse, and Doremon are all household names.  These cartoons have also claimed most vocabulary of both local and foreign languages.  The use of such cartoons on an intentional ground can be used to develop language among our children.  Attracted to these snippets, alienating may not be the answer in developing a good notion.  The same has happened to the English speaking land where Chinese and Indian movies have created landmark success.  Today, language is not a barrier but a bridge.

Reality has set in to seek light in the dark and try to convert every failure as an opportunity to success, language which was once the major restricting factor has this innate potential capable of building bridges of human emotions and allowing compassion to flow in directions which was not once thought off.  Dramatizing and giving a creative opportunity for learning is valid even in building equity among its learners.  The language of ‘humanity’ now has the capacity to connect and collaborate in different ways.  Let us build our world together crossing the boundaries of nations.  One language – One world.