“English is a funny language; that explains why we park our car on the driveway and drive our car on the parkway.  ~Author Unknown”

     I have spent chunks of my adulthood living in both Asia and Mexico and I can’t even begin to tell you how much a shared language can bridge cultural gaps. I have found that even my limited Spanish and sticks of Korean have aided me in travelling more than any guidebook. Whether you want to learn a language for pleasure or work, no one is ever too old to learn something new!

     In decades past there was a common thought that once you were an adult you were too old to learn a language. However as of late language specialists have found that while children and adults learn languages differently, both can master a second language with a lot of hard work and dedication. Speech specialists have even found that learning a new language can train you to be a better listener.

     Maybe you don’t want to be fluent. Maybe you want to study so you can have a better time on vacation, or learn some key phrases to help you at work. Perhaps you feel beautiful or romantic when speaking Italian, or feel more connection with your faith by learning Latin or Hebrew.

Before you decide to learn a new language, consider these points:

*Why are you learning a new language?

*What things are important for you to know? Writing? Speech? Comprehension? Shopping in Mexico might require you to know food and money terminology, but not necessarily writing skills. Learning about Italian art might require some painting vocabulary but not necessarily grammar.

*What don’t you need to know? It might seem silly, but you can save yourself time and frustrations by weeding out words that you know you’ll never use. While children tend to learn all of the animals and clothing words when they are studying a language through school, adults might not need to know the German word for elephant when they are gallivanting through Europe on vacation. You might, however, want to know the words for “I need something for my stomach” or “I would like these in a size 8”.

     If you’ve ever helped a child learn a new language you will notice that the use of songs, colorful flashcards and animation goes hand-in-hand with repetition (Dora the Explorer might ring a few bells). Language-learning should be fun! Whereas children tend to learn language better through repeating, adults tend to think more critically. A grown-up tends to relate a new word to a word they already know in their own language.

     So surround yourself with the language. Don’t feel bad if you can’t dedicate one hour a day to sitting at a desk, studying irregular verbs. Make it fun! Listen to music from that specific country in the car. The Internet has heaps of free podcasts in different languages that can be loaded onto an Ipod. Watch foreign films with subtitles. Get a dictionary and a novel written in the language you’re studying and work your way through the book. Reward yourself for your progress and above all, enjoy the feeling that a new language can bring you!

 “Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow.”  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes