Knowing a foreign language means much more than knowing words and the rules to combine them - Essay Example

?“Knowing a foreign language means much more than knowing words and the rules to combine them. In order to communicate successfully, one needs to be able to use language which is not only accurate, but also appropriate for the context”. Explain and discuss. My plan revolves around the understanding that my foreign language acquisition should be based on principles which govern the very language in the first place. I plan to learn the rules first so that I do not go haywire. This is needed because it sets the basis for achieving quite a few tasks within the relevant scheme of things. Since I know that words and grammar alone would not be necessary, I would have to find out the exact meanings behind what I intend saying or communicating. This is because people will look up to me when I make use of the foreign language. Then again, my comprehension is such that the context receives more significance because it is something that shall put words into proper play (Bissell 1989). It will teach me where to use what and how to make things work as far as my communication domains with a foreign language is related. I will master such concerns easily when I exactly know where I am lacking and what efforts I am making to reach the intended destination. My plan is to have as less mistakes as possible so that my concentration is based on solid footing. It will allow me to experience my own nuances and comprehend things that are significant from second language adoption mechanisms. I am confident that my plan shall see the light of the day if I remain headstrong and consistent because learning a foreign language is always seen as a difficult task. Many people have avoided such a realm within their fore and my learning would not be taken as an exception. Then again, I will give my best to make sure that my plan meets success. What is even more pivotal is the fact that I shall learn new things along the way, which on any given day is a positive for me. I am supremely confident of my abilities and skills as this is the reason why I am consistently moving ahead. Even though it is always a good sign to know the rules of the foreign language, the fact of the matter is that learning a new language requires patience, empathy and understanding by all concerned, and not just the learner himself. Some believe that it is an easier task than people think it to be, this is not reality in the sheerest sense. The need is to find out how people adapt towards learning a new language which is foreign more than anything else. I will make sure within my plan to remain as close to the context as possible because this is something that will win me favors anytime. If I remain stuck on to the contextual details, my learning of the foreign language will be done easier (Kelm 2003). But if I lose track somehow, there would be a number of problems as far as learning is related. It will make me feel disjointed with the foreign language that I am trying my best to master. I will do everything within my grasp to comprehend the rules and dictum that this new language brings and try to relate the same with what I have learned within other languages in the past. For me, the foreign language will not only be a language but also a way of life, a different cultural manifestation that I shall get to know within the future. I am certain that this will go a long way in detailing what is deemed as my strength and what shall remain as something that I have still to gather in the coming times. As far as my particular emphasis is concerned, I will focus on getting on to the context more than mere grammar and spellings. I will also give secondary importance to sentence structure but what would remain quintessential is how I shall take up the context under which the foreign language is being learnt. I will follow up my plan by being vigilant and focusing more on what I need to learn along the way. This will mean that I shall derive support and encouragement from the people who already know the foreign language because they will be able to provide me the best possible shortcuts and alternative pathways to learn it faster. I will also get in touch with some individuals who know this language well and are aptly driven to take it forward. My understanding would be derived on the tangent which suggests my intrinsic motivation to learn something afresh. It will be the basis of knowing where I am going wrong and what corrective measures need to be taken on my part. Having said that it is imperative that I have a proper insight of the context which is very necessary for a better comprehension that I shall have. When the contextual details are fathomed with reasoning, I will be able to garner a better reaction and feedback from the people who already have the know-how of this language. I will therefore be able to find out the anomalies that are faced by the people at large and also explore the basis of harmony where I shall seek advantage from. My aim would be to analyze a proper understanding of how things will be as far as learning a foreign language is concerned (Bloch 1995). Even though I would have to apply the rules alongside the context that is necessary here, my focus would be on getting the job done more than anything else. If this gets done easily, I will attain my task in a free flowing way and there would not be any apprehensions as such. When I know the rules up front, I will be able to manifest myself properly because then I will discern where I am going wrong and in what contexts are my verbal and nonverbal communication methodologies are being interpreted. This adds to the discussion of the verbal and nonverbal cues which will be sent from my settings. I have to master them to make sure that there are no grey areas present anywhere, as far as learning the foreign language is linked. Hence my focus would bank on getting the hang of the foreign language which is an important yardstick along the way. It will give me a good enough idea where I am headed and what I wish to achieve in the end (Pennington 2010). Also I shall analyze how different the perspectives are of the people when it comes to spellings, grammar, rules and syntax. I will make sure that these are compared back and forth, and the last word would be sought from the books and someone who has mastered the foreign language in entirety. I would have to go out of my way often to discern the hidden meaning which might not be easily explainable. In addition, I will take assistance from those individuals who have a fair enough idea as far as this foreign language understanding is concerned. I will devote myself whole-heartedly towards this language acquisition because it is one of the most pertinent points of my learning plan. I will develop my argument in line with the understanding that a foreign language is not just a language that one adheres to or follows. It is a complete code of life that one has to follow. This is because he has to make do with tasks and processes in this language to move ahead in life, be it from a personal perspective or a professional one. I am sure that a foreign language gives one the courage to comprehend how things are within another culture but then again this culture might not be different at all. My conclusions are derived from the fact that the foreign language should always be seen first from a contextual viewpoint and then from its semantic and syntactical aspects. This helps the new learner to know how the language shapes up and what are its different manifestations and insights (Winiwarter 2011). My argument is based on the fact that if the contextual details are sought in an adequate way, there would not be any difficulties once the understanding is reached for the grammar, spellings, sentence structure and comprehension of the language. I would dispel the impression that the language which is foreign to me from the beginning would be a difficult one to attain and implement for my own fore. This will take place when I know for certain what I wish to achieve and for this I will make all-out endeavors and efforts so that I can muster success without much hard work. It is quintessential that the foreign language is accurate as well. By this, I imply that I must not speak words which have a completely different meaning to what I know in my own mother tongue or native language. If this happens, I must solicit advice and suggestions from the people who master this foreign language because they will be the best judge under such circumstances and situations. My domains would be eased up if I know that I will be able to make sense within educational settings of the foreign language and accuracy would be achieved without a great deal of hard work. However, this would require that at least I understand the relevant context for which I am making use of the foreign language. Even though this seems like easier said than done, I will make my utmost attempt to settle things in a proper way. This will be the basis of attaining success as far as mastering the foreign language is concerned. Then again, the help and guidance of the people who bring this foreign language forward to me remains important because they are the ones who are going to help me in the long run. Also when accuracy is achieved, I would question them regarding the contextual details. I would have to allow them to intervene once they feel I am on the wrong track so that when the actual situation or circumstance is faced on my part, I do not feel left out. The bottom line remains etched in the fact that I must communicate without any difficulty and that the people with whom I am interacting should get my point of view in an easy going way. I will be able to sustain their understanding and remember what they said in an accurate form once the foreign language is analyzed and grabbed in an adequate way. This will be the beginning of proper comprehension of the foreign language and I will make my best effort to retain it as much as I can. I will support my arguments through the literature that is already present as far as learning a foreign language is entailed. It will help me to discern the real basis of learning, which remains a very significant and vital tool for me. I would have to talk to people who can provide me the shortcuts as far as learning a foreign language is related. This will allow me to excel in communicating with people in a language which is not my own yet for which I have made an effort to learn. This would not imply for the assumption that I am not learning in a full fledged way. I will seek shortcuts so that I know the contexts under which I must have communication with different people and under varied situations and circumstances. It will allow me to maneuver myself as and when needed in a manner which is seemingly fit with the task at hand. Then again, I will try my utmost to remain as balanced as I can be when I am communicating with people in this foreign language which I have acquired (Caws 2012). I am aware of the fact that this will be a difficult process yet one that has to be undertaken in order to achieve dire results, and what more than learning a foreign language altogether. Moreover, the sources that I shall be using for this foreign language acquisition and learning depend on the people from whom I shall attain in-depth knowledge as well as the books and online content which is readily available at my end. I will also seek the advice of elders within the other culture for whom this foreign language is their native one. Culturally speaking, this foreign language will be a test for me as I have to check new heights with my learning regimes getting expanded all the time. It will be a Herculean act but one that I intend doing for my own domains. Whatever material that comes my way will be a source of advantage because this is going to teach me one thing or the other. I am certain that with persistent effort and practice, this foreign language will be a very easy process and the learning that takes place along the way is going to be a necessary step in my character grooming. My personality will take a new turn and allow me to learn even more things in the future. I am confident that if I make an effort today, it will be the basis of achieving even more success in the coming times. All said and done, I am going to acquire this foreign language to bring excellence within my repertoire and also to let the world know that I can communicate in one other language than my own. This is a confidence boosting step that shall win me many favors, both from a personal perspective as well as a professional one. I will be proud of who I am once I am able to speak the foreign language in a corrective fashion in the future. Works Cited Bissell, Chris. Language Training: Coping with Diversity. Education + Training, 31(5), 1989 Bloch, Brian. Career enhancement through foreign language skills. International Journal of Career Management, 7(6), 1995 Caws, Catherine G. Engaging Second/Foreign Language Students through Electronic Writing Tasks: When Learning Design Matters. Cutting-edge Technologies in Higher Education, 6(b), 2012 Kelm, Orlando R. The Role of Foreign Language Instruction and Proficiency as Related to Study Abroad Programs in Business. Advances in International Marketing, 13, 2003 Pennington, Martha C. The Language Program in a Changing World. Innovation and Leadership in English Language Teaching, 1, 2010 Winiwarter, Werner. Towards an intelligent integrated language learning environment. International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, 7(3), 2011 Read More