My friend and fellow medium writer, Chris Bergen, posted a tweet a few days ago that caught my attention; it said in part “…People who speak two or more languages have improved memory, problem-solving, critical-thinking, concentration and listening skills…”

To this assertion, my wife and daughter would counter with the fact I keep on losing my phone — at times carrying an entire phone conversation while looking for it! I’m eternally restless and unless the conversation revolves around S. T. E. M. subjects, the person trying to have an adult conversation with me has all but 30 seconds to make their point, before I mentally check-out and go back to living inside my head. Needless to say, I completely disagree with their assessment.Wait, what were they talking about again…?

As for me, I rather see learning a language as an opportunity to understand a culture; as a chance to soak up the essence of their history, their art, their customs and gain a deeper, more human understanding of each other’s piece of our shared cultural tapestry. A chance to laugh together, cry together – to join hands in words, prose and inflection.

In Canada because of our multiculturalism, most people are bilingual(French and English) and most cultures from around the world are solidly represented. It is quite common to hear up to ten different languages while walking down a city block or going to a local market — all while observing proper social distancing protocols, of course. We’re Canadians, not crazy people.

#canada #language #language-learning #diversity #life #deep learning