language/lingua/jezik

i have always been interested in languages. i never really consider myself "good" at languages because i hate grammar. i like learning from listening and speaking rather than from case charts. which ultimately means that when i speak another language it isn't always going to be perfect. and i don't mind. today gabriele and i were talking about languages and i appreciated the fact that we think a lot alike in this subject. we both seem to have a certain amount of touchiness about it with a sprinkle of pickiness and pet peeves.
there's me in america where i think everyone who lives here should put forth an effort to learn english. there's him in italy where he thinks everyone who lives there should put forth an effort to learn italian. i'm generally very firm in my sentiments because my mother is mexican and from the beginning of her time here in america she made the resolve to learn english and speaks proficient, nearly impeccable english. she always spoke to us in english at home. some people think that could be wrong and that she should have taught us spanish. well, it didn't stop us from learning spanish at all. either way, my point is that my mom speaks the language of the country in which she resides. and i really appreciate that. it has taught me a lesson of respect.
i think a lot about these things because i will be moving to italy next year (maybe forever, maybe not). i intend to learn italian and speak to my children in italian. of course, i will help them in their studies concerning english. but in reality, if we live in italy, italian will be our primary language. not english. i don't consider that turning my back on america or something. to me, that just shows respect for the people in the place i will live. i'll always be american and make strawberry shortcake, just like my mom will always be mexican and make chiles rellenos.
i think that's a part people don't understand.nothing stands in the way of learning a new language. people use the excuse that they're too old or that circumstances for some reason don't permit it. i don't fall for that. my favorite professor at byu, walter whipple, learned polish when he was forty. he was then called as the first mission president of the poland warsaw mission. he has been chosen to translate traditional polish carols and is frequently invited to poland to play the organ at special events. you could say he's just brilliant. i say he cared enough to learn polish and then continued learning it as the years passed.
learning a language takes time and effort (and certainly pulls you out of your comfort zone). i dare to say that those who do not speak the language of the country in which they live care not to give that time or effort. which to me really causes these people to gyp themselves of their own potential to better communicate in the society they frequent daily.