The art of language
When I was a little girl, all my friends knew how to speak gibberish, except me.
Consequently I had to find new friends as I was constantly being excluded. The harder I tried to understand the language, the more I failed to grasp the simplicity of it.
Moving along to high school we were given the choice of Afrikaans or isiZulu. I chose isiZulu – but was soon kicked out of class for not being able, yet again, to grasp the language. Why my teachers thought I would be any better at Afrikaans will remain a mystery.
Last week came with the announcement that Mandarin will be introduced to some schools in Joburg. While this is exciting, the complexities of the language daunt me. I applaud parents who try to expose their children to new ideas, cultures and languages. It can only better the child and open up new possibilities for them.
My lack of a second language is no fault of my parents, but I truly wish they had pushed me harder.
For me, not knowing how to speak isiZulu, Afrikaans, IsiXhosa, Setswana, Sesotho, or any other language for that matter, is a huge downfall and one of my biggest regrets. I wish I had paid attention in class and taken the extra lessons that were offered to me.
When and if I have children – I vow to give them as many opportunities as possible so they do not look like a stuttering idiot trying to speak another language when out with friends or business colleagues.
Parents, whether it be Mandarin, isiZulu, English or Afrikaans – please take your child’s second language seriously, it is such a great opportunity to have another language, and something that should not be taken lightly.
To those of you reading this who are still in school – do your homework, read as much as you can and pay attention. If you don’t, you’ll end up like me – someone with a huge regret.
