Of Language

Sounds of Language

Instrumentation of Language

Surely you have noticed that some people are capable of playing more than one musical instrument well, even though they are their best with only one or two. Others do not know how to play any, and care to learn none.

Have you ever heard a trumpet in concert with a quartet wind ensemble, or perhaps a sole violin in a brass band, though? Probably not. On the other hand, you may have heard a French horn, clarinet, violin and cello being played together, or even a bass string instrument in a jazz quartet.

Languages are similar to instruments in so far as they must be carefully matched, if they are to sound good together. This is not to say that some languages cannot be mixed with others, either in the same mind or among different ones, rather that we must be careful how and when we mix them. Even in a large orchestra, where many instruments of the same or similar type are brought together with other instruments of a different type, they are carefully arranged so that similar instruments are put together and separated from other instruments that they clearly do not resemble. Of course, occasionally there are new instruments that appear and combine the features of two or more older instruments in a sonorous way. These too, however, are carefully designed so that the qualities of the old instruments are clearly compatible.

When one is learning to play an instrument, it is always better to be with others who are playing similar instruments, so that one can learn to appreciate the sound of one's own. It is also much easier to learn a new instrument when accompanied by accomplished players.

If you want to learn another's language well, you must be with others who speak the language you wish to learn, or at least be able to shut out the languages of others, so that you can concentrate on making the proper sounds in your target language.

Proper key, wrong band

Now consider the way in which the typical Japanese learns a foreign language in his own country. Except for the few, who can afford private lessons with a native speaker, the vast majority of Japanese learn foreign language in the company of other Japanese, a native instructor who knows little Japanese, or a Japanese instructor who has never lived abroad in a country whose native tongue is the one he is teaching. What is the obvious result?

The individual Japanese learns to speak the language of his teacher in a way that only other Japanese can understand. Even when a native speaking instructor is present, the instructor can hear everyone making the same mistake, but can do little to correct it, because he simply does not have the time to provide individual correction to each student. As a result students confuse what they hear with that which they are speaking, and the mistake is perpetuated. Once the mistake becomes habit it is difficult to unlearn, so that it becomes a permanent part of the students' linguistic landscape.

I once had a Venezuelan girl friend, from whom I learned to speak Spanish without ever speaking Spanish with her. Although she was using English vocabulary and grammar, all of the sounds emanating from her mouth were Spanish. When I started formal Spanish lessons, my Spanish teacher was amazed about my command of Spanish phonics, and she asked me if I had not lived in South America before joining her class. I told her no, rather that I had learned Spanish while speaking English with my girl friend. My teacher laughed.

Playing  trumpet in a wind ensemble

Consider now the foreigner who comes to Japan to learn about Japanese language and culture, and the Japanese who insists upon speaking with him in English. If they are in a public area where other Japanese wanting to learn English are present, everyone's ears will be turned toward the foreigner. Unfortunately for these latter and the foreigner's conversation partner there will likely be other Japanese with little or no interest in learning English. As a result Japanese and English will be spoken side-by-side. Although not a problem for those who are already bilingual and comfortable in both languages, the result is a disaster for those wishing to learn English. How will any Japanese be able to distinguish clearly the sounds of own language from those of the foreigner? It is nearly impossible.

In the end the foreigner learns little Japanese, and his conversation partner learns only a distorted form of English.

Symphonic harmony

Now consider the same foreigner with a Japanese who is eager to teach him Japanese and about Japan. Not only will the foreigner hear the Japanese being spoken by his conversation partner, but he will hear the Japanese of others in his vicinity. When the foreigner makes a mistake in Japanese, it will be obvious to everyone, and a correction readily available. No one would have to tell the foreigner that he is wrong, because it would be considered ill-mannered by most Japanese to do so, anyway. Rather the correction comes of its own, as others who hear the mistake correct for it in their own conversation, and the correction is overheard by the novice speaker. The process is subtle and as much sub-conscious as it is conscious. The entire learning process plays like an improvising jazz quartet in search of rhythm and harmony without a musical score.

In effect, the foreigner senses whether what he says is being properly received, and the same positive feedback that perpetuates the distorted speech of Japanese learners of English in the previous example serves as a corrective mechanism for the foreign learner of Japanese in this example. Thus, as far as total learning efficiency and the internationalization of both sides of the conversation are concerned, it is much better for the Japanese to speak Japanese with the foreigner, than for the foreigner to speak his own language with the Japanese.