Discover an exotic landUganda


Speaking in Tongues

I was at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals.Theexperience to everyone and much reflection on
flight attendant's greeting aboard Germanthe experience I had, I decided to widen my
Airlines felt to me like a have-a-good-daylanguages-spoken zone. To my surprise, a
message or enjoy-the-flight customaryhandful of web sites are apparently offering
greeting. Unable to decode the language sheonline language courses (for free at that) on
was speaking that sounded so cryptic to me, Ialmost about every language being spoken by
just jumped into an assumption (logical Iat least half of a country's population. I
hoped) that what her sounds meant were wordstook a German language course (as a natural
of goodwill, either have a good day or enjoyrecourse to the trip I just had) through
the flight. "You're now just few hours fromAbout 20 other language courses are also
the World Cup. It's our pleasure to bring youavailable in learnplus.com, most of which are
safely in Germany," she then translated aftereven free of charges.Through my online
the cryptic words. None of my guesses waslanguage course, I learned that my most
right. I then saw the biggest hurdle rightbeloved *lingua franca* apparently had some
before my face. I should have really broughtof its origin from the German language that I
the dictionary mom bought.I immediatelyregard as so cryptic. Moreover, the syntax,
spotted the arranged hotel ride as soon as Igrammar of English, and German languages are
got out of the airport lobby. Checking outpretty much hinged on the similar rules and
went smooth and easy. I had my luggage atpractices. The phonology is what seems to set
hand immediately and some quick passport andboth languages' worlds apart and probably the
visa checking were all done in a jiffy.hardest to learn.I'm now starting to learn
Airport personnel made me feel at ease, wesentence construction and exerting much and
spoke a common language, my English. Theirmuch effort learning the sounds (and pidgins)
mumblings still sounded cryptic orof my target language. offers very
"ambigramic" but the puzzling was way easierstudent-friendly beginner's modules and
than that of the flight attendant's totallyreadings. The course starts at the very basic
foreign language. Thanks to the holocaustlevels of language learning prior to language
movies my dad watches every now and then, Iacquisition. Most practical usages of common
was somehow accustomed and prepared for thephrases, words, and terms are the primary
German's morphology of my lingua franca.things I learned from the first module. The
Think and speak nasal to understand them andsecond one taught me the German alphabet and
for them to get what you're saying.On the waythe basic sounds of the German language.
to the hotel, I sensed that the driver orHelpful exercises are also available for
rather the chauffeur ( the closest I canpractical mastering especially of the
translate "driver" to a language other thanpronunciation.After learning well enough how
mine) was mightily trying to extend warmthto speak at least conversational German, my
and hospitality. Sensitive enough, henext target language is French. I heard that
immediately recognized theit is harder to learn French than German, so
I-can't-quite-understand-you crumpled look onmy plan to enroll in a French online language
my face and spoke in a more comprehensiblecourse probably by next month will be just in
sound. In fairness, his English was excellenttime for my Tour de France next summer. I
(relative to most natives during the flightimagine it to be more exciting experiencing
and in the airport). Der Chauffeur (mythe beauty (and hopefully romance) of Paris
cahuffeur lacked Der, as he told me hisif I can twist my tongue the French way.
professional title) gave me a little crashTraversing the mazes of the Louvre will
course on practical German words and lines Isurely be more enriching for the non-art
can use to survive until my flight back home.aficionado in me if I can at least have an
Hello is "hallo", good morning is "Guteneasier conversation with the tour guide by
Morgen," How much is this is "Wieviel kostetbeing able to at least converse decently more
das," hotel is (luckily) "hotel," bank isthan a bonjour, si, and non. A friend
"das Bankhaus," and airport is "derrecommended for French lessons, saying it's
Flughafen." I practiced to get theirmore practical than the French in After
pronunciations right until we reached dasFrench, I might also take up Spanish,
hotel. Stressed by the language barrier, IMandarin, and Nihonggo. And of course, I must
ended up succumbing to my das Beet (bed) inlearn at least one of South Africa's 11
my cozy, homey das Hotelzimmer (hotel room)official languages for the next World Cup.
in Ibis Berlin Adlershof.Couple of daysMake it ten rather, English is given.
later, after much re-telling of my Berlin



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