| I was at the 2006 FIFA World Cup | | | | much re-telling of my Berlin experience |
| Finals.The flight attendant's greeting | | | | to everyone and much reflection on the |
| aboard German Airlines felt to me like a | | | | experience I had, I decided to widen my |
| have-a-good-day message or | | | | languages-spoken zone. To my surprise, a |
| enjoy-the-flight customary greeting. | | | | handful of web sites are apparently |
| Unable to decode the language she was | | | | offering online language courses (for |
| speaking that sounded so cryptic to me, | | | | free at that) on almost about every |
| I just jumped into an assumption | | | | language being spoken by at least half |
| (logical I hoped) that what her sounds | | | | of a country's population. I took a |
| meant were words of goodwill, either | | | | German language course (as a natural |
| have a good day or enjoy the flight. | | | | recourse to the trip I just had) through |
| "You're now just few hours from the | | | | About 20 other language courses are |
| World Cup. It's our pleasure to bring | | | | also available in learnplus.com, most of |
| you safely in Germany," she then | | | | which are even free of charges.Through |
| translated after the cryptic words. None | | | | my online language course, I learned |
| of my guesses was right. I then saw the | | | | that my most beloved *lingua franca* |
| biggest hurdle right before my face. I | | | | apparently had some of its origin from |
| should have really brought the | | | | the German language that I regard as so |
| dictionary mom bought.I immediately | | | | cryptic. Moreover, the syntax, grammar |
| spotted the arranged hotel ride as soon | | | | of English, and German languages are |
| as I got out of the airport lobby. | | | | pretty much hinged on the similar rules |
| Checking out went smooth and easy. I had | | | | and practices. The phonology is what |
| my luggage at hand immediately and some | | | | seems to set both languages' worlds |
| quick passport and visa checking were | | | | apart and probably the hardest to |
| all done in a jiffy. Airport personnel | | | | learn.I'm now starting to learn sentence |
| made me feel at ease, we spoke a common | | | | construction and exerting much and much |
| language, my English. Their mumblings | | | | effort learning the sounds (and pidgins) |
| still sounded cryptic or "ambigramic" | | | | of my target language. offers very |
| but the puzzling was way easier than | | | | student-friendly beginner's modules and |
| that of the flight attendant's totally | | | | readings. The course starts at the very |
| foreign language. Thanks to the | | | | basic levels of language learning prior |
| holocaust movies my dad watches every | | | | to language acquisition. Most practical |
| now and then, I was somehow accustomed | | | | usages of common phrases, words, and |
| and prepared for the German's morphology | | | | terms are the primary things I learned |
| of my lingua franca. Think and speak | | | | from the first module. The second one |
| nasal to understand them and for them to | | | | taught me the German alphabet and the |
| get what you're saying.On the way to the | | | | basic sounds of the German language. |
| hotel, I sensed that the driver or | | | | Helpful exercises are also available for |
| rather the chauffeur ( the closest I can | | | | practical mastering especially of the |
| translate "driver" to a language other | | | | pronunciation.After learning well enough |
| than mine) was mightily trying to extend | | | | how to speak at least conversational |
| warmth and hospitality. Sensitive | | | | German, my next target language is |
| enough, he immediately recognized the | | | | French. I heard that it is harder to |
| I-can't-quite-understand-you crumpled | | | | learn French than German, so my plan to |
| look on my face and spoke in a more | | | | enroll in a French online language |
| comprehensible sound. In fairness, his | | | | course probably by next month will be |
| English was excellent (relative to most | | | | just in time for my Tour de France next |
| natives during the flight and in the | | | | summer. I imagine it to be more exciting |
| airport). Der Chauffeur (my cahuffeur | | | | experiencing the beauty (and hopefully |
| lacked Der, as he told me his | | | | romance) of Paris if I can twist my |
| professional title) gave me a little | | | | tongue the French way. Traversing the |
| crash course on practical German words | | | | mazes of the Louvre will surely be more |
| and lines I can use to survive until my | | | | enriching for the non-art aficionado in |
| flight back home. Hello is "hallo", good | | | | me if I can at least have an easier |
| morning is "Guten Morgen," How much is | | | | conversation with the tour guide by |
| this is "Wieviel kostet das," hotel is | | | | being able to at least converse decently |
| (luckily) "hotel," bank is "das | | | | more than a bonjour, si, and non. A |
| Bankhaus," and airport is "der | | | | friend recommended for French lessons, |
| Flughafen." I practiced to get their | | | | saying it's more practical than the |
| pronunciations right until we reached | | | | French in After French, I might also |
| das hotel. Stressed by the language | | | | take up Spanish, Mandarin, and Nihonggo. |
| barrier, I ended up succumbing to my das | | | | And of course, I must learn at least one |
| Beet (bed) in my cozy, homey das | | | | of South Africa's 11 official languages |
| Hotelzimmer (hotel room) in Ibis Berlin | | | | for the next World Cup. Make it ten |
| Adlershof.Couple of days later, after | | | | rather, English is given. |