Assalamu alaikum

Learning a language is hard, and it is something that I have struggled with since the 7^th grade. I switched to a new school at the age of 13, and I quickly learned that all of my classmates had been taking Spanish for years. Spanish was “impossible” in my mind, and the fact that I was already behind left me with a very minimal interest in the language—and that is being generous.

            I have noticed, however, that trying to learn a foreign language has piqued my interest in other subjects, increased my overall productivity, and leaves me feeling accomplished. According to the Foreign Language Institute, there are five categories that rank languages from easiest to hardest for native English speakers. Spanish, for example, is a Category 1 language because it shares basically the same alphabet as English, and it is taught in most schools.

To go off on a slight tangent, I am becoming increasing interested in the developing situations in the Middle East, and it is bordering on an obsession at this point. Now, I really want to visit some of the places that I have heard all about, and I thought it would be a great idea to learn Arabic before I go.

Now, back to the Foreign Language Institute rankings—Arabic is a Category 5. It shares this category with Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean. Language Testing International (LTI), estimates the number of hours and/or weeks on average that it takes for people to learn languages. I rank my ability to learn languages as “average,” at best. According to the (LTI), I will need to study 720 total hours to gain an very basic understanding of the language. I think I can manage 6 hours a week. This leaves me with a total of 120 weeks to go…Daunting. So far, I can identify and recite 15 letters…

What keeps me going is how this area of study has translated into other areas of my life. Instead of watching Netflix or going down the bottomless pit of Youtube, I find myself drawn to this challenge. In my mind, it is something worth learning, and it poses a huge challenge. Like everything in life, nothing worth while comes easy.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” I see this idea is very applicable to hard work—in my case, learning a new language.

And learning a new language, specifically, can actually make me smarter. According to The Guardian, in an article entitled, “What happens to the brain when you learn a language?” a study was conducted using students that studied difficult languages intensively and other students who also studied rigorously but not in languages. “MRI scans showed specific parts of the brains of the language students developed in size whereas the brain structures of the control group remained unchanged.”

I like to challenge myself, and I notice that working through difficult tasks or times in my life makes me stronger and more motivated. Also, knowing foreign languages is a great ice breaker. I mean, how many people do you know that are white, American, self-taught Arabic speakers?