Learning

Learning new languages is a fun and exciting experience. When the language-learner successfully asks "Excuse me, could you tell me the way to the nearest Big&Tall store?" or says "Oh, no, actually, I read somewhere that George Bush might just be playing dumb" there is a powerful feeling of triumph. As for the daily mistakes and goof-ups, a native speaker conversing with the struggling language learner more often finds them endearing than disturbing. The native speaker is often welcoming to anyone trying to spit out the most basic of utterances, and will willingly help the learner when he or she is at a loss for words.

The process of trying new words, new sentence structures, and new combinations of the two is a challenging yet ultimately rewarding and fullfilling experience when learning any new language, be it Arabic, Farsi, or German. Language, by nature, is playful, and the beginning processes of learning a new language serve as evidence of just how flexible and changeable language is.

A common new language - Computer - is the only exception. The moments of triumph are only achieved after posting questions in seventeen different forums, searching through 22 different code possibilites, drinking four cups of tea and avoiding one night's worth of sleep. The "cute" foreigner mistakes are in no way endearing, and the frustrated Computer-speaker will only spit out more complicated phrases and structures in an attempt to overwhelm and discourage the increasingly self-concious Computer-learner. Trying out new structures can only lead to disaster, and there is absolutely nothing playful about Computer. It is as rigid and ordered as a language can get.

Every language has its common words that everyone knows:

in English - "hello," "yeah," "ok," and "quarter pounder with cheese"
in French - "oui," "bonjour," and "voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?"
in Spanish - "hola," "gracias," and "yo quiero Taco Bell"
in Computer - "error"