Ever tried learning a language by watching music videos?

Youngsters are picking up languages through apps and speech recognition technologY

Bill Gates recently expressed regret at his failure to study a second language. At a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) session, the Microsoft co-founder voiced his desire to learn French, Arabic or Chinese, and highlighted the importance of investing time in acquiring a new tongue. Linguists around the world nodded their heads in agreement with the philanthropist.

Today, being bilingual goes beyond a hobby — it qualifies as a valuable job asset. The mention of fluency in Arabic or French adds weight to a resume. It also pays big bucks. According to Salary.com, employees with a specialisation in more than one language earn 5 to 20 percent more than the position’s base rate.

Technology has enhanced how a language can be acquired. Today, we have speech comparison tools and virtual peers onboard that provide an immersive experience in the comfort of your living room. This is in addition to formal online classes and apps.

A review by EdTech reveals that the past few years have seen a spike in the language learning techniques available around the world.

Hear it from young linguists

“An interest in languages is part of who I am,” says Alyazya, student, American University of Sharjah, majoring in International Relations and Journalism. “In addition to constantly participating in programmes that improve my Arabic and English language skills, I’m fond of most languages I come across and often face a dilemma over which one to prioritise.” Having learned beginner’s level French for four years at school, she is keen to master it with formal classes. “It is a craving I need to satisfy,” she says.

Alyazya is also interested in learning Japanese, Korean and Hebrew. She owes her interest in these countries and their respective cultures to their growing entertainment industries. “Both countries have rich cultures very different from ours and the West. The most attractive feature of both Japanese and Korean is their distinction between formal and informal language.”

Grace Royal, a Dubai-based student, shares similar views. “My mother tongue is English, and over the past few years, I’ve learned Japanese, French, Spanish, and Arabic. Learning a new language helps develop my communication skills and allows me to experience the world in a different manner.”

The tools in vogue

Alyazya says: “Currently, I’m using Duolingo to learn French. The free app allows me to strengthen my vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure. I’ve learned words and phrases, and how to pronounce them correctly; however, it does not develop my conversational skills.” She prefers “to speak to someone who’s fluent in the language rather than speak into a phone”.

Elaborating on the benefits of this topranking app, she shares: “The beauty of this linguistics app is that it allows you to pick up from where you left off. This allows me to strengthen my skills before moving on. It is not a substitute for a traditional class setting, but a good starting point. I feel it will be a helpful tool outside class when I begin learning Japanese.”

There are other ways to learn a new language besides downloading an app. Let’s look at some of the popular language learning trends amongst youngsters today.

Binge on foreign films

Movies with subtitles in your native language provide a hands-on experience with the sounds, patterns and rhythm of the language and a feel of the language in question.

If you’re interested in Spanish, films like Tres Metros Sobre el Cielo (Three Meters Above Heaven) and El Carro (the Car) have easy plots for beginners to follow. For more complex Spanish sentence construction, there’s Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate).

To learn French, start with classic films like La Marche de l’empereur (March of the Penguins), Banlieue 13 (District 13) and Les visiteurs (The Visitors).

Play a game in Spanish or Italian

KLOO is a family game to learn French, Italian and Spanish. Each deck contains a selection of high frequency words in one language and the cards are centred around a particular theme such as “people” or “clothing”. The game is mathematically balanced with a precise number of word types to give players a deeper understanding of the language.

Watch a Japanese music video

FluentU is a website that brings English, Chinese, Spanish, French, German and Japanese literature to life with the inclusion of multimedia that simulates the real world. It allows users to browse thousands of videos ranging from music and movie trailers to news and inspiring talks. The content is curated to suit six categories. Video quizzes allow users to learn through context and immersion. A FluentU user Alex Gartner shares how after two days of using FluentU he could create sentences from scratch and ask questions too. He adds how this was an immersive learning experience for him.

Use a foreign language cookbook

Food enthusiasts can try an online recipe tutorial or a cookbook in a foreign language. This way, you’ll learn the style of speaking and acquaint yourself with the terms and ingredients of a recipe in a foreign language.

Try speech recognition technology

Go beyond diction with apps like Babbel that help you focus on the more relevant aspects of the language. There are interactive dialogues and feedback available, and with speech recognition technology, you’ll be on the right track — you don’t just learn to read, but speak the language.

“Learning languages helps one embrace different cultures and have a deeper understanding of the world. A language is a gateway to cross-cultural friendships. It helps us understand people and connect with them better. It expands our view of the world, making us more sensitive and tolerant of others. In this age of globalisation, knowing more than one language also opens a world of job opportunities. Travel also becomes a more wholesome experience,” says Elsa Ashish Thomas, assistant professor, Manipal University, Dubai.

television shows, movies and music contribute towards learning a language. Watching web series is a great way to familiarise oneself with a new language. Alyazya student, American University of Sharjah i have a few students who learnt to speak Japanese after watching anime. it’s heartening to see people transcend beyond the comforts of their own cultures. Elsa Ashish Thomas assistant professor, Manipal University, Dubai