The Language Learning Journey
Listen to a personal story about learning a language. Then, test your understanding with the comprehension questions.
The Language Learning Journey
Listen to a personal story about learning a new language and answer the comprehension questions. Read the transcript if needed.
Transcript
I decided to learn Japanese last year, and let me tell you, it’s been a humbling experience. I’ve always been quite good at languages – I speak decent French and Spanish – but Japanese is a completely different beast. The grammar is actually quite logical, but the writing system is a mountain to climb.
At first, I tried to teach myself using apps on my phone, but I quickly realised I wasn’t making any real progress. I could recognise words, but I couldn’t string a sentence together. So, I joined an evening class. Having a real teacher to correct my pronunciation made a world of difference. The most embarrassing moment was when I tried to order hot tea in a restaurant and accidentally asked for hot water for my hands. The waiter was very polite, but I turned bright red! It just goes to show that you have to be willing to look a bit foolish if you want to become fluent.
