Multi Lingual Mastery

Thank you Denis Dossmann for sharing this meme. When I read it I was overwhelmed with such a sense of wonderment and pride. I could read it without hesitation!

In 2012 I suffered a stroke that affected my memory and mental acuity. The Neurologist suggested I take up a musical instrument or study a language in order to re-train and exercise my brain. I choose French and moved to Montreal for full immersion. It took 14 months of full time study then another year and a half of practice before I became bilingual.

Learning a second language after the age of 50 holds challenges (sans les problèmes médicaux) without brain injury.

I continue to push myself into new territory having also learned basic Spanish while living in South America.

Today I’m facing new barriers because Hindi, the main language in India, has a completely different alphabet and structure. Can’t read it like French or Spanish which use A-Z along with a few accents.

Damage to both ear drums makes it even harder with hearing loss and tone limitations…. I have no idea what the words are supposed to sound like. Trial and error can be exhaustive but eventually I am able to reproduce proper pronunciation.

Language has broadened my horizons and given me a gift of cultural understanding.

It’s never too late to learn new tricks.
The rewards can bring more than you expected.

Namaste

Goa, India