Essay

Vocabulary roadblocks

By Kip Cates

One important skill required for international communication is linguistic flexibility. This means using different strategies to express effectively what you want to say. For language learners who have a limited vocabulary, this is a key skill. Learning to express things in different ways allows you to become a more effective communicator.

Let me give an example. Several years ago, I had a Japanese student who was eager to practice his spoken English. One day, we were having a conversation. "What have you been up to recently?" I asked. "Yesterday," he said, "I had two classes in the morning, then I studied in the library all afternoon. At night, I did some homework and watched TV." So far, so good.

Then came a problem. He wanted to say the Japanese word ototoi in English, but didn't know how. "Ototoi! Ototoi!" he kept repeating, desperately searching for the correct English translation. Everything stopped. End of conversation. Communication failure.

What happened? The problem was that he got stuck. When he came to a word he didn't know, he froze. Now, it's OK if you don't know an English word. There's no shame in not knowing vocabulary. The challenge is in how you deal with gaps in your knowledge.

One secret about speaking a foreign language is that there are many different ways to say the same thing. When I don't know a specific word in French, German, Arabic or Russian, I look for alternative ways to express what I want to say. That way I don't get stuck and the conversation continues.

The meaning of ototoi is "the day before yesterday." My student didn't know this. What could he have said instead? If you think a bit, there are many ways to express this concept: "two days ago," or "on Wednesday" or "on October 3rd." All of these have the same meaning as "the day before yesterday."

Communicating in a foreign language is like driving a car. Learning to drive is easy. What's important is learning to navigate so you get where you want to go. Suppose that a friend sends you directions for how to drive to a party. Do you give up and return home if you come to a roadblock? Of course not. You simply navigate around the roadblock and find another way to get to your destination.

Languages and cars are tools. They help us to do things we want to do. The aim of a conversation is not to find the exact translation of every Japanese phrase. It's to communicate what you want to say with the words that you have at your disposal.

So, remember: Don't get stuck! If you don't know a word or a phrase, look for alternatives, find a different route and navigate around the roadblocks!

Shukan ST: OCTOBER 5, 2012

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