にほんごはむずかしです
If you communicate at a professional level, you owe it to yourself to try and learn a new language -- by going back to basics, you'll learn a lot about how meaning is built and lost through language.
Early last year I went on a trip to Japan -- just like everybody you know.
Before I went, I attempted to Duolingo/Memrise my way to successfully ordering ramen, asking for directions, and generally not being that tourist who thinks everybody speaks English if you're loud enough.
Long story short, I had a wonderful time, but it was an absolute stark reminder of the limitations of language apps.
So when I got back, I enrolled myself in a Japanese language class here in Melbourne.
I had no particular goal in mind, aside from seeing how far a 32-year old could get by learning a language from scratch.
While I'm still very much a beginner, what I've learned goes far beyond conjugating adjectives (yep -- you read that right). It's offered lessons that apply professionally as well.
Here's what I've learned:
1. Learning a new language knocks you down several pegs
There's something about stammering to slowly explain something which knocks you off any sort of pedestal you've built for yourself.
I sling verbs for a living, so I was pretty sure I knew how to communicate pretty well.
Nope.
There's just something about struggling to tell a person that they can find a department store by going straight and turning left at the third traffic light which is inherently humbling.
This was on the same day I wrapped up a 2600 word article on what battery miners are doing to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions from site, by the way.
It is truly humbling to struggle with a language, and gives you fresh appreciation for people struggling to learn English.
It also gives pause to think about every single word and what it actually means to the listener.
2. Keep it simple
Early on when learning some new adjectives, I was asked about my favourite film.
My favourite film happens to be La Dolce Vita (yep -- I'm that guy), so I told my classmate that when they asked.
Then they asked me why it was my favourite movie.
The genius of Fellini is something I struggle to explain in English, so explaining it in the limited adjectives we had at my disposal was challenging to say the least.
I stammered to find the right words before I finally settled on 'Kore wa omoshiroi desu' -- which loosely translates to 'It is interesting/funny'.
Are interesting/funny the right adjectives to sum up Fellini? They're among them, but settling on those two doesn't feel right, somehow.
But, it was absolutely the best thing to keep the conversation going and make myself understood to the listener.
When communicating, sometimes settling for what's going to be best understood by the listener is way, way better than using the best words.
3. The fundamentals of communication
When you have a limited vocabulary, you're constantly looking for the most effective way to express an idea.
When you have an extensive vocabulary, you're constantly looking for the best way to express an idea.
Those are two very different concepts, with the latter coming up in marketing constantly.
I've literally been in meetings to look over copy which was one line long. There have been working groups to figure out whether a word perfectly aligned with brand values.
What trying to explain a concept with a limited vocabulary has taught me, maybe above all else, is that the best words are the ones which are best understood by the listener.
It's why I firmly believe that the future of marketing copy has a lot more to do with UX research than it does with copywriting (I totally have UX writing certification, in case you didn't know).
When you strip back your work to 'will this make the concept understood?' rather than 'Are these the best words which align with brand values?', you'll find the right words flowing a lot more freely.
But, that's enough of me rambling -- have you attempted to learn a new language as an adult? What did it teach you aside from the ability to confidently order food?