#1 - Learning a New Language
The Why:
If I can learn to have conversations, it will just further my abilities as a person.
It will develop cognitive capabilities, it will allow me to understand conversations that family members have and also it will just be a lot of fun learning and switching between Hindi and English.
It will also shock the hec out of people out and about!!
The What:
Before Christmas 2023, I reached out to a learning centre.
The issue with learning centres is their sales reps are relentless, and they don't stop pestering you. To the point where you quit before you enrol, also known as sheer frustration.
I then found some phrases on a website, memorised them, and repeated them to my auntie (who is Fijian Indian). She looked at me as if... I have no idea what you're talking about. Simple phrases, such as "I am hungry" and "I am thirsty". So I blamed the website, as clearly, I know what I'm doing, and they don't.
Then I said the same things to my Mum, who looked equally puzzled and also told her that I had enquired about lessons.
She said "oh, good"...
Then I made my mum write down some phrases and their English counterparts. I learnt between 4-6 phrases, and spoke them to my aunt, who laughed. Still my pronunciations are off. Phrases from doing the dishes to hanging the washing.
"Can't you people understand your own language?" I would mutter....before Mum told Auntie off for laughing. To be fair, I was laughing too as I bellowed out phrases in Woolworths.
Okay, so I'm not rolling the r's.... rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr and throwing in an accentuated ugghhh. But I know what I'm doing and it makes sense.
Lessons Learnt:
Have fun with it.
Make a game of it.
Laugh about it.
Stuff up a few times.
Get mentored and practise immersion.
Status:
More work required