Learning Spanish Through a Series of Uber Drivers
Yes, you read that right. It’s not uncommon to get a rideshare driver who speaks English as a second language here in America, and as a second language learner trying to learn Spanish, I’ve decided to take advantage of this fact every chance I can, seeing as many of our Uber drivers speak Spanish.
Instead of having one tutor, I have many, and that many don’t just teach me language — they teach me about life itself.
I’ve decided to use Uber as my language-learning guide, not only as my ride, by practicing what I know with real people. I simply ask my drivers to teach me new words, things I can’t pick up from books and software, preferring that they teach me what they think I should know. All of this adds a bit of humanity to the language learning process. First, I’ll explain my takes on language learning, and then say a bit about the multiculturalism in general…
Pointers for New Language Learners
I speak a decent amount of six languages and it didn’t happen overnight. I spent many nights sitting around reading dictionaries instead of going out with friends. I simply love knowledge and am curious about the world.
What also helped along the way was having access to native speakers — living in Los Angeles proved invaluable for language learning, as I was able to access the groups of people who spoke the languages I was trying to learn natively.
I also got a job at Rosetta Stone for a couple of years and was encouraged to use the software in my downtime to familiarize myself with it, giving me a better working knowledge of both language and the process of learning with the software itself — it does work fast and well, but it won’t teach you everything.
And that’s where natives speakers come in.
Ask anyone who’s good at learning languages will probably tell you that applying your new language in the real world is what counts the most. Using a language in your mind, by yourself while you daydream, is fun, but using your second language in a conversation completely changes the game — it makes the language real.
And, every single ride with native Spanish-speaker is an attempt to learn, to grow, and to perfect what I’m learning. I believe anyone can do this.
If you’ve been convinced that you can’t learn a language or that it gets harder with age, you’re only partially right — some people are better at language than others, but anyone can learn, I wholly believe.
The benefits of learning another language go on ad infinitum. It gives us newfound confidence when we use it, it helps us feel less anxious overall, and more relaxed, when we conquer the initial fear of the unknown.
Practical Learning
When we use language in real life, we get better at it faster, because our language now represents concrete things in the world, rather than just abstract words and senseless sentences strung together as we learn in books, stuff like, “The boy bounces the ball!”
Great…just great…How often do you say that sentence in your native language? Right, practically never.
What good is learning a language if we never actually use it?
This is why using our new languages with native speakers (like Uber drivers) will always be the best teacher there is, because of how human beings are designed to remember things— we remember emotional experiences significantly better than we remember boring ones, understandably.
We remember things that move us, things that touch us and inspire us, and things that we find useful, so using our language with other people is an important part of the process. Sentences like, “The boy bounces the ball,” simply aren’t that exciting.
This isn’t to put down my staples, Rosetta Stone and Duolingo, as well as good old fashion books, which I actually still use as well — but none of it tops actual, real-world experience.
You see, the interesting thing about language is that it can’t happen without people to speak and understand it; rocks simply don’t communicate with other rocks. Machines arguably don’t even communicate with other machines, they send bits and pieces of light and vibration, electricity and more, but the ones doing the communicating are the people who send and interpret the data.
Language isn’t something that’s only used by humans, animals have various languages too, but to be human is to use language; it’s built into the very fabric of the human existence, and when we learn language, we learn about our inner-most selves, and what it means to be a human being in the world.
I came up with the idea after taking up Spanish and subsequently noticing how shy immigrants are around me.
“Why?” I wondered. As it turns out, they were afraid of me. But more on that in a minute.
As I began to apply different languages in practice, my interactions with vastly different people from all over the world have improved incredibly and proved insanely rewarding. My language skills have all come along phenomenally and anyone can do it, really, you just need to reach out and engage with people who speak the language. And do so fearlessly, don’t be afraid of being judged, I can assure you that the odds that will get mad at you for trying is next to impossible. That’s the number one thing I can tell you, you just have to get out there and TRY.
Every single person I’ve tried to speak to in their native language thus far has been welcoming, accommodating, and impressed with my attempt to learn and communicate in their mother tongue, no matter how poorly I spoke to them or how badly I messed up their language— they always appreciate the gesture.
The Rewards of Open-Mindedness
There are intimacy and connection that takes place with people when you take the time to learn even a little bit of their native language.
I get to step outside of myself for a few minutes, seeing the world through their eyes rather than mine, and it allows me to cut through any awkwardness when it comes to them opening up about their lives; there’s not only practical power in this ability to resonate with people deep down but also a power in human connection humans are designed to experience one another, preferably without barriers.
Another amazing realization that came to me through this practice is that it puts us on equal footing — something I very much like. When I’m trying to learn someone else’s world, and they try to learn mine, we meet in the middle.
This upheaval of emotion, the panic that sets in when we charter new territory by using a language that we’re not familiar with, the rich reward of doing so effectively, or making someone smile in the process actually helps us to remember the language better.
It is the qualitative nature of the interaction that makes our brain subconsciously take notes, “This experience is meaningful, remember it, you might need it again later,” or, “You used this in context with someone else, I’m going to store that away in case we need it again.”
This is why it’s usually much easier to remember having sex with someone than their birthday — a birthday is just a number, the sex had meaning and context.
Who’d have thought that the ride-sharing companies could be so good for learning about language, culture, and ourselves? They are.
The Learning Process
Many of our immigrants try very hard to learn our language, something a driver named Jose told me today during my Lyft ride:
Jose told me that he’s tried reading all the rules, but it doesn’t stick as much as he’d like. This was my cue to help Jose practice a bit of his English as well, returning the favor.
We both had an enjoyable ride, to say the least, and it beat the quiet, awkward silence that ride-sharing experiences can bring. People like Jose deserve respect for their efforts and it’s tragic that they don’t always get it.
Different Worlds
I wondered what Jose’s other passengers might be like and how they treat him; I’m sure there are those who have the audacity to complain that Jose’s English isn’t good enough. These people usually can’t see the irony in their grievances, sadly.
Some probably tell him to “Go back to your country!” and other such hate-filled rhetoric. This thought isn’t an enjoyable one, but it gives me a chance to do something about it. Something that doesn’t involve anger, hate, or negativity whatsoever. It gives us a chance to restore some faith in humanity.
I thought about how many Americans have gotten into his car at 3:50 a.m. or so, making a scene, probably cussing at him while in a drunken stupor, stumbling as they get into his car, maybe even vomiting in his car, or fighting with their friends over the phone in a screaming match, losing their items, possibly berating him, and who knows what else.
Others might simply not say a word to him, ignoring him in such a way so as to communicate, wordlessly, that they despise him. They do so as he patiently and calmly drives them to their destination.
…and when they have to respond — because their ride depends on it —sometimes they do so with contempt in their voice and a wave of obvious anger or disappointment. “Yeah. Three streets up. I said three streets up, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Is this who we really want to be? Is this the example we want to set, and how we want people to remember us?
I feel for Jose, I really do. There are swaths of people out there who don’t like him simply because his English isn’t perfect, all the while they don’t know a single thing about learning a second language — American entitlement at its finest, and I can’t, for the life of me, understand why.
But all in all, Jose was really cool and his eyes lit up when I opened the door, this American white boy of Scottish descent, pale as a ghost, and addressed him with, “Hola, como estates, bien?” He was instantly relieved and felt safe, and to me, that’s important. It only took four words to make a man feel safe and happy…think about that for a minute.
And that’s the power of learning new languages. That’s what we should strive for if we have an interest in taking up a new language. Even if it’s hard, the rewards of even speaking a second language badly are unbelievable.
I guess that’s the silver lining in this cloud, the blessing in disguise, in the face of hate-filled and politically tense American rhetoric today — is that gives me an opportunity to instantly set myself apart and make someone’s day. In just a few words, I’m able to communicate respect and compassion and break through the initial discomfort of meeting someone new. I’m able to give someone an outlet so that they may feel comfortable and secure in a country that isn’t there own, where the language is hard and the people are different from them.
The thing is, speaking even two or three sentences in their language instantly shows a willingness to see the world from their perspective; it shows that I understand the difficulties they’ve gone through in learning a second or third language.
I’m imperfect in his native Spanish and he’s imperfect in my native English, and in that, we’re equaled — equals who can learn from one another and enjoy a few minutes in the company of a stranger — equals who do something that most of our friends won’t even do…accept us totally, with or without our flaws.
Every time I do this, it restores my faith in humanity just a little bit, something that I think everyone is missing a bit these days. Every time I reach out and take the time to understand where someone else is coming from, I realize that we’re not all that different in the end.
I can’t believe it’s 2019, and “We’re all equal in the end,” is still a radical statement.
The Cultural Value of Differences
We often speak of immigration in terms of economic value, things like jobs, wages, and unemployment, but do we value culture?
Do we value culture enough to at least try and learn a little bit about it?…because anything shy of doing so is willful ignorance, by definition.
Do we take the time to stop and think about the humanity behind the numbers which we so casually throw around, the human lives and the quality of those lives we discuss when we talk politics and the world?
Hoy Fue Un Hermoso Dia!
I tipped Jose $5 for his time (and the lessons), and hope he does well here in the United States — regardless of his immigration status — which is none of my business.
I hope he and his wife are happy, as well as his sons in Canada, Mexico, and Arizona, respectively, and I appreciate his input and thank him for not judging my absolutely poor Spanish. It’s said that I have to say that many people won’t pay him the same respect that he paid me, but I’m incredibly grateful to the opportunity to make up for it by picking up his day just a little bit.
And that’s what language learning is all about. When you speak to someone in your language, you speak to their mind; when you speak to someone in their language, you speak to their heart.
© 2019; Joe Duncan. All Rights Reserved
Learning Spanish Through a Series of Uber Drivers
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