Learning to Laugh at Myself

One of the most effective ways to learn a language is to speak it. You can learn in theory all you want, but practicing speaking and getting feedback is one of the most valuable ways to make it your own. However, this requires a certain amount of bravery and humility. You have to learn to be able to laugh at yourself, while being painfully aware that to the native speaker you sound just like a toddler. When I was in the Philippines, I was enthusiastic about learning Tagalog. Everywhere I went, I had eager “teachers,” who not only wanted to teach me Tagalog, but their dialect as well. As there are about 120-180 languages and dialects in this diverse country, I got overwhelmed pretty quickly and opted to stick with Tagalog! 

One day, after a church service in the Philippines, someone asked if I had caught any part of the message. “Not too much,” I had to admit, “but I did catch that he was talking about dogs!” I ended proudly. I had caught the word for “dog” and had formed all kinds of theories as to the direction the message had taken. There was a long pause and the other person looked confused. “Oh no!” They finally chuckled. “The pastor was scolding some of the boys who were peeing in the alley. He said they were acting like dogs.” 

Another time, I pointed at the wall. “Look, a botika!” 

Everyone around me burst out laughing. I had meant to say “butiki”, the word for house lizard. Instead, I pointed to the little creature and labelled it as a pharmacy! Even though I was blushing, I could see the humour in the situation and had to chuckle as well. And you know what? I never made that same mistake again! 

Be willing to laugh at yourself. It’s part of learning and will make the entire process more enjoyable!