Reading in an Unknown Language

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As a speaker of both English and French, it is unsurprising that I might read for pleasure in either language. As many  multi-linguists will know, reading in your non-native language is an excellent way to maintain it, but it also provides a unique entry into whole other aspects of literature, including poetry and drama, that might otherwise be hidden. So why shouldn't others also read in a language that they may not necessarily understand?

Many of us are quite content to listen to Spanish pop-songs and pay good money to see an Italian opera, so surely this in itself is evidence of the beauty of the words alone. Lyrical melodies, satisfying rhymes and clever stress patterns please the ears enough that they become number 1 hits or box-office sell-outs without the need for them to be totally understood. And then of course there are those who frequently wear French sayings on their t-shirts, without any indication or understanding of what they mean - surely then the words themselves and the language as being foreign creates its own kind of appeal. The presence of foreign languages is rapidly growing in our everyday lives, so it follows naturally that we should begin to embrace this and read some of the widely available, beautiful literature of these other countries.

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In the same way that a native English speaker and literature enthusiast might go about unpicking a complex, old-English poem, so it might be done for many texts, especially those of the common European languages - they're more similar than you might think! A basic understanding of a text's context and tone can make all the difference. Even if you must keep a dictionary nearby as you read, you will undoubtedly gain an appreciation for both the style and the language, whilst enhancing your cultural reach. Poetry is perhaps the ideal foreign form to begin with, providing the natural stresses and a certain elegance that automatically gives clues as to its subject, even if the language is completely unknown. Of course, many foreign poems and plays are incredibly famous even in the UK and as such have already been translated for accessibility (just look at Voltaire!), plus, there is always that partially forgotten GCSE language to fall back on. It might therefore be easier than you think to get the gist of some of the more unfamiliar works.

As many performing arts students will know, there are already a considerable number of professional companies that use untranslated foreign languages in their performances. Companies such as Gecko, the internationally touring physical theatre company, have recieved much accreditation and praise for daring to plunge their audiences into unknown languages. Particularly poetic pieces often have much more pleasant rhyme and flow than that of a traditional english text, and so provide a perfect medium through which to express certain emotions without the need for the words to be understood. Of course, the aspect of movement does greatly contribute to understanding in this case, but if professionals on the stage think the language is worth hearing, then why should we not read these beautiful words in our own time?

Us English speakers are incredibly lazy when it comes to language learning. According to a study from The Guardian, over half (54%) of Europeans can hold a conversation in at least one additional language to their own, wheras 61% of the English population speak only English. Reading in another language therefore will massively help with this language learning process, and potentially inspire others to take up a foreign language themselves. Even language students are constantly told of the benefits of reading in the target language, but very few actually do. Reading in a foreign language is a fantastic was to broaden your vocabulary and become much more familiar with certain sentence structures, which ultimately is sure to help in the physical speaking of a foreign language. So, to all those language student out there who haven't yet had the courage to look at a foreign book - just try! Truly your language will imporve tenfold.

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There are also a great many literary specialities that exist in the foreign languages, particularly regarding poetic form. While this may interest only poetry enthusiasts or literature students, these phenomena are actually incredibly impressive when you know what you are looking at. Of course, there are the well known styles such as the Japanese Haiku and the Petrarchan Sonnet (the original sonnet form which was founded by Italian philosopher Francisco Petrarch and later adapter by Shakespeare) which have been since employed by English-speakers in their own right, but there are also a number of styles which exist only in their native language. Specific syntactical qualities and word endings are key here. For example, in Welsh-language poetry, Cynghanedd is the basic, yet unique concept of sound arrangement in one line, used in a number of traditional Welsh poetic forms. Even if one cannot understand the meaning behind the words, how better to admire this beautiful form than to read it in traditional Welsh.

Reading in a foreign language, even one that you don't understand, is a beautiful and fulfulling practice that not enough people even think to do. Even if you must look at a translation straight afterwards, it's the perfect way to broaden the mind and relax into language learning.


Have a quick read below of a short french poem to see for yourself!

Alicante
Une orange sur la table
Ta robe sur le tapis
Et toi dans mon lit
Doux présent de la présent
Fraîcheur de la nuit
Chaleur de ma vie


Alicante
An orange on the table
Your dress on the rug
And you in my bed
Sweet present of the present
Cool of night
Warmth of my life.
(Translation by Lawrence Ferlinghetti)