You know, as I sit here each morning with my beloved large Café Sumatra, I'm really beginning to take increased notice of the foreign languages on either side of me – in this case, mostly Korean and Japanese. Of course, this is understandable owing to the fact I'm am sitting on top of two ESL schools, each within 30 feet of my location. My only inquiry, however, relates to WHY, when outside of the classroom, not one of these students makes even a feeble attempt to communicate in English. WHY, when I suggest this possibility to my own students, they merely look at each other and smile giddily, so as to say, “Are you crazy, Man? That’s asinine!” Were they situated in their own countries — MAYBE, but logic dictates that while residing here where English is the native tongue, one who is TRULY serious about learning the language would take each and every opportunity to do so … including practicing during the off-hours from the old school. At least, that’s the way I see it.

Looking back, I can well recall my first week or so in Vienna, Austria– having accepted a wonderful musical position there – and knowing exactly THREE words in German: Ja … Nein … and Gesundheit! There may have been other English speakers there at the time, but I didn’t have the luck of running into that many of them to help me get past those initial moments of terror faced by practically everyone on first arriving in an alien environment. And, later, when I went to take up positions in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, getting settled and on dependable daily schedules was, at best, most difficult with no knowledge of the local idioms. By this time in Los Angeles, it is quite apparent that most ESL students are Asians – chiefly from Korea, Japan, and China. But where their experience differs from my own 35 to 40 years back is in their having countrymen galore to assist them with their every need. But, as I see it, therein lies the grand paralogism – namely, in the creation of a feeling of lingual exclusivity and overconfidence on the part of those speaking the same language. It is this very haven – this escape – that has, in my humble estimation, GREATLY affected the attitude on the part of many in respect to making an earnest attempt while studying the English language. I sort of liken this issue to the study of the TOEFL in a language other than English. Now, I realize there are the many who have managed to score exceedingly well in a test that is all about the English language. On the other hand, I’ve also heard that a goodly number of those who have accomplished same, and have likewise succeeded in entering US colleges and universities, have experienced a multitude of problems in comprehending the professors – some of whose native languages are anything but English. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with students studying for the TOEFL exam in their own countries and in their own languages, should they opt to do so. However, as was the case when I was teaching TOEFL in a school right here in Los Angeles, it took me about 6 months to realize there was also a 5-day-per-week, 3½-hour TOEFL class being conducted in Korean by the owner of the school. The true irony was that better than half of the 18 students in that class had difficulty saying ONE sentence in English correctly, and, moreover, all had intentions of entering American universities upon achieving the necessary 500-550 test score. HOW MANY actually succeeded in that ambition – and, moreover, how many managed to last out the first collegiate semester – is information I was unable to acquire during my tenure at the school.

The one thing that I have learned in my past years of association with the international marketplace is that the most effective way to learn a foreign language is IN the country of its origin – especially if one has ambitions of advanced education and/or residence there. Most important, however, is to make a serious attempt to adopt that language as his/her #1 means of communication ... ASAP!

I’m open-minded, and I’ll admit there’s a chance I’ve missed something. If so, I would appreciate the correction.

The Arrogant One