Discovering New Languages
A story by 
LingQ 16th Sep 11 10:38 pm
LingQ 16th Sep 11 10:38 pm No Comments
LingQ Writing Contest submission by jotsecham
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Discovering New Languages
As one grows up, the world seems to become increasingly mythical. Many events occur in the newspapers everyday, which can lead to a feeling of empathy for those who deal with death, disaster, or political turbulence. But also the fascination grows. As he grows, the individual’s inner feelings of autonomy, in particular a dream of reaching out to the unknown, leaving his known realm, and visiting the almost mythical places across the seas, becomes even more intense. All the new dreams, ideas, and cultures live upon land masses across the sea.
But intense desire grasps the curious individual. He sets on a path of discovery, which will be both a wondrous experience, and a difficult experience. He must get accustomed to taking a “different highway to work”. Even harder to stomach, he must build the highway himself… which means “discovering” the proper blueprints. The road takes years to build, starting as a simple dirt road. As time goes on, the dirt road becomes a superhighway. It becomes as formidable as the road the individual took for all his living life.
However, the road has beautiful new sights. The individual is overwhelmed with a sense of novelty as he further progresses down the road. New sounds and smells overpower the senses. He looks behind him and sees the path he has taken. And happiness and joy for the new destination fill his soul. Life is wonderful. Over a period, he builds the road up and travels many miles across unfamiliar landscapes. At last he comes to his destination with a superhighway. But now he travels the highway everyday. Over time, the road becomes worn but the man knows the road well. The curves and sudden hairpin turns become second nature. He connects his road to other roads, which he becomes increasingly familiar.
But intense desire grasps the curious individual. He sets on a path of discovery, which will be both a wondrous experience, and a difficult experience. He must get accustomed to taking a “different highway to work”. Even harder to stomach, he must build the highway himself… which means “discovering” the proper blueprints. The road takes years to build, starting as a simple dirt road. As time goes on, the dirt road becomes a superhighway. It becomes as formidable as the road the individual took for all his living life.
However, the road has beautiful new sights. The individual is overwhelmed with a sense of novelty as he further progresses down the road. New sounds and smells overpower the senses. He looks behind him and sees the path he has taken. And happiness and joy for the new destination fill his soul. Life is wonderful. Over a period, he builds the road up and travels many miles across unfamiliar landscapes. At last he comes to his destination with a superhighway. But now he travels the highway everyday. Over time, the road becomes worn but the man knows the road well. The curves and sudden hairpin turns become second nature. He connects his road to other roads, which he becomes increasingly familiar.
And that is how I see learning a language. It is nice to be able to write in another language. It is similar to getting a wonderful new toy for your birthday, except it is much more fun. In other words, it is exciting to create and travel a new path.