This is a story I never tire narrating. How I learnt one of the languages I am fluent in.
When I was a small boy, there was a friend of my mothers who would drop by each day and they would chat - right within my earshot. Day in and day out, for an hour, they would chat in a langauge - that was not my mother tongue. And over a few years, guess what - I knew the language like the back of my hand. A few words were exchanged with me - but I am sure that was not it - it was just hearing two people interact that I learnt an entire language.
And then I realized that I was able to understand any two people who spoke that language. From then to people to movies to songs to conversation was an easy leap.
This process intrigues me...the human process of learning...
When I was a small boy, there was a friend of my mothers who would drop by each day and they would chat - right within my earshot. Day in and day out, for an hour, they would chat in a langauge - that was not my mother tongue. And over a few years, guess what - I knew the language like the back of my hand. A few words were exchanged with me - but I am sure that was not it - it was just hearing two people interact that I learnt an entire language.
And then I realized that I was able to understand any two people who spoke that language. From then to people to movies to songs to conversation was an easy leap.
This process intrigues me...the human process of learning...
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