Ambassadorial Lesson
I like this story for so many reasons, it’s hard to pick one. First, the fact that an older United States Ambassador has become a bit of a novelty musical celebrity in the Paraguayan language called Guaraní. That’s pretty darn cool to start with. Very off beat and fun. Second, the fact that he’s got other languages under his belt already (apparently he’s fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian). Third, he tackled the new addition to his linguistic repertoire like a pro. He didn’t start studying Guaraní until his last month at his former post (Havana, Cuba). Yet, when he gets off the plane, he immediately delivers a 3 page speech in Guaraní. ROCK ON. Ha ha ha.
”I’ve never been to a country where I couldn’t speak the language,” Cason told The Miami Herald. “These words are very hard to retain. It’s pure consonants. You’ve got to just bang them into your head.”
In low-key Paraguay, the new ambassador showed hints of showmanship on his first hour on the job.
Upon arriving in December 2005, he stepped off the plane wearing the traditional hand-embroidered Paraguayan ao poi dress shirt and greeted local reporters in Guaraní, delivering a three-page speech. Not even embassy staff knew he had studied the language.
In Asunción, he recruited his third tutor and began watching Guaraní TV and filling his iPod with vocabulary lessons that shared time with the Beatles, Buddy Holly and Whitney Houston on his playlist. He soon discovered Guaraní music, translating 1920s songs about emigrants longing for Paraguay and Paraguayan soldiers who march into battle afraid their girlfriends will stray in their absence.
Singing in Guaraní did not occur to Cason until a few months ago, when his wife Carmen, an admirer of the ambassador’s Peter, Paul & Mary renditions around the house, recommended that he hire her piano teacher for voice lessons.
The trick to learn a language? Do it like 63 year old U.S. Ambassador James C. Cason. Get involved with the language, use it professionally and in your private life, and find things about it that interest you. And, optionally, become an unexpected pop star if possible. This is inspiring to me. (And hey, it’s not absurdly negative news / speculation for once! Yay!)
on July 2nd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
YouTube Video of Kids Speaking in Guaraní
claytonians last blog post was: The Post Where I fix Japanese AND English Over a Mug of Cocoa
on July 2nd, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Claytonian - I’ll see your video of kids goofing off in Guaraní, and I’ll raise you an actual video of the ambassador in concert singing in Guaraní. Booyah, as they say.
on July 2nd, 2008 at 9:31 pm
gah, these people who seemingly have an innate talent and PATIENCE to learn foreign languages so completely — i envy them. wow.
Nics last blog post was: I Think I’m Going To Cry. Oh No. Wait. Just A Wee Bit Of Dust.
on July 2nd, 2008 at 9:32 pm
When is your album of neo-pop inspired classics being recorded in Japanese?
Greg on the Runs last blog post was: Wednesday Run 05:59 am
on July 3rd, 2008 at 10:21 am
Nic - I dunno, the guy doesn’t sound particularly patient to me. He phrased it like this, remember, “You’ve got to just bang [vocabulary] into your head.” Ha ha. Sounds….frustrated but determined to me.
Greg - dude, I will get you a copy in the mail as soon as I decide that that’s the direction I want to take my language acquisition… Promise. Ha ha ha.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 7:18 pm
That was an inspiring story. Gives me hope that someday I will trully conquer Japanese Mountain. Haha.
Jordans last blog post was: Flights and the scurge of fuel surcharges
on July 4th, 2008 at 12:17 am
Can I be clever and use the word “propaedeutic”
Brian Barkers last blog post was: Malgorzata Handzlik MEP
on July 7th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Jordan - I too aspire to see the other side of this Japanese Mountain one day. But man is it a long climb. Ha ha. Don’t give up!
Brian - you sure can be clever. And you can cause me to run to a dictionary to find that propaedutic means “preparatory instruction” in its noun form, and “providing introductory instruction” as an adjective. But I think you should use it in a sentence to get full credit.
I’ll give it a shot too. Here goes: “When studying Japanese, I believe its best to ditch romaji in favor of kana and kanji as early as possible in the propaedeutic phase.” Cool word. Thanks!