Promoting Language

More than once on my recent trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories, I was confronted with situations where I needed language to survive. Several times as I wandered through the old cities of Jaffa or Jerusalem I had to guide myself with street signs in multiple tongues. I was so proud of myself when, awake before everyone else in my group, I took an early morning stroll through the streets of Haifa and I greeted a man in Arabic. The man and I started a small conversation with one another as he was opening his shop for the day. In Jerusalem, I wandered into a local grocery store to pick up a pastry for lunch. All the signs and self-checkout were in Hebrew. At the time, I didn't know any, so I had to think about other ways to communicate. At first, I was madly gesturing trying to find common ground until I heard some people speaking French. I then survived the checkout counter in another language I knew. Through experiences like these, I got to learn first hand how knowing many languages can help you communicate and form a community.

It was for this reason that I wrote an article promoting the Arabic program at my university. I always get great joy out of writing for people and places I care about. This program is no exception. In two years, I have gained valuable knowledge about such a vibrant language and culture. I will be continuing my studies of Arabic at UC Berkeley as part of the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship, and I hope to return to the Middle East and engage with Arab people and culture in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and beyond.

Languages are vital to the fabric of humanity; communication is what knits us together. They open countless doors to worlds we could never imagine, especially now as we are all confined to our desks or kitchen tables. I hope that soon, the world will be in a place again where we can experience the fullness of life which knowing many languages offers. Languages are difficult and time-consuming to learn and especially to master, but it is worth it for the communities you can explore at the end. (This coming from someone who is fairly fluent in Arabic and French, working on Spanish and about to begin learning Hebrew).

I am launching myself headfirst into the world of language with open arms. I can only hope that the work I do could encourage someone to do the same.

Pictures courtesy of Eliza Partika