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EP 44 The Adventures of Learning Languages
41 Plays1 month ago
Learning a new language is one of the most humbling, hilarious, and deeply human experiences we can have. In this light‑hearted episode, I explore the universal journey from sounding like a broken GPS to finally communicating like an actual human being.
I start with my own early bilingual beginnings, from growing up speaking German before moving to the United States and absorbing English on playgrounds and in classrooms. From there, we jump to Moscow, where I spent years learning Russian the only way my budget allowed: a 99‑lesson CD course played on repeat while stuck in legendary two‑hour traffic jams. If you’ve ever practiced foreign phrases alone in your car while other drivers stare, this one’s for you.
Fast‑forward to today, where I’m living in Thailand and wrestling with the five tones of the Thai language. One wrong tone and you can accidentally insult someone, order the wrong dish, or simply confuse everyone within earshot. It’s a full return to the “robot phase,” and I’m embracing it.
Along the way, we talk about why learning one language makes the next easier, how accents are actually beautiful, and why mistakes are not just inevitable — they’re essential. Every mispronunciation, every awkward pause, every accidental insult is a step toward connection.
This episode is a reminder that everyone who speaks YOUR language with an accent is exactly how YOU sound in theirs. And that’s not something to be embarrassed about — it’s something to celebrate.
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Transcript
Introduction to Language Learning
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello
00:00:09
Speaker
Wait, wait, don't check the language settings on your phone just yet. Yeah, you heard that right. The introduction was in German and this episode is all about learning foreign languages. Hello and welcome to the Autoethnographer.
00:00:24
Speaker
I'm John Steck, your host on this journey. We travel the globe to bring you stories about culture and the global automotive industry. Fasten your seatbelt and let's get started.
Humorous Aspects of Language Learning
00:00:35
Speaker
Today, I'll explore the the strange, the wonderful, and occasionally ridiculous ways that humans try to understand each other across cultures.
00:00:45
Speaker
This episode is a bit more lighthearted, and it's a celebration of that messy and humbling, hilarious adventure of learning foreign languages. If you've ever tried speaking another language, and felt like you've sounded like a malfunctioning robot, this episode is for you. If you've ever confidently said something in a new language only to realize, ooh, you accidentally insulted someone's grandmother, this episode is also for you. And if you've heard someone else speak your language with an accent and thought, wow, that's charming, then remember, that's exactly how you sound to them in their language.
00:01:29
Speaker
Language learning is one of the most human things we do. We all do it, but many just learn the one language that we were born into. Learning more languages, it's awkward, it's vulnerable, it's full of mistakes, and it's one of the fastest ways to connect with people, to understand a different culture, to feel at home in a place that once felt foreign.
Bilingual Childhood Benefits
00:01:52
Speaker
Today, I want to take you on a short journey, not through grammar charts or vocabulary lists, but through the lived experience of becoming a beginner again, over and over and over.
00:02:04
Speaker
Because once you learn one foreign language, something actually magical happens. You realize that you can learn more and each new language becomes a little less terrifying and ah a little more familiar and a lot more fun.
00:02:19
Speaker
But let's start at the very beginning. I was born in Germany and I spoke exclusively German for the first four or five years of my life. At that point, my family moved to the United States and I began to speak English. And I remember absolutely none of that.
00:02:36
Speaker
What I do know is that my German and my English language, they developed basically in parallel. German at home and English when playing with my friends in school. Until today, I still hear both languages as equal, if that makes sense. And luckily enough, I speak both of them pretty accent free.
00:02:55
Speaker
This personal experience also reinforces that learning languages as early as possible in life makes it easier. The the brain is simply more pliable. it's It's not filled with all that nonsense that you have to put up with as an adult. But don't let it discourage you if you've missed that childhood opportunity. Learning as an adult is possible, and that's what I'm talking about today.
The Awkward Phase of Language Learning
00:03:19
Speaker
Let's start with the awkward beginnings. That's what I call the robot phase. Every language learner goes through it. This is the stage where you technically know the words, but you sound like the voice from a GPS unit 30 years ago.
00:03:36
Speaker
You speak in short, choppy bursts. You pause in the wrong places. You pronounce words that are just off. And native speakers, they they look at you and they have this expression that says, hmm,
00:03:53
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I understand you, but I'm trying really hard. This phase is universal. No one escapes it. you know Not even the people who claim they just picked up another language.
00:04:05
Speaker
No, they didn't. They suffered and they struggled and they sounded like robots too. They just forgot about that part. The good news is the robot phase is temporary.
00:04:16
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The moment that you stop worrying about sounding perfect, you start sounding human. That happened to me when I lived and worked in Russia for seven years.
Learning Russian with Pimsleur
00:04:28
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My employer at the time, Chrysler Russia, was always under cost pressure crisis. So I couldn't get any company sponsored language lessons. So I went and i I bought a language learning CD set with 99 45 minute lessons.
00:04:42
Speaker
Yeah, CDs, you remember those things? Well, Moscow traffic is notoriously bad and i regularly sat in two hour traffic jams, which should have just been 30 minutes.
00:04:53
Speaker
These CDs were amazing. I listened to each one multiple times, again and again and again, until I nailed down my pronunciation. And I actually still remember quite a bit of it today.
00:05:05
Speaker
I only wonder what the other drivers around me were thinking when they saw that crazy guy having those long conversations in the car alone. By the way, that language course is Pimsleur, and today they've migrated from CDs to a phone app.
00:05:22
Speaker
What made the biggest impression on me was how many German words and English words and French words were embedded in the Russian language. Words like Gastarbeiter, Quadrat, Butterbrot are clearly German, but the Russians believed that they were their own. And that actually brings me to the next point.
Cognitive Benefits of Learning Multiple Languages
00:05:46
Speaker
Once you've learned one foreign language, your brain becomes more flexible. You start recognizing patterns and you pick up familiar words that that transcend languages, like I just mentioned.
00:05:59
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You stop panicking when you hear unfamiliar sounds and then you understand that grammar isn't so much a threat as it is just a different way of organizing reality. You also develop a kind of linguistic humility. you You know you're going to make mistakes. You know you're going to embarrass yourself. And you you know that the the world doesn't end when you do.
00:06:23
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In fact, people usually appreciate the effort. They lean in. They they help you. they They laugh with you, not at you. Well, sometimes they laugh at you.
00:06:34
Speaker
and And that's where language learning becomes addictive. You start thinking, well, maybe I could learn another one. And that's precisely what I'm attempting to do right now.
Challenges of Learning Thai
00:06:47
Speaker
I now live in Thailand and am attempting to learn Thai on an online video class with a live teacher. Thai is a highly contextual and tonal language where One word with the same spelling can take on five tones and five different meanings. One wrong tone and you really might insult someone.
00:07:05
Speaker
what What do I mean by tones? Well, here we go with one word. Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma. ah Confused yet? As an example, the words for mother and dog are a point of confusion for many new learners. It's only the tone and some slight difference in pronunciation that differentiates the words.
00:07:26
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Mother has a rising tone, meh, and dog has a falling tone, mah. Clearly, there's an opportunity for confusion amongst the neophyte Thai learners.
00:07:37
Speaker
And besides the tones, the pronunciations of sounds are very different than what a German and English-speaking tongue is used to, not to mention the completely different word order and sentences in many cases.
00:07:50
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And ties also drop a lot of words in the sentence. So if you're hungry, you don't have to say, I am hungry. You can just say hungry, and the I is implied.
00:08:02
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It's a very context-driven language. And I have definitely returned to my own robot phase when speaking in front of my classmates. But the same goes for them. Let's talk about the beauty of sounding ridiculous.
Embracing Mistakes in Language Learning
00:08:17
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One of the most liberating truths about language learning is this.
00:08:23
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You will sound ridiculous and that's okay. You will say things wrong. You will misunderstand questions and you will definitely accidentally order something from the menu that you didn't mean to order.
00:08:39
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you will confuse words that should never be confused. but Like, for example, sto and sto in Russian. The difference between the words hundred and what is one letter. This led to mass confusion when a market peddler asked how much I wanted. And I kept saying what, sto, when I meant to say 100, sto, for grams. And every mistake step forward. Every awkward moment is a... a sign that you're trying. And every time that you push through the embarrassment, you've built more confidence.
00:09:15
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The people around you, they see that, they respect it, and they really admire it. Because learning a language, it's an act of of courage. it's It's choosing to be vulnerable in front of strangers.
00:09:28
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And it's consciously choosing long-term connection over short-term comfort.
Accents as Personal Stories
00:09:36
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Let me get into a little bit why accents are beautiful.
00:09:40
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Here's something I want every listener to take away from this episode. every Everyone who speaks your language with an accent is how you sound to them in their language.
00:09:52
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And you know what? You might think their accent is charming or silly. You might think that it's impressive, or you might think, wow, they're really trying. So give yourself the same grace because that's how you sound to them.
00:10:09
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Your accent is not a flaw. It's a story, actually. It's a map of where you've been, and it's a sign that you're you're expanding your world and your horizons. Let me end with this.
00:10:22
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Language learning is not about perfection. It's about connection. It's about curiosity and stepping into someone else's world and saying, I want to meet you where you are.
Language Learning as Connection and Curiosity
00:10:35
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Whether you're learning from childhood, from a CD in Moscow traffic, or an online Thai teacher who keeps telling that the the tones are not being pronounced properly, or from a phone app, the journey is always the same.
00:10:51
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You start as a robot. You end up becoming a human. And eventually, you become part of a greater human community. So to everyone listening, don't be afraid to sound silly. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. And don't be afraid to try.
00:11:07
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Because the moment that you open your mouth in another language, you're already succeeding.
Call to Action: Engage and Learn a New Word
00:11:16
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Thanks for joining me today.
00:11:19
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Try to pick up at least one foreign word between now and next week and drop that one in the comments. Until next time, keep on driving. Ich freue mich aufs Wiedersehen.
00:11:30
Speaker
Tschüss. Thank you for joining us on today's journey. Please remember to like and subscribe to The Auto Ethnographer and leave us a rating or comment. For more information, visit our website at auto-ethnographer.com.
00:11:44
Speaker
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