Should You Study Romanian?

                                                                                      

         Today in Romania, and in Romanian communities abroad, we celebrate Romanian Language Day. Inevitably, I thought about my international friends who are curious or passionate about Romania and its culture, and who are planning to learn the language, and even muster up a few words and sentences. 

          Am I encouraging you to study Romanian? If so, what are the best things to keep in mind? 

... Romanian is, as most of you already know, the only language of Latin provenience in Eastern Europe. However, we also have some Slavic influences - around 20%, if I'm not mistaken, plus some bits from Turkish, Greek or Hungarian. 

... Studying Romanian will be easier for you if your native language is Italian, French, Spanish or Portuguese, or if you are at least fluent in any of these languages. Similarities may not be always guaranteed, but, compared to other language families, they are definitely more numerous.

... Romanian may be, however, closer to French and Italian rather than the other Romance languages. Plus, it is said that it brings quite a close resemblance to Catalan and Sardinian. 

...  Is it useful? It is spoken as a native language in Romania and Moldova, which could amount to 25 million speakers, more or less. But don't forget that we are everywhere, especially in Europe, and most surely all European nationals have at least one Romanian friend or aquaintance. So, why not impress them with your language skills? ;) Or perhaps you are a professional planning to work in Romania for a while, or to start up a business. In which case, studying the language will prove itself useful.

... Is it difficult? Maybe not, or not more than other language. Pronounciation is quite easy, as most words are pronounced like they are spelled, without any "strange" rules or groups of letters. We do have about 4 letters which are a bit "peculiar", but other than that, I don't see much trouble. 

... If you live in a capital city, or at least a bigger city, check if you find a representation of Institutul Cultural Roman, or other Romanian institutions, which may organize courses, or even have a library. 

... And, last but not least, keep in mind that although we are all tempted to start learning a language with swearwords and naughty stuff, all natives are more impressed when you come up with "serious" things to say. ;)

    Perhaps I will try, in time, to teach you some tips and tricks. In the meantime, I bid you... LA REVEDERE ("farewell") and I wish you TOATE CELE BUNE ("all the good things"). 

         

Immigrants Alert in Europe: to Panic or Not to Panic?

      

   Lately this has been one of the major topics on the news. Masses of immigrants coming mostly from Northern African countries and the Middle East are increasingly flowing towards Southern, Central and Eastern Europe by sea. I'm not only talking about Italy, which has been confronting itself with this problem for many years now, but lately Greece has also been a country of destination, not to mention that EU countries with lower-level immigration rates (at least from those parts of the world) such as Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic and Slovakia may be expected to open their borders towards them. 

         Should we panic or should we not? Do you see it as a danger, or as an unavoidable aspect of globalization and a consequence of violent events in those parts of the world? Let's keep in mind that many of those people are indeed escaping dangerous situations in their countries, and nobody would cross the sea in such risky conditions for pleasure. 

           On the other hand, what happens after they get to European countries? Are they all good, or are some of them aiming to do wrong in their new host country? Is there a way to keep things under control, to everyone's advantage? Will they be able to integrate themselves in society? Will they be able to work and make a living, or will the hosting state support them?

             Too many questions, no clear answers. What would you do if you were in charge of the situation in your own country? As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a fast answer. It is a complex issue and it must be well thought of, from all points of view. But I'm very curious how it will turn out. 

(photo: The Telegraph)

Language Learning: the Best Methods

       

    This post is for those of you who are passionate about languages, and are studying or have studied either for a professional career, in order to emigrate, or simply for the sake of a challenge. Now, all, or most of us studied two foreign languages in school, but that may or may not have been enough in order to become proficient. Therefore, today we'll be talking about what might happen from high-school graduation onwards. From the start, and for those of you wondering, I am not a languages graduate, but I was lucky to grow up speaking two languages (Romanian and Italian), and also to start learning English since primary school, through lessons at home (very common practice in Romania) with a super teacher. Therefore, I developed some sort of ability and passion for languages.  
             

             

           What is the best way to learn a language? Some of you choose the official pathway, which is also the most thorough, that of university studies. The obvious advantage is that you have a few years' time to go deeper into the subject, learn not only grammar, but also literature, culture and civilization, and eventually undergo a student exchange programme in the country where your studied language is spoken. The latter is one of the best parts, because you will experience the way the language is really spoken in everyday life, beyond scholastic approaches. However, this may not be suitable for you if your dream career is something different, which has nothing to do with teaching, or translation, or working for cultural institutions. Therefore, if you want to learn a language whilst pursuing another career, the points below may be just your cup of (English? Chinese? Japanese? Indian?) tea. ;) 

          So, you are a student or professional of a different field, but you want to learn a new language, or to improve one that you already speak. What about short courses, lasting a couple of months in length per module, organized by the cultural institutes of the chosen country, such as British Council, Goethe Institut, Institut Français, etc., or even by the Faculty of Languages of some universities. The only warning is that the former may be higher in price. Yes, the course is worth it, but, unfortunately, you may or may not be able to afford them. The only problem is that, most likely, you will study grammar and vocabulary, in a scholastic way, so, if you want to go deeper into other areas, you'll have to do that through auto-didactic activities. Which leads us to...
         Self-taught methods. There are plenty of self-learning language books, and some of them also have a CD for you to listen to pronnounciation. Most surely, there are two huge advantages: you spend far less money, and you manage your own study time by yourself. However, this only works for you if you are an organized person by nature, and if you make sure to study and do your "homework" on a regular basis. Moreover, I would advise you to go for a self-taught course if the language you are studying is not much different from your native one. For example, a Romanian would be better off learning Italian, French or Spanish by himself, rather than Japanese or Arabic. 
      Note that the latter two methods require other additional practices, in order to cover what is not done in the course itself, that is if we want to make the most of it. And, why not, these practices would also benefit language university students and graduates.
   .... read. And start with simple things, such as children's literature, moving on to articles on various topics, and contemporary literature. Leave classical literature of the Middle Ages and other such malarkey towards the end. Trust me: I bought myself Dante's "Divina Commedia" in original. I've been struggling with it. Big time. Nobody talks like that anymore!
    .... watch movies in original. One of the things I appreciate about my country is that we don't dub movies and TV series (we only do cartoons). So, Romanians are used to watching films in their original languages, with subtitles in Romanian. This helps us a lot even when we're at school, with our English and French homework. ;) And yes, cheesy as it may sound, we learn Spanish from Latin-American telenovelas. But beware of the latter: there are differences from the language spoken in Spain, and the vocabulary you'll develop will serve you more when it comes to moaning about your love life and family drama, rather than basic conversations about everyday matters. :)
    .... talk to natives. Maybe not always possible, but when you can, make the most of it. Choose a patient friend or aquaintance, and ask him or her to be strict and correct your mistakes. That way, you'll learn the spoken language, colloquial expressions, slang, language tricks, and much more.
        Hoping to have been exhaustive, we'll return at a later date with more specific language tips, and learning adventures. Till then, I'm going to my self-taught, and pretty painful, German course! ;)

            

11 Things You Should Do in Order to Fully Experience another Country's Culture

       

    

      Summer is not over yet. Perhaps some of you still have their holidays ahead, or perhaps some of you are looking forward to autumn, which may bring a study or work experience in a different country. It goes without saying that a foreign country means a culture which is different from your own, in a more or less drammatic way. But beware: not all trips abroad automatically include a full immersion in the other country's culture. There is an abbundance of articles on this topic, but here is my personal take on things, based on my own experiences, those of the people I know, and also on the things I would do if I had new opportunities coming my way. 

     I will go from number 11 to number 1, although the order is totally subjective.

11. Read as much as you can on that country's culture and civilization. I left this one at the end, because it is advisable to start before you travel. Whether it is literature, travel blogs, history and geography books, news and current affairs, the more you know about your place of destination, the better. You will at least have some idea of what to expect, you will have the basis for conversations with locals, and you will find out what topics you would like to go deeper into during your stay. 

10. Spend at least one month in that country. It's time to decide the lenght of your stay. This condition, in itself, deserves more importance than no. 10, but it requires a fair amount of flexibility. If you are going there for work or study purposes, this will be unavoidable. However, if you are just planning to travel, such a long stay may not always be possible. If this is the case, you can stay for a week or two, and then return next year, and so forth, picking up your exploration where you left off. The length of stay is important, because if you are really interested in a country's culture, a few days' city break with no follow-up will never be enough. You would only concentrate on the main touristic objectives, which, although impressive, are not exactly what daily life is all about.

9. Become familiar with their national and local entertainment. This one, you may also have started before departure. But once you get there, you will have access to far more sources of information, cultural manifestations, television and local media, etc. At least try, out of curiosity. Watch a movie production of that country, listen to their music, attend a traditional festival or cultural event, or whatever you like. You may or may not like or understand it at first, but you never know. Or at least, do it just to have an idea. 

8. When shopping, choose national brands and traditional artefacts. Not only you help functioning that country's economy, but that is also part of the culture, as traditional and unique techniques have been employed in their production. When in Italy, I love Bottega Verde, and when I'm in England I love the Body Shop. Or, what about ethnic fashion? Did you know that a Romanian ie looks fabulous in combination with jeans, but also with an elegant office skirt? Or that I am in love with my Russian scarf, but also with my Spanish earrings? :)

7. Take long walks or bus trips with no particular destination. Get to know the atmosphere of the city. You may end up away from touristic areas, but that's good. That is where day-to-day, real life is happening. However, in order to keep safe, it is better to do it during the day, and also to inform yourself if there are any particularly dangerous areas, which are better to avoid. Every place has its own atmosphere, beyond the touristic. Get to know the place's vibe, and get used to it. 

6. Visit as many cities, villages, resorts, etc. as you can. This is quite similar to the point above, especially if your new residence is in a capital city. Capitals, or major cities in general, are quite cosmopolitan, and may have left traditional culture in the background, as people are generally busy with their hectic lives. But smaller cities and villages give a better insight on what life in that country is really about, or may be better connected with traditions. 

5. Try the local cuisine. And, if you're brave enough, learn how to cook it. Food plays an important part in our daily life. And why not experience it? What is traditional in your new country? Is there a dish or an ingredient that "scares" you, such as horse meat in Sicily? Or the raw fish of sushi in Japan? Ok, you may not start directly with it, but at least consider it. Or at least taste from someone else, during a dinner with friends. See if you like it, or if it goes against your beliefs, surely in every place of the world there are dishes for every taste and preference, that you'll surely find something you like. 

4. Learn the language. At least the basics, although it is preferable that you are able to sustain conversations on various topics, not just find your way around the city and ask for stuff in shops and for directions in the street. Some languages are more difficult than others, also depending on what your mother tongue is, and therefore they require more time and dedication to learn, but it is worth the effort. Never, ever assume that everyone speaks English, especially if you're not going to an English-speaking country. Learning the language is important especially for the next two points...

3. Live with locals or local families. It is not always possible, but it makes a big difference. It is more likely to happen in childhood and adolescence, when you get to visit a country as part of an organized school programme (after all, this is how my first visit in England was like), but for an adult things will be more difficult. However, perhaps you have a friend or aquaintance who can host you for a few days. If it is possible, just go for it! You become really aquainted with family atmosphere, or at least with a local home, and everything that makes it. Furniture, colours, decorations, meals, and, most of all, daily routine. 

2. Socialize with locals, of different ages and social statuses. People make culture, and they all have their own way of making sense of the world. And if the former point is not possible, for this one you have no excuse. Be friendly and be curious. Socialize with everyone that you meet: from your schoolmates or workmates, to the hairdresser, or the bartender who serves your coffee every morning. Ask questions about their country and about everyday life of the past and present day, and in different environments. Listen to their stories. It is priceless!

1. Keep an open mind. No matter what you do, this is by far the most important point. Be prepared to see, hear and experience things that are completely unknown to you. Some of them you will like, others you will not. Cultural shocks will happen anywhere and anytime. You must learn to accept them, embrace what you like, and politely refuse what you dislike. But at all times, be prepared to learn about the good and the bad, and (as cliché as it may sound), to move beyond your comfort zone.