My native language is English. Although I began to learn Spanish I did not become fluent. Then we moved to West Africa and I began to learn Twi. However, soon after arriving we as a couple began to learn Ghana Sign Language. This had some similarities to American Sign Language, which I was not yet fluent in at that time. Next, we moved to South Africa and had to learn a new sign language. We began taking Zulu classes but it was not necessary to become fluent because the country spoke fluent English and we were working with the sign language field. Returning to the states, we began to learn American Sign Language. This enabled us to return to Africa. Only this time we had to learn the Malagasy language fluently for 3 years before we could begin learning Malagasy Sign Language. I consider myself fluent in Malagasy however, I am still a language learner. I also consider myself to be fluent in Malagasy Sign Language however, I have only lived in one region of the country and with a future move, regional changes may alter my feelings on the fluency with which we communicate. This remains to be seen. It has been said that once someone learns several languages, the rest come easier. I'm not sure if I have reached that level yet. But it is true that when you are put in an environment when you don't have comprehension by way of language communication, you find other ways to understand. I have become very good at reading body language and determining heightened emotion based on modulation, tone, facial expression, etc. One thing is for sure, to learn a new language one needs humility and determination. There is no need to make yourself feel better by picking apart the language and the culture. One needs to move forward in a positive fashion and commend progress no matter how small. The last thing to learn seems to be humor and yet, the human connection can be obtained before your first word is even learned with an ounce of respect and kindness.
