So… Could anyone, anyone please tell me why I thought it was a good idea to sign up for Finnish classes?
I know I’ve posted the same thing ten million times already — maybe that should be taken as a sign of sorts.
You see, even though people think I’m good at languages, they actually couldn’t be less wrong. I suck at languages. I mean, my English is pretty good, but I guess it should be. Something about it being my native language. Or something.
I guess my German isn’t bad, either. I still have that massive gender problem (nope, that hasn’t changed in the last two weeks), but it’s good enough that I don’t really care anymore if it gets any better. A new word here or there, sure… But really, five years down the line, I’m comfortable with spending my energies elsewhere.
As for French, well… I’ve been taking French lessons on and off for about 15 years. And I’m still only B1.
In case that makes no sense to you, here’s some Wiki-Fun: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Reference_for_Languages
The nice thing about French though, is even though my skills still suck, I’ve been at it long enough that it doesn’t bug me anymore, and when something whack comes up, I don’t really get surprised. After all, zee French are crazy!
I wish I could say this about the other languages I’ve picked up for various reasons, and then left in the rubble once I got to about A2. You know, like Russian, Spanish and Latin (don’t ask). Hopefully Finnish doesn’t also have to be found caught lying in the wreckage one day, too.
We’ll see, though.
The problem is that (with German and French, at least), I got by that nasty part a long time ago. You know… The part where you feel like your brain is going to explode in confusion and frustration, because whyintheworldwouldanyonelearnsuchastupidlanguage? I haven’t even started Finnish yet and already feel those sentiments.
Why so bitter, you ask? Well, classes don’t start for another week and a half, but seeing as a professor for one of my seminars set the entire coursework (with a week and a half notice) for us to do BEFORE the class starts, it only makes sense that I do unnecessary coursework for something else.
If you know me, you will know this is completely rational, and also to be completely expected. (Because, really, I should actually be finishing off my papers.)
So, I’ve decided to get a head-start on my Finnish, because I don’t want to be caught knowing all about kahvi maidola, but nothing else. I’ve thus decided to take it upon myself to learn one phrase per day before classes start. (I told you… I suck at learning languages. My retention capacity is almost null. Or in this case, nolla.)
Yesterday, I learned the VERY important “Ei se mitään!” Today, maybe it will be something more exciting, like “Ihanko totta?”
The one-phrase-a-day isn’t really what’s frustrating me. What’s frustrating me is the stupid numbers. I’ve never been good at numbers. Not even in English. Numbers have been the bane of my existence in EVERY language. Apparently Finnish is no exception.
And see, I decided to practice them, because I thought I was not so bad at them. Throw any number under one hundred at me, and I can just tell you what it is without thinking. Throw 1546 at me, and well… I mean. I know how to say it. But it’s painful. First I’ll say “one thousand”. Then I have to stop, empty out my brain and then say “five hundred”. Wait. Stop. Empty out the brain again. Now I can go onto “forty-six”. It takes me a good thirty seconds to spit the whole thing out.
Are my expectations too high? Probably. Well, yes. It’s probably why I keep dropping so many languages; you put days, weeks, months and years into trying to figure something out. And nothing happens. Of course, that “light bulb day” comes eventually (you know ... the day where everything clicks), but it’s really hard not to give up before then.
Oh, the things you’ll do for best friends so you can speak to their fathers and boyfriends…
Maybe my phrase of the day should be “Minä en puhu suomea.” Or, better yet, “Minä en ymmärrä.
Very, very important, you see.
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