Core Concepts
Linguistic obsession can limit one's understanding and appreciation of diverse perspectives and cultural nuances.
Abstract
The author recounts his experience of dating an Austrian exchange student, Annika, who was enrolled in one of his literature courses. He was drawn to Annika's multilingual abilities, intelligence, and shared interest in literature.
The author observes that Annika was borderline angry when the professor mispronounced a name in a poem, which the author found fascinating. This moment foreshadowed the author's realization that the American tendency to impose a harsh accent on foreign words often robs us of the beauty and nuance of language.
The author notes that as a student from a small Midwestern college, he was delighted to observe the foreign exchange students and their interpretations of American behavior, which were free from the oppressive social hierarchies he had hoped to leave behind from high school. He envied their lack of awareness of these social dynamics.
The author's interactions with Annika led him to recognize the limitations of an "addiction to words" and the importance of embracing diverse perspectives and cultural nuances, rather than imposing one's own linguistic preferences.
Quotes
"You aren't pronouncing that right"
"One of the casualties of the American resentment toward foreign language is that we tend to impose a harsh accent on everything. That lazy impulse often robs us of the beauty of the rhyme."