Study Is The Best Preparation

The second I get out of my Arabic class, I run back to my dorm to make lunch. As I cook, I put on a French podcast and do my best to follow along. I haven’t formally studied the language since middle school, but I’m delusional enough to try anyways. After several months and thousands of flashcards, it seems to be working. When I finish eating lunch, I dash to my international relations class. As I’m waiting for my professor to start, I pull out my phone and do a quick review of the vocabulary I learned during a Darija course I took over the summer. I silently curse myself for not having paid closer attention. Before I run rehearsals for Julius Caesar, I manage to sneak in a quick phone call with my language exchange partner from Egypt. Her English is infinitely better than my Arabic, so I let her laugh a bit at my terrible grammar. I laugh too. As I collapse into my bed after a long day, I debate asking my Grandpa to teach me some of his native language, Spanish, but I brush off the idea before finally falling asleep.

Such is an average day in my life as I prepare to study abroad in Morocco. Of all the things I’ve heard and read about Morocco, what intimidates me most is the population’s immense multilingualism. Growing up in America, I’ve lived my entire life in English. Nearly everything I interact with, aside from my taste in foreign films, is in English. Where I’m from, even knowing one other foreign language is considered impressive. How, then, am I supposed to navigate a society where day-to-day life is often conducted in three or more languages? More importantly, is it even possible for me to find the time to learn all that?

The answer, as I’ve come to accept, is no. As someone who is chronically busy with school, writing, directing, and more, there is simply not enough time in the day to master all the languages that I wish to learn. While I spend hours each day on both Arabic and French, I still expect it will take me years until I feel truly comfortable in either language. And that’s the optimistic view! Suffice it to say, I am inevitably going to feel like a fool when I first open my mouth in Morocco, no matter what I do.

Perhaps that sounds demoralizing, but I don’t think of it that way. Going into any new experience requires a bit of realism on one’s part, and language learning is no exception. Sure, I may never sound like a native, but at least I’ll be able to converse, however rudimentarily, with the people I meet without forcing them to switch to English. It gives me a strong foundation from which to absorb as much language and culture as I possibly can during my four months in Morocco. And while I don’t expect to come home speaking perfectly, who knows? Maybe one day I’ll even be fluent.