DOMINATE
THE WORLD
OF LANGUAGES
Cut Through the Noise
and Get the Proven Formula
Straight from a Multilingual.
Broaden Your Horizons
and Boost Your Career.
Authored by
Youness El Fehdi
DEDICATION
Thank you to my wife Nawal, whos always been my encourager and supporter in the realm of writing, and who gave this book a chance to get out there and fulfill its mission.
Copyright 2020 Youness El Fehdi
All rights reserved.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To all those who aspire to broaden their horizons, in the hope that they experience the delight of being able to communicate to the world directly through sincere and authentic communication, using the power of mastering multiple languages.
INTRODUCTION
I was born and raised in Moroccoa beautiful country in the northwest corner of Africa, just a few miles south of Spain. I had a normal upbringing, and our family values can be summed up by three things: respect, personal responsibility, and trust. It wasnt until the 1990s (my teenage years) that I started listening to anything other than Moroccan or Arabic music. Moroccan is not a language, but a dialect; it has no structural rules and is mainly a mix of French, Arabic, and Berber. Beautiful and unique, it is the main dialect spoken in Morocco.
I remember the first song that has since been imprinted in my memory; I am Sailing by Rod Stewart. This song opened a crack for me through which I could start digging to find what was going on outside my own little world. It was the bridge that connected me to the world of learning new languages. Even though I had already acquired two languages (Arabic and French), listening to this song was the catalyst behind my infatuation with learning new languages. It was the first time I got the opportunity for exposure to English.
In Morocco, once you reach the 10th grade, you get the option to pick one of three languages (Spanish, English, and German) as a third language in addition to the Arabic and French we had already learned through the 9th grade. I chose English, which turned out to be the most critical decision of my life. Later in this book, I will explain why.
Our English teacher was a young man whose name was Khaled Serghini. This man was extra passionate about what he did for a living and went above and beyond the norm. His approach to teaching English was unique and creative, and so different than anything I had experienced from all the teachers I had seen before him.
To instill a love of English in our hearts, he would bring a tape recorder and a stack of papers with American song lyrics, in English. While we listened to a song, he would ask us to be looking at the lyrics in front of us. It seemed silly at first since we had not yet learned a word of English. Nevertheless, this step was meant to get us to know how it would feel if we really understood all the words of the songs. It is human nature to seek out what is not easily unfolded before us.
At the end of each class, he would ask us to underline the words we did not understand, then go home and look them up in a dictionary and memorize them. The process was repeated again and again until we had formed a considerable vocabulary. Afterward, he taught us grammar, composition, and comprehension. The rest was history, once he had ignited a fire in our stomachs. As a consequence, we developed a burning desire to really learn the language, a desire that I still feel to this day. Though it has been 26 years, it has not diminished a bit, and I dont expect that it will.
Chapter 1
WHY LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT
You are special
Have you ever thought about learning a new language? Maybe you have, but that thought was shut down by the notion that learning a new language is a God-given talent that only special people can really do. I have news for you, you are special. We are all born special, but society has ripped that confidence from us by telling us repeatedly that we should remain mediocre and leave special things to special people.
My struggles with learning a new language
Let me tell you about my experience with society, and how I know for sure that being inadequate or not able to achieve what you tell yourself to achieve is just a matter of whether you believe in yourself or not. It sounds ridiculously simplified, and yes, that is precisely what I used to think.
During my school life up until the 9th grade, I struggled in the French language class. My French teacher let me know that I was just not smart enough to learn the language. For years, I lived my life thinking I was not smart enough to learn a new language because thats what my teacher and society had told me. I only discovered how special I was when it comes to learning new languages the moment I started learning English in the 10th grade.
I excelled in English and the word made its way to my French teacher who ultimately apologized to me and offered to give me extra tutoring in French for free because, contrary to her assumption about me, she discovered that I was not only able to learn a new language, but I could also excel at it.
A new language is a bridge towards your fellow human beings
Now that you know you can do it, lets shed light on why learning a new language is crucial. When you learn a language, you gain a new side of yourself, and you mingle with people who speak different languages and explore their unique ways. Mannerisms, humor, and how they react to certain things are essential. In the process of getting to know people, you pick up something from their unique ways and install it into your own perspective, which enriches your now broader outlook of life.
The role of self-discipline in learning a new language
One of the various traits you develop when you speak a different language is self-discipline. It is not something impatient people can achieve, the task of learning a language is a long and intensive journey; however, if you value the process, you will find the journey enjoyable, and dont wish it to end. This positive feeling makes you want to learn as many languages as you can. In my case, I am still learning languages to this day because I believe learning, in general, is a life-long journey, not a destination.
Cutting out the middle person and getting information straight from the source
The best way, in my opinion, to understand the different people of the world, is to learn their language and use it to talk directly to them, instead of getting the information through a mediator. Growing up, we were all told things about people from other parts of the world that are, at best, generic stereotypes passed down through multiple generations.
For instance, I was told that French people are rude and cold to foreigners. Let me assure you that this stereotype can be either true or false, and the key is through what language you talk to them. I was in a Paris airport a while back, and I tried to ask directions in English. The lady was rude and did not even stop or look me in the eye, she just pointed to her right and kept walking. Then I switched to French, and she stopped, complimented my French, and then pleasantly showed me the directions I was asking for. Maybe she was just not comfortable enough to talk in English, or perhaps she considered my French as a sign of respect towards her heritage. Whatever the case is, it worked great for me. Learning a foreign language is the key that unlocks doors that would, otherwise, be totally closed in your face.
Developing a learning system
Another benefit of learning a language is the fact that once you learn the first one, it becomes easier for you to learn more. You become familiar with the pillars of a language and when to study each pillar. Your memory, like a muscle, becomes strong enough to absorb other languages with ease. Learning the first new language might take you years. However, the second may take a few months. So, making it through the first language is a fundamental step on the path of being an incredible language learner. I did it, and you can do it too. Go after it!
