Professional Language

Some 35 years after my last lesson and 5 years after my last attempt to speak the language, I am working on a 76 page specification and its associated drawings en français.

Despite having operated in the monoglot environment of American engineering for almost a quarter century, I still need my rusty language skills. Dependence on on-line translators is too limiting.  The human brain needs to get involved:

I occasionally handle documents German and Dutch, but struggle when I need to read Spanish.  Apparently, languages learnt before motherhood are retained better than those you first encounter after the arrival of offspring. How rather unshocking!

Despite assertions to the contrary, technical people need language education (preferably before parenthood). In truth, I don’t believe there is any career where such education is wasted.

Because I am well past the point of composing a sensible sentence in any other language, I am grateful my clients accept my input in English.  I love the fact that they have learnt a second language and that language was English.  Now if only we could understand each other’s accent on the ‘phone…

Follow The Numerate Ninny on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or at: http://thenumerateninny.com