Lexotrolls

Dear Lexotrolls,

I'm sorry, I'm just trying to learn a language. 

I'm the fly in your feigned expression, as I mud clod plod oblivious of such precious reverence thou doth behold. For thou art not the pearl I covet; I'm sorry, so very sorry. I'm just trying to learn a language. Forgive me. 

I seek not to diminish your achievements, nor your gracious approval. 

The truth is, I'm not sorry at all.

Sorry that I'm not.

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You were adorable when you began learning a language.  Those Tarzan-esq utterances regarding the ownership of a pen, expressing a fondness for cats and of course, those days when we did goed to the park and to be listen to bird voice because birds we like isn't it. 

Ah, but you understood me, and that's all that matters ... that's all that ever matters ... and yet, as time passes, your vocabulary grows and you form more eloquent grammatically fragile splodges of language. And before you know it, you're amusing all in sundry with your poetic originality in a non-mother-tongue.

In my opinion, I might be going to the park for hearing the moving song of small bird tweeting.  

I wonder if it becomes more difficult to comprehend the intermediate language learner as they flex their linguistic muscles. Judging by the reactions of native speakers, I'm now capable of speaking some incomprehensible nonsense.  I'll read the listeners perplexed expressions and have another stab at expressing the same idea on more grammatically solid ground or with more robust tried and tested vocabulary. And here lies the truth once more ... it doesn't matter at all ... you've got to crack a few linguistic eggs.

And here is where the lexotroll joins the party.

There are people, who I use the term "lexotroll" to describe. A lexotroll is someone who is learning the same language as yourself, yet begrudges your linguistic mis-adventures. They're the pedant who says, "Don't you know _____?" as if you're a total twit for not knowing something they regard to be of fundamental importance.  They're the person you don't speak to in the target language, because the joy they get from correcting you feeds their smuggitude. They are the language learning prefects asking for a JLPT hall pass.  

To me, language learning is like an archeological dig. We excavate linguistic nuggets to build our comprehension. I'm excavating a Godzillasaurus with 2,136 bones! (Lexotroll, "Don't you mean Gojirasaurus?"). To me, the way you go about excavating isn't half as important as finding something that intrigues you enough to keep digging tomorrow. 

Tomorrow, I'll have reached 1,500 of my kanji excavation. I'm using the Heisig method ... which means I'm only learning a keyword meaning for each of the 2,136 characters (joyo kanji - the common use kanji). I don't know how many times I've been told that I should also learn the readings of each kanji too. I don't know how many times I've explained that learning the meaning and the different readings slowed me down to such a snails pace, that keeping motivated was impossible. 

About a month ago, I started using wanikani to learn the readings. I've learned a couple of hundred readings in a month.  I know that learning the readings to the joyo kanji is going to take me a couple of years.  That's a long time, but this morning, I realized that I'm about a month and a half away from finishing Heisig's approach to remembering keyword meanings of all 2,136 characters. I also realized that learning the readings once you already know a rough meaning is a lot easier than trying to remember the readings AND the meaning at the same time.  It's like plastering a wall ... learning Heisig's method is like preparing the surface so that the readings stick ... as opposed to falling off a few seconds after splatting the whole meaning and readings together in one big glob. 

Amusingly, today I learned 銀 (silver ...  on-reading 'gin') and then walking past the bank, smiled at the fact I saw 銀行 (The Japanese word for bank: ginkou). I could hear the voice of an inner lexitroll saying, "Derrr ... didn't you know that already? Errr how long have you been learning Japanese? ... that's soooooooo basic" ... hmm, well, I knew the word "ginkou" means bank ... and I knew "gin" means silver ... I've know 金 means gold (kin) ... 金属 means metal (kinzoku) ... and 鉄 means iron (tetsu) ... but NOPE, I didn't know the kanji for silver was 銀 ... so the moment where the penny dropped was utterly delightful. 

It doesn't matter a jot whether someone thinks that's something you should learn early on, or after four years of six years or whatever ... it just doesn't matter ... it's just such fun to uncover these mysteries over however long it takes. I don't think I'd ever say to someone, "That's so basic, you should know that by now ... blaa blaa blaa" ... the utter joy of learning kanji is how it unlocks the language so delightfully.

When I got home, I watched Russell Brands interview with Paxman ... I knew he'd made a very good point at the end of the interview that resonated with my thoughts about language learning and some of the lexotroll scorn I've encountered from time to time. To rephrase his words in response to  the lexotrolls out there in the world:

"Why is that naive not to know that word, that grammar point, that kanji? Why is that not my right because I’m not learning the same way as you ? I mean, I, I’ve taken the right to go on my own uniquely wonderful journey. I don't need your permission. I don’t need the right from you.  I don't need the right to learn a language from anyone. I’m taking it."