Well, while growing up, we were brought up with English, and that seems to be enough even though my dad and mum rarely communicate to us with it. My dad happens to study English language in school and teaches it as well, even still he prefers speaking to us in Yoruba(our native language), he only uses English when he's angry or needs to tell us something codedly when people are around, or when our lesson teacher comes around.
So, the only foreign language we had was English, and it was mostly being taught and said in school. So, from my primary school up to higher institution, it was just English and Yoruba. And around that time was when technology began to improve more and we began seeing the likes of Google translate, OpenAi and the likes that go a long way in aiding people form different walks of life to communicate and talk freely without even knowing a single word from each other's language talk less of being able to pronounce it.
We really can't deny that Ai/tech has made life a lot easier, and personally I can testify to it. I have had times when I get comments on my post in another language and AI has come through for me to interpret what it was. So, these translation tools are really doing well in helping us break certain barriers. It helps save time and as well helps us to understand things.
But about learning it, I would say it is good to, as interpreting, knowing and understanding are all different things. We all know that language goes beyond words, it is culture. There's the tone and such in which these words are being pronounced. Some words don't sound casual the way we see them to be, and as a Yoruba guy, if you're one you will agree with me that there are certain depths of Yoruba that cannot be really captured in English, even if you try too, it would lose the respect or depth in it. That's why most people prefer to pray in their native language as they feel like it hits deeper.
And I want to believe that the same thing applies to every other language. They all carry depths to them. Personally, I would learn to learn a new language, I've once had an opportunity to learn French, but I took the opportunity for granted, even though it was for a short time, but then I could have grabbed one or two.
Also, there are companies today that are actively in search of people who can speak one or two foreign languages fluently. They don't need people who would start goig through Google translate and such. They are in search of people who can speak, hear understand, know and can negotiate so well in that language. For someone like me, it would have been a good advantage,. considering the fact that I can't do heavy/stressful physical work, and I just need some less stressful way to build my income.
Ai is good, and it is a tool that has come in handy in a lot of situations, and like every tool, it is meant to support and not replace. If we stop learning because there's now a technology that can help translate and such, then we will soon lose the beauty, richness, and cultural depths of our languages.
In conclusion, it's good to learn, know and understand as there's this beauty and connection in being able to look someone in the eye and speak their language without having to go through a translator/translation app.
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Images are AI generated.
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