Have you ever thought about embracing diversity and turning your weakness into your strength

                                   by learning the language of the country where you live and work, regardless of the fact that it is

                                   not a worldwide spoken language? I am fully aware that your motivation for learning such a

                                   language could be low, especially if you do not recognize it as an additional value to your job and

                                   your performance. However, I am also confident that you might change your view after

                                   considering the arguments why one should learn languages.

​                                   

Status quo
Instead of sticking to status quo and expecting everyone to adjust to you, do your best and try to fit into your environment. By understanding the language of local people, for instance Serbian, you will be able to perceive and understand people and events as they are, not through a mirror which generally reflects a distorted picture of reality. Minor differences in how people do things can make a big difference if you do not have proper knowledge. A lack of cultural knowledge can lead to countless misunderstandings, and misunderstandings can bring about a lot of frustration and stress which can make your life in a new country unpleasant to say the least.

​

So, if you want to avoid this inevitable domino effect, get to know people around you better by learning their mother tongue, their customs and culture. Thus, you will show explicitly that you want to be one of them, which local people will appreciate and make your stay in Belgrade, Serbia, enjoyable and unforgettable.
 

Become a participant, not an observer
Part of your learning experience will be to notice, understand and deal with different culture. It helps to be prepared and ready to face any cultural challenges. It is not easy to be a foreigner in a country, this is a fact, but if you do not make an effort to handle differences, understand different forms of behavior, attitudes, beliefs, it can be even worse.
It is more pleasant to fit in and become a part of a team than to stay aside and behave like an outsider.



Increase your productivity at work
Diversity at work, whether it is due to religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation has the potential to make or break employees` relationships. If you allow diversity issues to drive you because of the lack of proper cultural or language knowledge, it will result in less productivity and a broken team. Sometimes even English cannot be helpful, I presume that you all count on English as an intermediary language abroad, especially when you have to deal with local people who do not speak English well, and you are not quite sure whether an interpreter is up to the task of interpretation or not. In such a case your knowledge of the local language can be really helpful!

One small cog in a big wheel called Life!
Most foreigners think that learning Serbian is not an easy task and get intimidated at the thought of all those cases and conjugations, However, when they start thinking about all advantages that the language will provide them with, they realize that Aristotle was right when he said that “Roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet”. Serbian will enable you to meet many more people and find it much easier to get around. In general, local people are much more receptive if you make an effort to speak their language. Your efficiency privately and at work will go up steadily and, consequently, you are going to feel more self-confident and satisfied. This small step can turn a frustrating stay abroad into unforgettable experience of lifetime. It is worth trying, isn’t it?!   

Become a polyglot
Providing that you already speak English, by learning a new foreign language, no matter whether it is currently “popular” or not, you are decreasing a chance of having a problem with oblivion into the twilight years. Speaking two or more languages rather than just one does not have only practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world, but it also has a strong effect on your brain, improving your cognitive skills and even protecting you from dementia in old age. So, if you want to be thoughtful and quick-witted all your life, languages can come in handy.


As you can see there are a lot of pros, and frankly speaking I cannot make out any cons.

As Nelson Mandela says “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart”. Now, it is your turn to think and decide whether you will agree or not.

Thank you for your time and attention!



Dragana Petkovski, English language professor
ptkvsk@gmail.com​