Goal setting is the key to success in learning a foreign language. ~Frivolous goals help you improve your language skills!?~

Following essay was posted to monthly magazine "Staff Adviser " home page.
http://www.staffad.com/business/shinbori07_02.html

Goal setting is the key to success in learning a foreign language.
~Frivolous goals help you improve your language skills!?~

●Typewriters of the now-defunct Italian company, Olivetti...
Everyone thinks that it would be great if we could speak a foreign language when shopping, asking street directions or when dining out while abroad. But even if we think so, it is not that easy to master a foreign language. Many travelers have a hard time in the countryside of Italy/France, and in Eastern Europe, because communication in English is difficult there.

It was 25 years ago. I had an opportunity to go on a business trip to Italy. It was my first trip to Italy. The IT-related meeting was held at a hotel near Lake Como in the north of Italy. Several companies, such as DEC, Apollo, MIPS,Philips, Olivetti and Sony gathered there. Olivetti had organized the meeting as a company from the host country.

Speaking of Olivetti, it was a very reputable manufacturer of typewriter products. Their product designs were superb and the company’s cultural activities had been very active. At that time, companies like Olivetti and Fiat were considered blue-chip companies in Italy.

As an aside, the other day I asked a young man in his early twenties whether he knows of Olivetti’s typewriters. He said that he did not know. He said that he had never seen a real typewriter, though he had seen them in movies and in magazines. Much less that he had never heard the name Olivetti. Their typewriters are now a forgotten legacy of the past, like Telex products.

●Communication difficulties in English in restaurants in northern Italy
The meeting took place over three days. Although the meeting was conducted in English, I somehow managed to struggle my way through. However once I got out of the hotel, I found that I could not communicate in English. I couldn't read the menu or order a meal when I went out to eat by myself.

When I ate out at a restaurant, there happened to be an English speaking person in the kitchen. He taught me about Italian dining. He said, "You should not order a caffe latte at dinner. caffe latte is only a morning drink.

In Italy, espressos are always served from the afternoon. The only people who order caffe latte at dinner time are Americans or tourists." When eating my dinner, butter was not served with the bread. I asked "Can I have butter?”. To which he replied, “Butter should not be served with bread. Butter should be used in the kitchen. Bread should be dipped in olive oil.” I was shocked when a pizza with a very thin crust came out as I was used to pizzas with thick crusts. He said, "A pizza with a thick crust is American pizza. It is not Italian pizza. We don’t call that pizza"

Now Italian dining is popular all over Japan. We are not put off by thin pizza or olive oil. However, everything was a learning experience for me at that time. After having such an experience, I really thought that I would like to learn the Italian language before my next trip to Italy so that I could order a meal in Italian.


●Frivolous goals help people increase their motivation to achieve them...
On New Year’s Day 4 years ago, I made a plan for a trip to Italy in autumn. My destination was Parma. Parma is a town located an hour and a half south of Milan by train. The town of Parma is famous for its food culture with Parma ham and Parmesan cheese ,two well-known products of the region. They say there are many gourmet restaurants. Hidetoshi Nakata is a Japanese soccer player who used to play for Parma F.C., the local soccer team.

I made a resolution to have private Italian lessons, in order to visit Parma in the autumn. Mr. U, a tall, good-looking 28 year old young man, was assigned as my private Italian teacher. He told me that he came to Tokyo one month ago after studying Japanese art in Venice University.

When starting the lessons, I mentioned my goal of learning the Italian language to him. “I am going to Parma for 10 days this autumn. I would like to eat gourmet meals. I would like to enjoy small talk at the restaurant and order food and drink in Italian."

Mr. U confidently replied, “Alright. Leave it to me..." Then he suggested an additional goal to me. That was, “Trying to strike up a conversation with the ladies in the street is considered good manners in Italy. Let's see if you can reach a level where you are able to strike up a conversation with the ladies.” I saw no reason to oppose his suggestion. It would be great to see my Italian rise to such a level.

With this, the lessons with Mr. U started. Lessons lasted 90 minutes starting at 10 am on every Saturday morning. The lesson continued up until just before I left for Parma. If a student has a specific goal, the goal will push him further to improve. And the teacher can find supporting the student to be very rewarding. He also taught me Italian not appearing in the text book.


●Goal achievement levels need to be evaluated
So how was my Italian after taking private lessons for 8 months? I arrived in Milan after transferring from my flight from Japan. From Milan city, I rode the train to Parma. I entered a small cozy Italian restaurant in the town. I ordered a salad, a pizza and a beer, as it was lunch time. Of course, I ordered my meal in Italian. I also managed to hold a small conversation with the people at the restaurant, saying such things as "it’s a fine day today, isn’t it...!"

I boastingly looked over my wife’s face who was sitting to my side as if to say, “I did it! My Italian is the result of 8 months of private lessons. It’s pretty good isn’t it?" My wife opened her mouth and told me, “This pizza costs too much..."

Anyhow, I could achieve one of my goals in the restaurant. It was then that I was awaiting my chance to try and attain my other goal, which was, "To try to strike up a conversation with the ladies in the street." However my wife was constantly sticking to me for fear of getting lost and I lost the opportunity to try my new abilities out. If I had said "Why don't you go shopping for brand goods?” she might gone out by herself. It was a matter of great regret, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20. However even if I could have achieved my other goal, my practical Italian lessons may have ended up being very expensive by way of having a massive credit card bill from my wife’s shopping come later on.

In any event, it is important to have a goal when learning a foreign language.