Last April in Lyon we shared a taxi with one of our French-speaking colleagues. During the 30 minute drive to the airport, he and the taxi driver enjoyed an animated conversation. I was happy that I could pick out bits and pieces of what they were saying, even though the dialogue was very fast. However, one phrase that my friend used several times was unfamiliar to me. I asked him about it when we arrived at the airport: "Mike, what does 'toot-ah-fay' mean?" He wrote it out for me: Tout à fait. He explained that it was one of those idiomatic phrases that's hard to translate directly. It meant something like: "that's right" or, "exactly." If you look at the words literally, tout means all, à is a preposition that has several meanings like at, to, or by, and fait can mean fact. But putting them together gives the connotation that all the facts are in agreement -- in other words, "exactly!"
This is an example of why learning a new language both fascinates me, and challenges me at the same time. Words are not static. They can change meanings depending on the situation, the culture, and the audience. Old words become outdated, and new words take their place. Words and phrases have connotations and hidden meanings that are constantly in flux. An example is the word "garçon." It used to be perfectly acceptable to call a waiter "garçon," which means "boy." But now if you were to use that word in a restaurant to summon the server, it would be very offensive!
In January, my family and I attended a two week language acquisition course as part of our training for ReachGlobal. This school didn't teach us a word of French; rather it taught us how to effectively learn any language. One thing I took away from that course was that language learning is about much more than just words and translations. Language, they said, cannot be separated from culture. To learn a language well, you also understand the context and worldviews in which it is spoken.
The main purpose of language, of course, is to communicate well. I've found that approaching language acquisition with humility and with the heart of a learner speaks volumes to the native people of a country. Trying to understand the local colloquialisms and idioms tells the people that you really want to understand them -- to move into their world. My greatest desire in learning French is so that I can become more personally and intimately connected with the people, the place, and the culture of Lyon -- so that I can understand, appreciate, and love it well. Tout à fait!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI have to 'embarrassingly' admit that although Iv been living in France for almost 5 years, I still, until now, didn't know what THAT meant! So thanks for clearing that up.
That must have been a very interesting ride. The driver must have been French, too. Hahaha! I do agree with you that learning a new language also involves learning a new culture. Language and culture have always gone hand in hand because the separation of people by a common language has facilitated the formation of a distinct culture.
ReplyDeleteSabra Divis @ Downtown Yellow Taxi in Saint Petersburg