According to Naomi O’Leary, Europe correspondent for the Irish Times, Ireland is trapped inside an “Anglophone bubble”, meaning that our limited linguistic abilities as a nation hinder our connections with wider Europe. Following Britain’s exit from the European Union, Ireland remains the only member state with English as its primary language. O’Leary has asserted that, as a small nation, we can no longer rely solely on the English language if we aim to develop closer relations with our European colleagues and bargain our interests in Brussels.
Alongside this, an abundance of research has shown that learning a second language provides many cognitive benefits. These include improved memory, enhanced concentration, ability to multitask and skills in problem solving and critical thinking. Learning a language can also offer a fun alternative to spending our free time scrolling online. While social media accustoms the brain to instant gratification and shortens our attention spans, language learning can have quite the opposite effect. But, if immersion is the most efficient way to acquire a new language, how should one go about learning at a time when international travel isn’t an option?
Luckily, some of the best opportunities to learn a foreign language are available throughout our university years, no matter the course we study. Here in Trinity there is a plethora of language societies on campus (and now online). So, why not get involved and virtually immerse yourself in a foreign culture?
On your breaks from dreaming about the next possible flight you can catch (because you’re also doing that instead of studying, right?), how about developing new language skills to impress the locals in your next post-pandemic destination?
In conversation with The University Times, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Germanic Society Rory Collins explains that he has been a member of the society ever since he was a fresher. Collins says that “anybody is welcome, no matter their level of German”. Members of the Germanic Soc can expect Zoom Pub Nights with some of the staff from Trinity’s Department of Germanic Studies, intervarsity collaborations and an opportunity to learn the language in a “relaxed, pressure-free” atmosphere.
Societies are a “less intense” and “more enjoyable” way to learn a language than taking a language elective, according to Lucy Cross, public relations officer of the Hispanic Society. “We host quizzes, tea and coffee mornings, sangria nights, flamenco classes, and other events to make language learning enjoyable – you don’t get that with electives”.
She further emphasises that, with the society, you will learn a lot more “informal and random words and topics that you wouldn’t be taught in elective classes”. On top of this array of perks, there’s no pressure to pass an exam!
If you’re envisioning pizza, pasta, and the rolling vineyards of Tuscany, drop by one of Trinity’s Italian Society’s Zoom coffee mornings, “Caffè e Chiacchierata”. Grab an espresso (or a Spritz – no judgement) and have a casual chit-chat with other italophiles.
Transport yourself to Asia with Trinity Korean Society, who share a daily “Korean word of the day” on their Instagram account. The society presents the words both in their original Korean characters, along with the English translation and the phonetics in the Roman alphabet.
If you can’t wait to catch a flight to Paris and get your hands on an authentic pain au chocolat, why not get involved with the Trinity French Society? They host a bi-weekly “French Book Club” on Zoom.
They also offer conversational classes for beginners and intermediate speakers respectively. The first two of these classes are free, after which they cost €5 pr €6 per class. If you’re interested, keep an eye on their instagram account @frenchsoc, as places fill up quickly.
Trinity’s language societies have worked hard to keep events fun and engaging during these difficult times, and continue to offer students ideal opportunities to improve their foreign languages from the comfort of their own home. If your travel plans had been put on the backburner, joining a language society may be the way to somewhat satisfy your wanderlust and prepare for when travel is available to us again. It won’t be long!
