Languages as an asset: Ignacio Pérez at TEDxBarcelona

Ignacio Perez shares his experience as a translator and interpreter, as well as his personal journey of how he got started in the world of languages​​ and shares his teacher training experiences with Deaf students, in which students communicate using Catalan sign language and English without hearing a word of the language. Based on this example, he argues that languages ​​are an enormous source of wealth that can empower us despite any difficulties in learning.

Well, thank you very much for being here.

My presentation will be
a bit shorter and simple.

But the message that I want
to transmit is really important.

Not only on a professional level
but more importantly on a personal one.

Well, I'll try to be as concise
as possible

so that when you leave this room,

you will have the same idea that I have

about feeling passionate not only about
languages, like I do,

but passionate about doing
what you like the most, all right?

So, to start with, I'd like you to look

at the screen
because I'm going to play a video.

This video is part
of the practical work that I did

for my Masters program in Teacher Training

where I had the chance to carry out
practical sessions in a different way

as well as experiments that somehow
have had such an impact

in my life that I'd like you
to be part of it.

Pay attention the the girl in the video
and listen carefully to what she says.

(Video) My name is Fátima.

I am 15 years old.

I live in Terrassa.

I study English.

Nice to meet you.

Bye-bye.

Well, as you know, this girl
was speaking in English

despite the fact that she is Deaf.

Having said that, the practical work
I did for the Sabadell Institute

included working with Deaf students who,
same as Fátima, hadn't learned

and hadn't had any contact
with the English language before.

So, we began from scratch.

And for me, the most important thing was,
when it comes to learn a language,

if students were focused
on the communicative side of it

and broke the barriers from
their hearing impairment.

As you could see,
she did not speak perfectly,

but isn't it true that you
could understand her?

Well, that's what really matters.

So, if she makes use of English
to communicate, as you could see.

And a little note:
she knows what she's saying,

because she's using
Catalan Sign Language all the time,

which is, let's say, her first language.

So, if she's able to learn a language
that she's not even able to hear,

then we are all able to learn languages.

Is that right? Yes or not?

Well, according to UNESCO,
and despite the fact that there are

6,912 living languages in our planet,

here in our country,

we still struggle
to learn other languages.

(Laughter)

It's true. That's what it is.

Compare this to research done by CIS,
the Center for Social Studies,

which says that 60% of Spain's population

speak only one language,

and that 32% of people
can speak two languages,

and there is a remote 8% of people

who can speak three or more.

A lot, isn't it?

It doesn't seem to be as many people,
but in reality there are lots of us.

But, what does all this mean?

What am I trying to say with this?

That usually people get impatient
when learning a language,

they don't get it, do not know
how to pronounce it, do not care!

This is a matter of time.

My message is, try, again and again,
until you get it.

It doesn't matter if you make mistakes
and can't achieve the level you want yet.

Go with your own pace.

You'll get to the point
where you'll make it.

So, it is also very important to say

that there is a new approach
to language teaching,

based on a case study,

which was published
by the Evaluation Institute

of the Spanish Ministry of Education

where our country took part,
along with other 8 countries.

They then analyzed the level
of English-language learners.

From a certain sample of students, right?

And then, the approach they want
to have now, luckily, is as follows:

Learning English or any other language

is not just about studying.

As teachers, the mission
they have is not to teach a language

but also to teach to those learning

how to communicate.

That means that when you learn
a language you have to put aside

purist aspects from the past,

like if you don't know
the whole list of verbs,

then you do not know anything.

Not that. Most important is that
especially when you learn a language

it is a communicative tool

through which you can
connect with other people.

And that is really important.

Well, you know that here is
a little way ahead.

But I want to send you a message
and I want you to think

it is possible to learn more
than one language.

A foreign language, obviously.

And that can be achieved thanks to
motivation and thanks, especially,

that you are surrounded by an environment
that helps you to motivate

and bring out the best of yourself.

So you have seen that,
in this case, even though Fatima

having a hearing impairment

was able to communicate in English
and represent herself.

And she knows what she is saying.

And when there is written English,
because she has literacy skills,

she can manage to communicate,
write a simple letter.

But it's something.

In other words, do not despair, ever.

You always have to pull forward.

So, by that I mean
we can all achieve our goals.

Even if we don't get it on the first,

or the second, or the third try.
Who cares?

We have to get up and
we must move forward.

Because, sooner or later,
if we follow what we want,

our objectives, we will
end up getting them.

I considered life as a ladder, right?

Imagine then that this ladder
represents life

of each and every one of you.

We started from the bottom.

And we climb a step after
another and after another.

But sometimes the step can be very high.

Or we can fall.
Or we can slide back and forth.

Well, no matter. We must return
to rise and continue to rise.

Because, with effort,
things are accomplished.

So my message is simple.

My message is we always have to move on.

And however much it costs
start at the beginning...

To keep our feet on the ground
at all times is good,

but you have to give way,
you must leave room for hope.

Because hope makes us want
to go for what we want

and hope helps us
also to believe in ourselves.

Well, I have brought two dictionaries,
Okay?

I have a lot of love
for these two dictionaries,

because they are the first ones I bought
when I started studying Japanese.

I started studying Japanese when I was 16
because one day I decided

to go to the Consulate of Japan,
to see what I'd hear.

Just for fun. (Laughter)

At that time, think, because
there was no one studying manga

and when I, for example,
went to the consulate, at age 17

they thought, "this guy is lost."

And then I went there and said:
"I want information about the country."

I got a lot of books,
I read them all during the summer,

and furthermore, there were also
some books where there was

a tiny introduction to Japanese language.

And you know what? I was fascinated.

And then I memorized it all.

To me a language is like
a card game or a board game.

I get informed of how the rules
work and what I do is simply

apply them and play the game.

That's really how I feel
when I speak in another language

other than my mother tongue.

Then when I got the books and I read
everything referring to Japanese

I decided to study
Japanese at a language school.

And, what happened? That's how I could
already read and write on day one.

And then, of course,
the teachers were surprised

and what they did was,
they give me extra exercises.

Because they saw that somehow,

I was a little more advanced
than the rest of the group.

But that happened because I was motivated,

not because I studied
Japanese all the time.

I want you to look at the dictionaries.

I do not know if you see much in them
but they are important!

Why? Because after I used them, poof!
Can you imagine?

In 1995, I started to study Japanese.

I have used them and I love them
because these dictionaries

helped me out of potholes,
of problems and you know what?

I have looked up many words
over 100 times.

Many times I have forgotten
words that I've learned.

But whatever. If I have learned
and I forget, or do not remember,

I consult the dictionary
and come back to learn them.

And this can also be applied in our lives.

This means that, much as you get initially

a sudden urge, something you wish to try,

you go back try and go back and try
again and again,

as I have done looking at dictionaries,
or doing homework

or reading you will come to do it.

So, see, all this I said is fine, right?

Everything is very nice,
but how is it done?

How do we get it?

Well, let's see. It's true
that in Spain we have not

a very favorable situation
to learn languages.

But I have to tell you
that this is changing.

Luckily, now in schools what is being done

is trying to work,
for example with English,

not only teaching English but
also in other subjects.

What is called CLIL,
Content Language Integrated Learning.

That is, learn English
but also learning other subjects

as mathematics, physics,
chemistry, history, simultaneously.

These I've tried during
practicals that I did

and the truth is that it is
an unforgettable experience.

And with deaf children I have noticed
that I have gone a step further

because I really felt very satisfied
to see that these kids,

were inching forward despite
their hearing impairment

and even though they had
no idea what English was

before they came to this school.

So another thing that I want
to mention is that also

the current landscape
is changing here at home.

Previously, we saw only dubbed films
and now, thankfully,

there is an increasing
trend of watching movies

in the original version with subtitles.

This is going well.
In other European countries

they have already done this for some
time, and now us, little by little,

we are getting used to this system also.

Well, obviously, this is
a personal choice.

Moreover, the family,
teachers, friends also

are fundamental elements
that influence your environment.

So it is very important that they
favor your learning,

not only of language
but of something else.

I want to give you an example.

When I was in high school,

I combined it with Japanese.

Because I already told you
I started at 17.

So I loved it.

I was going to Japanese classes,
I was the happiest kid,

although my classmates laughed at me.

Because, of course, what is Nacho doing,
the weird guy, studying Japanese?

At that time, there was
hardly any Manga or anything.

Sure, they thought they would study
German or English, etc.

Then, one day my tutor called my parents

and said that she wanted
to have an interview with them.

Then, when my mother showed up,
she explained that she did not understand

why I was taking notes in Spanish,
Catalan and Japanese.

(Laughter)

She did not understand.

And I was there, so happy, taking notes.

Because, see, why would I want to write
" in-dus-tri-al re-vo-lu-tion"

when I could use
just two or three characters?

Duh?

(Laughter)

(Applause)

All my mother said was:

- Let's see, my son does his homework?
- Yes.

- My son goes to school and attends?
- Yes.

"So why do you care
how he writes or take notes

if the result is the same?"

It is true, right?

Then, later, since I did not like
secondary studies,

I simply devoted myself
to study languages.

But then, there came a point where
yes I had studied languages,

everything about them,
but something was missing.

So, at age 25, not so long ago,

I got into university because
I had never been to university.

And then I discovered, of course,
I could mix, match languages

I learned more languages;

not only languages but techniques
and interpretive strategies,

well that was a spectacular combination.

I always left classes
with my eyes like this.

Because, of course,
there were things I didn't know.

And I could reinforce
all the knowledge I had obtained

studying languages
and developing them through my career.

So, with that I want to say
although the environment

isn't the best, and is maybe even
detrimental, do not despair.

Seek your talents and above all,
never surrender.

And, especially, is never too late
to realize your dreams.

Perseverance has been always a key
to achieve anything I've dreamed of.

And in this case, one of my dreams
was to help people understand

and remove any barriers in communication.

Consequently I have had the opportunity
to live very rewarding experiences

not only professionally but personally.

For example, the fact that I am here
with all of you,

sharing my experiences.

Therefore, I want to say
thank you very much.

(Applause)