Everyone knows you can learn a foreign language at a school with a qualified native speaking teacher, and most people also know that you can learn a language at home with an appropriate language course. Some people, however, manage to learn a new language through the strangest of places: be it a fortuitous meeting with a friendly native speaker, or simply a friendly gathering with a range of language speakers. If you want to learn a language you must be ready, and willing, to grab the opportunity when it arises.
My case in point comes from a letter to the global online football game ‘Hattrick’ of which I too am a member and a regular participant. I was surprised to see this letter in truth, because although I knew Hattrick had a huge multilingual player base, I had never viewed it as a possible forum for learning a language before. The letter was as much a surprise to me as I hope it will be for others.
The letter was written by Volkl and posted to express his delight at how using the Hattrick forum changed his life. Volkl, unlike most people, took the bull by the proverbial horns and used his multinational forum brethren to request a native Spanish speaker to teach him the language. He got a reply, and after a tentative and uncomfortable beginning through chat, developed a burgeoning friendship and learning format with his new Argentinian penpal.
Volkl closes by explaining that he has already been to visit his new friend in Argentina, and is now looking to move there to find work and put his Spanish skills to the ultimate test.
Although I am sure that most language learners aren’t looking to up-sticks and move to a new country, this letter still proves that the learning of a foreign language can be found often in the most surprising places. If you are willing to take the chance when it comes.
The full letter from Volkl to Hattrick can be found here
