Learning to read in a foreign language has taught me to embrace ambiguity – one sentence at a time | Patrick Lum
In striving to understand Japanese books and comics, I’ve adopted the habits of a weightlifter: I find my comfort zone then push beyond itMind your language: how learning French helped me remove the condom from the wineI’d been learning Japanese on and off for years when, on New Year’s Day 2022, I realised I could still barely master the sushi bar menu. Three years on I’m now reading my ninth book, having finished a few hundred comics and a video game – all in Japanese.I’m still amazed at my achievement. My biggest breakthrough? Learning to embrace ambiguity and finding comfort in incomplete understanding. Continue reading...
In striving to understand Japanese books and comics, I’ve adopted the habits of a weightlifter: I find my comfort zone then push beyond it
I’d been learning Japanese on and off for years when, on New Year’s Day 2022, I realised I could still barely master the sushi bar menu. Three years on I’m now reading my ninth book, having finished a few hundred comics and a video game – all in Japanese.
I’m still amazed at my achievement. My biggest breakthrough? Learning to embrace ambiguity and finding comfort in incomplete understanding. Continue reading...