Drunken Foreign Languages
July 11th, 2009
People will always say things like, “My Spanish is better when I’m drunk,” or, “My Chinese is better when I’m drunk.” And how? I thought it was a load of bullshit. But then I thought more. I believe it now. When a person is drunk they gain that drunken confidence. You can see it in bars – drunk people in general lose inhibitions and become more likely to take risks – to make an ass of themselves. And why not with foreign language as well? Doesn’t the idea that we may look like an idiot trying to speak a language that is not our mother tongue hold us back from even trying sometimes? Isn’t it easier to default to English if possible – or to avoid using the foreign language all together? But when we are drunk we gain that (ridiculous!) confidence that typically backfires on us. We end up with a twisted ankle or shot down by some hot girl or guy. But when it comes to language… what’s the worst that can happen? Okay, maybe we proposition someone with an offer we didn’t intend. Oh well. My point is – I believe it now. When drunk, my Spanish just may be better. I’m less likely to care if I look like an ass – and more likely to try.
One Response to “Drunken Foreign Languages”
1David
August 31st, 2009 @ 1:19 am
I’ve heard this too. I think your analysis is true.
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