Lindie Botes -Holistic language learning through cultural immersion and culture shock

Full title: Holistic language learning through cultural immersion and culture shock: stories from a Third Culture Kid

Having lived in six countries and having studied around 10 languages, I find it difficult to pinpoint an identity for myself when my passport country doesn’t encapsulate how I feel inside. As a Third Culture Kid, I’ve learnt that the languages and cultures I encounter each contribute to forming a unique identity. I’ve also learnt that language learning is much more than just sitting in a class and learning vocabulary – it’s learning a new culture and a different way of thinking. How then can we best approach learning a language if we’re not in the country? Or if we’ve lived in so many, what do we do when we’re confused or lost?

In this talk, I’ll go through the timeline of countries I’ve lived in and the list of languages I’ve learnt, with a specific focus on Asian languages and their unique cultures. I’ll focus on how important cultural immersion and sensitivity is in learning a new language. One can sit in a classroom with a textbook and a teacher for years but never learn a language to fluency, or still appear like a foreigner despite one’s level of fluency. I’ll also help attendees understand that you don’t need to travel to a country to learn its culture as there are excellent platforms, language exchange portals and ways to bring the culture to your doorstep to assist in your fluency.

You can expect stories about culture shock, the ups and downs of language YouTube, and embarrassing linguistic and cultural moments ranging from almost being sold off for camels in the UAE to possibly compromising my future through an awkward video of mine that went viral in Korea.

LindieBotes.com"

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Filming & Editing: Simos Batzakis