Every language has its secret beauties. Yes. So we have to preserve all the languages in the world, that’s for sure. But still I think we need one universal language so that everyone can be united, more harmonious, and the world will have peace quicker.
Even English is very simple already; it takes long years to understand all these nuances. So, how would we be able to understand each other if we wait until we are big and then start to learn another language? It’s possible, but you cannot learn all! So it would be better if all the countries get together and vote for one language. Not just the EU, but then the EU will start it from here and everybody joins in, just learn one language. Every country should learn that language, and then apart from the native language, and we preserve all the cultures. We don’t diminish anything; we just understand each other more. We appreciate each other more if we know what it is all about. If we don’t know, how would we respect? How would we love, how would we connect with that native race of people if we don’t understand anything about them? It just takes so long to understand each other. So if we have just one language, then we can translate all the good things of any language into English, and in any public library we have all the available information about all the possible countries, and then we can understand each other more. It’s so easy!
When I look at the television, for example, I don’t understand Arabic, I don’t understand Persian or anything, but because there’s so much talk about the Arabian world and about Iranians. So I flick the channel onto Iranian channels or Arabian channels, although I don’t understand anything, their language, their culture, their body movement, is so beautiful to me and I love it! When they sing, they enjoy, and they merge themselves in the songs, in the lyrics, in the emotion of expression of that music, just like you do in French, or in English, or in Polish, or in German. And you can just understand from soul to soul; you don’t need to even understand their language. I see them dancing on the television, I see them singing and making drama. They are all just the same like any of us! And some songs are so lively, so happy; it depicts the nature of their inner beauty. Even though I don’t understand, I can see that they are beautiful inside. So I watched it again, again and again. Just to connect with them inside. And if you really understand them, if you really know what they’re singing, and feel what they feel, we’re all human, the same like everybody. There’s no difference at all.
We come back to language again. In Âu Lạc (Vietnam) we say, “If you don’t have fire, how do you have smoke?” And in English they say, “It takes two to tango.” You see, both express the same thing. But if you don’t understand the Aulacese (Vietnamese), you say, “What? Of course we know there is fire, then there is smoke. Why are you saying such nonsense? Waste my time!” And the Aulacese (Vietnamese) will say to the English, “Yes, I know it takes two to tango. Need you tell me this idiot stuff? I am not five years old!” For example, you see? Language is beautiful. All languages are beautiful. Because we all have our little secret talk like that.
You remember the film called... Oh, I forgot what’s the name of it. There was a film with Steve Martin and Queen Latifah. She’s a black woman. She came from prison, but she was innocent. What’s the name of that film? “Bringing Down the House.” Yes! Yes! She’s a black American. And when the black people... It’s supposed to be in the film, when somebody loves somebody, he says, “The cool point is out of the window. I am all twisted in the game.” Remember? (Yes.) And a man told her that. And she said, “That’s the most beautiful thing anybody ever told me!” Anybody understand how beautiful about it? No. Does it sound beautiful to you? No. But it is beautiful to that race of people, to that group of people. If it’s true that some African Americans speak like that, then it’s beautiful for them. So, if she can express it to you later, translate to you in English, then you know, “Ah! That means beautiful.” Next time you see her, you say, “I’m all twisted in the game!” And then she’ll be very happy! You understand now? Every language has its secret beauties. Yes. So we have to preserve all the languages in the world, that’s for sure. But still I think we need one universal language so that everyone can be united, more harmonious, and the world will have peace quicker.
Suppose a guy is very excited and already very angry, and very provoked, and you don’t even speak his language. How can you calm him? You might try to speak in English or your own language but it might mean something terrible to him. The sound, it might sound something bad! Then it might even get worse! For example, I told you the joke already. A French guy just came in for his usual café and do drink his coffee. And then there came in an American, from New York, ordered a café [coffee]. That’s all he knew, café, s’il vous plaît. [coffee, please.] Just like us, when we go to Spain, we say something in Spanish, simple, like “Taco, please!” For example like that, and people think we speak Spanish, but we don’t. So the Frenchman thought he was another Frenchman. So the American wanted to drink his coffee. But the Frenchman saw an ant in his coffee so he said, “No, no, no! Fourmi! Fourmi!” Means, an ant! Ant! Don’t drink it! Ant! “Fourmi!” You know the joke. He just said, “No! No! Fourmi! Fourmi!” The American said, “For you? This is for me!” And the Frenchman still didn’t give up. He said, “No, no! Fourmi! Fourmi!” And the guy stood up and said, “This is for you! Leave my coffee alone!” So he drank his coffee while the French guy ran away, so scared, swollen face. Still saying, “Fourmi! Fourmi! Fourmi! Ah! Ouch!” After he drank the coffee the other French guy who understood that he was American, went and showed him that there was an ant still lingering in the bottom of the coffee after he drank. The ant clung to the bottom and was still there. So he said, “Fourmi means ant. He warned you not to drink it because there’s an ant in your coffee cup. Do you understand now?” Oh, the American felt so bad, so bad. So he felt so bad, so bad. He went home, he could not sleep. Early next morning he went back to that coffee shop again, waiting, hoping the Frenchman would come back. And he would apologize to him and then maybe invite him for a coffee to be friends. He waited and waited and, of course, the French guy came. And the Frenchman came and when he saw the American, he was very scared. Already, he’s scared. He wanted to go out of the door. He’s walking backward out of the door. The American said, “No, come here, come here!” And the Frenchman heard it like “comme hier,” means “like yesterday.” “Comme hier,” means “just like yesterday,” so the Frenchman ran even faster. And the American ran behind him and kept saying, “No! Come here! Come here!” And the Frenchman ran faster and said, “No, no! No comme hier! No comme hier!” “No comme hier! Please! No comme hier! No!” Do you understand my point?
It’s very difficult to master a language if you do not learn it from childhood. Well, so maybe it is better, it is time, at least if nobody else listens, we can learn one language. And I suggest English. But if you don’t like it, you could learn French or Spanish or Chinese. Of course, the more the better if you have time. But English to start with because it’s more simple and more people speak it. Is that right? Am I right? (Yes.) OK. Then we do that.
Miracles do happen, but except miracles, everywhere in the world you can find some people who know English and who can help you right away. Language is very important. How often do you go outside in another foreign land, and even though you just speak a few broken words in their language, they’re so happy. No? But it’s a pity that we don’t have enough time in our life to learn all the languages, which are all very beautiful; very, very amazing! So at least we learn English, so if we get into trouble we can always find someone. Even a taxi driver speaks English. A coffee shop owner speaks English. A waiter speaks English. From then you can get help; you can understand each other already, to begin with. Anywhere you can find someone who speaks English. At least you can help yourself. That’s my humble advice. If you’re stranded in a country and you don’t know where you are, and where you’re going, and you’re hungry, and you need some food and all that, and if you don’t speak that language, what to do? At least there would be, English. And always somebody, somewhere would speak English. That’s my experience. How about yours? It’s the same? (Yes.)
All right, then I guess we can start getting our kids learning English. Maybe privately, it’s better than nothing. You can get a private teacher or an initiate who needs some extra money to teach them some basic English. If the school doesn’t teach English, or they’re too young to be taught English in your school. Because sometimes they don’t start teaching a foreign language until they’re in high school. It’s too late then. It’s just that in my travel experience, it helps me a lot, to clear misunderstandings, to find the destination, to find the necessities. Or maybe you can organize like one English teacher for the whole Malaga Center or Madrid Center, for your kids or for yourself. Learn as much as you can with the teacher, and later you buy disks, tape. You can listen when you sleep. You can listen all day with music or just for a while, and then you’ll get the hang of it.
Nowadays there are fast ways to learn English as well, as I heard. They have different ways to learn very quickly a language. Not just English, any language. Of course, don’t ask me for maybe a tape from any tribe in Africa; maybe they don’t have it. Or maybe some remote local language of Âu Lạc (Vietnam) in the mountains. I don’t know if they have it. But to find some popular languages, like English or French, German, Italian or Spanish, or Portuguese, I don’t think it’s very difficult. If possible, demand for the quick learning method. We are the immediate enlightenment people. We want anything quick. After you learn the basics, you can continue trying to read newspapers, or read my lectures if you don’t like newspapers. Because in our magazine also in English, we have also news from around the world, or you can listen to our programs in English, and the more you listen the more you’ll understand. The more you read the more you’ll understand.
You are lucky because I also speak in English, and my English is very simple. So that even foreigners can understand, if you know the basic English. Whatever words you don’t understand in any article, you highlight it, go home and look in the dictionary or look in the computer. And that’s how you learn. There is so much about language. And now, because we’re always interacting with each other, there’s always English people, so you try to talk to them, him, her, whatever. First, in broken English, but then that’s how you correct yourself. I said English because, in many countries, people do learn English, because it’s easier to find an English interpreter, or somebody who speaks English than to find a German speaker, or a French speaker or Portuguese, in my travel experience. In any country, it’s easier to find an English-speaking person of that native language. Is that not right? (Yes.) How about your opinion? It’s the same experience? (Yes.) Yes, it’s easier, right? But if you want to find a German speaker, oh, I don’t know. French, I really don’t know. Sometimes if I got lost, sometimes I looked at the person, I asked, “Do you speak German?” No. “Do you speak French?” No. “You speak Chinese?” No. “Do you speak Aulacese (Vietnamese)?” No. “You speak English?” Yes! Yes! Right? (Yes.) So you know that already. So, since we already have a very convenient, easy to learn and popular language, then why don’t we just learn that? Not because we prefer the English people, it’s just their language is OK, and we use it for our convenience. And then if you learn English you will find that the English people are very fine also, very good people. Easy to be friends with. They’re open. Easy. You see? Just like their language.
