know　what　not　to　say　and　be　able　to　exercise　caution　when　using　words　dangerously
  similar　to　the　no…no　words。
  It’s　a　good　idea　to　follow　Maimonides　on　this　one：　“What　is　lofty　may　be　said　in
  any　language。　What　is　mean　should　be　said　in　none。”
  Your　Second　Foreign　Language；　Your　Third；　and　So　On
  It’s　said　that　once　you　master　one　foreign　language；　all　others　come　much　more　easily。
  That’s　not　a　myth。　Your　first　foreign　language；　in　a　major　way；　is　the　first　olive　dislodged
  from　the　bottle。　The　rest　flow　obligingly　forth。
  Moreover；　your　second　foreign　language　need　have　no　connection　to　your　first。
  Chinese　will　be　easier　if　you’ve　first　mastered　Italian。　Greek　will　be　easier　if　you’ve
  mastered　Japanese。　You　pick　up　the　principles　of　how　language　works　with　your　first
  conquest。　I　once　asked　a　man　who　commanded　easily　a　dozen　languages　how　he　did　it。
  “I　started　out　studying　languages　when　I　was　young；”　he　said；　“and　I　was　just　too
  lazy　to　quit！
  He　was　kidding；　of　course；　but　a　lot　of　true　words　are　spoken　through
  exaggerations。
  The　Right　Word
  Don’t　settle　for　being　merely　understood。　Some　of　the　least　intelligent　and　most
  unspectacular　people　on　earth　can　be　understood　in　languages　other　than　their　own。　Keep
  pressing　forward　toward　perfection。　“He　think　he’s　a　big　shot”　gets　the　notion　across；　but
  that　shouldn’t　satisfy　the　learner　of　English　searching　for　the　word　“megalomaniac”。
  It’s　a　marvellous　feeling　of　unfolding　and　growth　when　you　learn　more　and　more
  words　that　take　you　closer　and　closer　to　the　bull’s　eye　of　what　you　want　to　express。
  Saying　It　Right
  One　of　the　most　maddening　things　about　language　learning　–　you’ll　encounter　it　time　and
  time　again　–　is　having　the　face　of　the　native　you’re　speaking　with　suddenly　go　blank。
  You’ve　used　a　word　he　doesn’t　understand。　He　asks　you　to　repeat　it。　You　do。　He　still
  doesn’t　understand。　You　repeat　it　again。　Slower。　Louder。　Finally；　in　frustration；
  desperation；　and　humiliation；　you　write　the　word　down　or　show　it　to　him　in　your　book。
  Then　he　gets　it。　“Ahh；”　the　native　speaker　says；　the　black　night　of　your　spoken　error
  suddenly　pierced　by　the　flashbulb　of　print。　And　then　–　here’s　the　payoff　–　he　proceeds　to
  repeat　exactly　what　you’ve　been　saying　to　him　a　dozen　or　so　times　without　his
  comprehending！
  That　syndrome　is　particularly　prevalent　in　Chinese；　though　you　risk　it　in　every
  language。　Be　a　sport。　Eat　crow。　And　even　though　you’re　far　from　the　mood　at　that
  moment；　try　to　catch　something　in　what　he　says　that’s　at　least　slightly　different　from　what
  you’ve　been　saying。　If　the　next　native　speaker　understands　your　revised　pronunciation
  without　an　argument；　then　that　crow　you　were　forced　to　eat　will　retroactively　taste　like
  pheasant！
  Every　language　student　has　good　days　and　bad　days　with　the　language　for　no
  apparent　reason。　On　bad　days　you　can’t　seem　to　unleash　a　simple　greeting　without
  monumental　phumphering。　On　good　days　you　actually　feel　supernaturally　propelled。　A
  rising　tide　lifts　all　boats。　Keep　working。　The　bad　days　as　well　as　the　good　days　will　both
  be　better。
  To　Speak　or　Not　to　Speak
  Be　neither　too　boorish　nor　too　reticent　with　your　new　knowledge。　Don’t　go　barrelling　in
  with　scant　command　of　a　language　if　doing　so　causes　ungainly　delays　in　a　busy
  restaurant。　Neither　should　you　let　shyness　deny　you　a　good　opportunity　to　send　a　few
  volleys　of　conversation　across　the　net。
  Don’t　be　like　the　beginner　who　took　his　party　into　a　French　restaurant　in　New　York
  and　insisted　on　trying　to　order　for　everybody　in　French。　The　waiter；　himself　French；
  quickly　abandoning　any　hope　of　understanding　the　poor　wretch；　pulled　a　diplomatic　coup
  worthy　of　a　medal　and　a　kiss　on　both　cheeks。
  “I’m　sorry；”　he　said；　with　an　accent　French　enough　to　draw　the　truffles　up　out　of　the
  underbrush　of　Alsace；　“I　don’t　speak　French。”
  “You　don’t　speak　French！”　thundered　the　hapless　showoff。
  “Non；　monsieur；”　said　the　waiter。
  “Well；　then；”　said　he；　“send　me　somebody　who　does！”
  Speaking　of　Peace
  Does　knowledge　of　other　languages　lead　to　peace？　One　witness　says　“No。　Knowing　the
  other　guy’s　language　merely　enables　you　to　get　into　more　arguments　of　greater　depth　and
  intensity。”　Another　witness　says；　“Of　course；　language　knowledge　breeds　peace。　How
  could　I　pull　a　trigger　and　shoot　a　man　when　what　I　really　want　is　a　chance　to　sit　down
  with　him　and　learn　his　irregular　verbs？”　Put　me　solidly　in　the　latter　category。　It’s
  impossible　to　learn　a　language　and　not　learn　a　great　deal　about　the　country　and　its　people；
  and　usually　those　who　learn　about　a　country　and　its　people　develop　a　certain　empathy　and
  advocacy　for　that　nation。
  When　Serb　fights　Croat　in　Yugoslavia；　I　don’t　ignore　it。　Neither　do　I　choose　sides。
  They　were　both　so　helpful　to　me　when　I　was　learning　Serbo…Croatian。　I　want　them　all　to
  work　together　and　get　along。
  A　little　knowledge　of　a　language；　then　of　a　people；　can　convert　even　a　rabid　partisan
  into　a　one　man　peace　movement！
  Keep　Learning
  Stay　with　it。　Keep　pressing　ahead　with　all　of　the　tools　in　all　of　the　ways　suggested；　plus
  whatever　other　ways　you　discover　en　route　that　seem　to　work　for　you。　Keep　pursuing
  opportunities　to　use　what　you　learn；　not　just　in　exercises　and　self　simulation；　but　in
  genuine；　real　life　conversation；　reading；　writing　and　comprehension。
  When　will　you　“arrive”？　When　will　you　no　longer　“be　studying”　but　“have　learned”
  the　language？
  Never！　At　least；　pretend　never。　Your　linguistic　infancy　will　lead　to　babyhood；
  childhood；　adolescence；　young　adulthood；　and　so　on。　Your　fragments　of　knowledge　will
  lead　to　competence。　Your　competence　will　lead　to　fluency。　Your　fluency　will　intensify　to
  higher　and　higher　levels　of　fluency。
  The　best　attitude；　however；　is　that　your　attempt　to　master　the　foreign　language
  should　remain　perpetually　unfinished　business。
  You’ll　succeed　if　you　make　sure　you　never　go　to　bed　knowing　no　more　of　your
  target　language　that　you　did　when　you　woke　up！
  P　A　R　T　T　H　R　E　E
  Appendices
  The　Language　Club
  In　1984　some　of　us　language　lovers　decided　that；　although　there　were　plenty　of　places　in
  New　York　to　learn　foreign　languages；　there　were　no　places　to　go　to　practice　foreign
  languages。
  Sure；　you　can　let　fly　a　greeting　in　Italian　and　a　request　for　red　pepper　at　the　pizzaria
  and　practice　similar　performances　at　even　the　busiest　French　restaurant；　but　there　was　no
  place　to　sit　down；　have　a　glass　of　wine；　open　books；　converse　with　others；　and　consult
  with　native　speakers　for　two　or　three　hours　at　a　time。
  So　we　started　the　Language　Club　with　“practice　parties”　every　Monday　night　at　La
  Maganette；　a　restaurant　in　Manhattan　at　the　corner　of　Third　Avenue　and　Fiftieth　Street。
  That　remains　our　“mother　club；”　though　we’ve　extended　our　practice　parties　to　other
  evenings　and　other　restaurants　–　even　a　Sunday　brunch　at　Victor’s　on　Columbus　Avenue
  at　Seventy…first　Street。
  Our　mission　is　to　enable　men　and　women　to　practice　conversation　in　other
  languages　in　a　pleasant；　non…threatening　atmosphere　at　fine　restaurants　at　a　minimum
  price。　The　restaurants　understand　the　uniqueness　of　the　Language　Club　and　enjoy
  catering　to　such　a　high　minded　endeavour。
  The　questions　callers　most　frequently　ask　about　the　Language　Club　are　“What　night
  is　French？”　and　“What’s　your　age　group？”
  We　explain　that　every　night　is　French　night　–　all　languages　are　welcome　at　all
  practice　parties。　When　you　enter　you　go　to　the　French　table；　the　Italian　table；　the　Spanish
  table；　the　German　table；　the　Russian　table；　etc。　Many　visitors　grasshopper　from　table　to
  table；　practicing　three；　four；　or　more　different　languages　at　the　same　practice　party。
  When　they　ask　about　age　group；　we　immediately　understand　that　their　agenda　is
  broader　than　mere　language　practice！　We　first　explain　we’re　a　language　club；　not　a
  “social”　club　or　a　“singles”　club。　We　emphasise　that　age　is　irrelevant；　since　someone　five
  years　old　can　provide　good　language　practice　for　someone　ninety…five　years　old。
  Having　made　that　point；　we　then　relent　a　bit　and　explain　that　indeed　many　of　our
  members　are　single；　and　if　two　single　language　lovers　should　enter　our　practice　party
  separately　and　leave　together；　we　don’t　blow　a　whistle　and　pull　a　citizen’s　arrest。　In　fact；
  we　have　several　“language　marriages”　to　our　credit　and　at　least　one　confirmed　birth！
  All　we　ask　is　your　sincere　interest　in　language　practice。　All　your　other　interests　will
  be　tolerated　provided　they　do　not　result　in　any　infringement　of　the　law！
  All　those　wishing　more　information　about　the　Language　Club　may　write：
  The　Language　Club
  P。O。　Box　121
  New　York；　NY　10108
  Our　telephone　number　is　（212）　787…2110。