http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/11/learning-a-foreign-language-is-like-learning-a-sport/264387/
Ta-nehisi Coates describes the process of learning a sport, an instrument or a new language, and claims that all of these involve a similar theatricality of the body as well as the will to attain the "pleasure that comes from becoming good at something." He starts his article with his opinion on "physical education," that everyone should be encouraged to continue being physically active--whether they are talented or not. He connects this idea with his study of French. Even if one struggles with the difficulty of learning something new, he says, everyone can excel by practice, and "no one has the right to be naturally food at anything." He uses the example of his experience with the djembe as a child to explain that there is great pleasure in becoming "Merely OK" from "Utter Suckage." He asserts that natural talent or "aptitude" doesn't mean much; it is about working toward accomplishing that "Merely OK." Coates continues the connection between sports and learning a new language by describing the "new mouth" necessary to speak the new pronunciations, which is a physical act requiring "reps" for the tongue.
His audience has an understanding of the significance of "Shakespeare" or some experience in learning a new sport or an instrument or a new language. Coates's purpose of this article is to encourage his readers to continue learning new things and to work hard toward it even if they do not seem to be talented in it. He implies that natural talent or "aptitude" does not mean anything if one does not work hard, because no one is born with a perfect ability to do something. Coates argues that it's "true that everyone can't be a great literary critic or playwright," but "that s no excuse to not read Shakespeare." Likewise, he implies that he will continue working hard to being able to speak good French, even if it "could easily take ten" years instead of five.
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