We are born into the world, shaped by light and wavelength.
Energy makes us matter and spirit.
Like a water lily resting in a grove, we hear and sense flow. The stream of words from Mom and Dad. Singing voice, resonating voice. Speech: a current that carries us towards expression and consciousness.
As terrestrial creatures, we are called to step into the river of living language, source of life and meaning. And to let ourselves be carried away. Such is our destiny.
Young babes, our dear parents carry us to the water, which we touch without being able to grasp it. We try to gather water, which escapes from our hands. Then, body immersed in water, we hold our breath to plunge our head in. The world of muffled sounds suddenly surrounds us. These are words!
Later, we let ourselves float. We babble. We learn that we must let the current flow. Then, negotiate with the flow and the backwash to swim in it… in phrasing, interjection, song, mumblings.
Perchance buffered by the current of speech, we cannot find our words!
Then comes school. There we learn to build a first handcrafted raft. Then a simple boat. Later, a canoe to go faster! Finally, we raise the sail of a brave little vessel, to navigate on the lake of youth towards the cape of adult life, where numerous languages converge and diverge.
But there comes a day… when we seek to probe the depths of the flow of words, to better grasp form. Why does the river flow in this direction? Why does it gather here? And where does it meander?
What carries the current, and gives it the shape of a stream, a river, or a lake? And where is its source?
Thus, setting foot at the bottom of the flow of speech, we discover “dead” languages — once spoken by entire peoples, but which have sedimented over the long time to form the old seabed.
Rock, sand, pebble, silt: this rugged terrain in “fossilized” languages carries all the currents of all living languages.
As such, anyone attuned to the meaning of living languages will set foot, sooner or later, in what stabilizes them and allows the flow of living speech to flow, or to rest: the sandy soil of ancient languages.
Manifesto for a Holistic Approach to Language Learning
Preamble
Modern languages are not arbitrary constructions floating in a void. They are carried by the millennial bed of ancient languages which, like geological formations, have shaped their course and continue to influence their movements.
Our Vision
Authentic learning of a modern language cannot be limited to the surface of waters. It must dive into the depths where the linguistic sediments that shaped it rest. This holistic approach recognizes that each modern language is the heir to a long evolution, carrying within it the traces of multiple historical, cultural, and linguistic confluences.
Fundamental Principles
- Progressive Immersion Mastering a language begins with natural linguistic immersion, just as a child first learns to float before swimming. But to truly understand the current, one must also explore its bed.
- Etymological Awareness Ancient languages are not dead; they are the fertile substrate that nourishes our modern expressions. Knowledge of Latin, Ancient Greek, or other source languages allows us to understand the deep logic of the words we use.
- Organic Learning Like a river that branches into multiple streams, language learning must take various paths: oral and written, grammar and literature, popular and scholarly culture.
Practical Applications
- In School Teaching Integrate etymology and language history modules into modern language courses.
- In Self-Learning Encourage exploration of linguistic roots alongside active practice.
- In Cultural Immersion Understand that a language is not just a communication tool, but the reflection of a millennial history.
Methodology
- Favor an approach that constantly links present to past
- Cultivate etymological curiosity
- Develop awareness of connections between languages
- Encourage metalinguistic reflection
- Value understanding of the language’s deep mechanisms
For a New Pedagogy
Modern language teaching must transcend the simple acquisition of communicative skills. It must allow learners to:
- Perceive the deep structures underlying the language
- Understand the historical logic that shaped its evolution
- Grasp the connections between different language families
- Develop sensitivity to etymological nuances
Conclusion
Learning a modern language without awareness of its ancient roots is like navigating a river without knowing its bed. To truly master a language, one must not only know how to navigate it but also understand what guides its course.
“Like the river that finds its way thanks to the ancient bed that carries it, living speech flows, guided by the millennial foundation of the languages that preceded it.”
