In the first column I wrote for the Hawaii Tribune-Herald I misused the word “kama‘aina.” I quickly learned that there are haole ways of using some Hawaiian words and the authentic Hawaiian ways of understanding those words. That lesson sticks with me. Language is a complex thing; it can provide a pathway to understanding, but it can also harm when used with bad intentions. It allows us a window into culture, however, and it empowers those who understand it and know it well.
We often use the term “lost in translation” to refer to ideas and words that are not understood consistently. But just as there are differences among people, there are differences in the way we understand language. This difference appears even among those who are heritage speakers (also known as native speakers). Among those of us who are students of languages other than our original one, we often find words that take a paragraph to adequately understand.
Every language has words like this. When I studied abroad in Brazil, I learned the Portuguese word saudade, which can mean homesickness and nostalgia, but also the more expansive ideas of melancholy or longing. The precise meaning is hard to capture without being immersed in the cultural context of the language. And yet, it is a profoundly useful word to know in Brazil.
When I got to college and studied Arabic, a language with which I still struggle to completely understand, the term jihad was being bandied about in the Western media, and most people limited their understanding of it to “holy war.” While the word can indeed refer to waging war, it literally means “struggle” and often refers to the inner struggle each of us wages to be a good and righteous person. Certainly this struggle is universal.
In Hawaii, one of the arguably most complex words and concepts to grasp is that of “aloha,” and the longer I live here, the more complex the word seems to be. All the more reason to keep studying ‘olelo Hawai‘i and really listen to understand, as words like “aloha” are deceptively simple on the surface, but has many, many layers.
As someone who once tutored students in Spanish and English, I understand how intimidating the study of language can be, and as more students are opting out of studying a second or third language, I worry about the future of a world in which this essential means of communicating is lost to us. Even if much of the world now speaks English, we all lose when our knowledge of other languages diminishes. And more and more languages are dying every week, as the last remaining speakers pass on.
I am proud of the work by our Hawaiian language faculty at UH Hilo. The work they have done over several decades now builds a foundation for the survival of the Hawaiian language, and the State is coming around to require more and more of our institutions and agencies to use ‘olelo Hawai‘i in publications. Some are even envisioning bilingual education in all schools. I am happy to see students study Hawaiian and/or other languages because that study will make them better thinkers and better citizens, even if they do not continue to use that language regularly after graduation.
Students who come to UH Hilo with languages other than English need to see that ability as a true asset in their education and their identity. For example, studies have found that English language learners who master English in the early grades actually do better in later standardized tests than their counterparts that were native speakers of English. This tells us that language opens doors, not only to communication and understanding, but also to learning itself.
Studying another language exercises the brain, makes one more proficient in one’s original language, and also tends to make us more empathetic. It may not be easy, but the things we need to work at to learn generally stick with us longer.
Learning language also makes us humble; the more we know, the more we realize we have yet to understand. Perfection is not the goal, the practice is. And it is never too late to learn.
Bonnie D. Irwin is chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Her column appears monthly in the Tribune-Herald.