Context

I remember writing about how in language learning context can make
things difficult. Sometimes you feel you understand all the individual
words, but the meaning still eludes you. (If I were an organised blogger
I would be able to give you a link back to that post...)

Context can also be our friend. Last Saturday I was at a shop in Kandi
with Eve. The usual shopkeeper, who I know, wasn't there, and she had
left a young woman and a teenager looking after the shop. The young
woman said something to Eve in French, and as usual when Eve is tired of
attention, she ignored her. The teenager said something to the young
woman with the word "anglais" (English) in it, and I replied in French,
"No, she understands French too, her father is French."

The young woman looked at me and said, also in French, "It sounds like
you understand Dendi perfectly!" so I admitted that I had just guessed
what she'd said based on the word "anglais". It hadn't exactly been too
difficult!

But I know from experience that when you don't know a language, or are
struggling to learn it, it can be tempting to shut down your ears and
eyes, and just resign yourself to not understanding. It is always worth
making the effort!

One shouldn't go too far the other way, though, and just assume one is
understanding things. Then you get the phenomenon of the foreigner who
just smiles and says "yes" to whatever is said to them! Highly risky!
Better to always check your understanding and admit when you don't
understand. (Swallow your pride - pride doesn't get you anywhere in
language learning!)