JP Ltcmdr Alora DeVeau & ltcmdr Solek - The Art of Language (pt 2)
Noelle Motuelle
((Starbase 118 Ops))
DeVeau: Oh, yes. English, French, Japanese, Vulcan, Klingon, Cardassian, and...Betazoid.
Alora cleared her throat, then resumed her smile. It wasn’t unusual to know multiple languages in Starfleet, and Alora dedicated time to learning them and keeping up with them as well. Combine that with her martial arts, music, dancing, and reading, not to mention her job which she adored, it meant she was never at a loss of anything to do - which was fine by her.
DeVeau: And now I’m working on Romulan. From what I’ve heard, you know over two hundred!
Solek: Proficient, yes. 211. Two of them are Rhihanshu’s common. Though I can manage in several of their subdialects. Languages are my primary work.
DeVeau: I know.
After all, Alora had looked into him when he’d been suggested.
Solek: I have found language to be what unites and divides people. Because it is not just words that are part of the language, but the culture as a whole.
DeVeau: Oh I agree. There’s more to language than simply learning the vocabulary and syntax. There are a lot of subtleties that go along with a language.
Alora had learned this first hand when her family had moved to Japan. She had already been fluent in French thanks to her father, but the context and culture had been taught with it from birth, it hadn’t been anything new and unusual to her. Japan had been very, very different.
::He nodded. Gestures, tone, attitude. It was all wrapped in together. And if one wasn’t right, it didn’t matter how well you spoke pretty words. While Solek knew many, many languages. He only really claimed the 211. Because he knew the nuances and ticks that came with it.::
Solek: yes, I will teach those as well. ::wouldn’t do to half-ass teach it.::
DeVeau: Good. Because I won’t learn it properly without that important piece of the puzzle. After all, that’s what language is - a puzzle.
Solek: of course. ::he nodded.::
DeVeau: What tips and tricks do you have to learn a language? I have some of my own, but I am always interested in learning what others do.
Solek: Tricks and tip :::he repeated.:: I start with what I find easiest and expand from there. I also start with the most frequent terms and words. ::Incase he couldn’t dedicate much more time than that.::
::The best trick had been to submerge himself with the language and world and more or less be forced to learn. It was effective.::
DeVeau: That makes sense.
It was not nice to be able to start holding conversations pretty early on, she Alora certainly agreed with that approach.
Solek: Where do you start, with written or spoken language?
DeVeau: Actually, I do both. I like to learn writing along with speaking.
Solek: That is admirable, learning both requires commitment.
DeVeau: One of the things I do is look for patterns. Where do the verbs go? Are there conjugations? Do those conjugations follow a pattern? What pattern is it? Are there any exceptions? Then memorise those exceptions with the patterns. If it’s not an exception, it follows the pattern, and then I can use that to help formulate the grammar .
Solek: That is an excellent guideline for learning. And if you can learn this way, with the written language as well, you will be a quick learner.
DeVeau: I find learning both at the same time just gives me a better understanding of the language as a whole.
Solek: I am due to leave Ops for at least the next four weeks, but after that I would be available to begin … mentoring.
DeVeau: Four weeks? In an ambassadorial capacity?
Solek: Indeed it is, on behalf of Vulcana and Federation interests.
DeVeau: I’m sure it will be very enlightening. I hope you have a good trip. Four weeks. I suppose I can wait that long. I can be patient when I have to be.
::He raised an eyebrow at the woman. She was bright and outgoing. And apparently eager to learn a new language. Though, if memory served she had already started the process, just needed someone to do the hard part and finish it out.::
Solek: f that does not work, I can recommend another.
DeVeau: Ah, but you were recommended as the best. Just because you’re gone doesn’t mean I won’t keep practising, but I prefer to wait for the best.
::An eyebrow rose and the tips of his cheeks might have had the faintest hint of green to them. It was uncommon to hear suck open praise without anything much attached to it. ::
Solek: ::he nodded.: Very well then, four weeks. I should look forward to it. ::he stopped walking and looked at her.::
As soon as he stopped, Alora stopped as well and turned, a single eyebrow arching upward in a silent question.
Solek: This has been a pleasant conversation, but I find my time consumed in final preparations for my leave, is there anything else you’d like to discuss?
::There was nothing rude about his tone, simply matter a fact.::
DeVeau: An endless amount of things, but nothing that can't wait. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I look forward to our lessons?
With a raise of her hand, Alora formed the ta'al once more, the Vulcan saying flowing from her lips as if she had been born speaking the language.
DeVeau:. Dif tor heh smusma.
With that, along with a flash of a very un- Vulcan like grin, Alora turned and made her way down the promenade.
::He returned the gesture in kind and bowed his head, paused and rose back up as the woman seemed to beam. A curious look flashed in his eyes. They parted ways, though part of him had found the interaction pleasant. As pleasant as a Vulcan could feel anyways. The work ahead of him slipped back in his mind and made him turn back towards his office. In four weeks he would have a pupil… Fascinating.::
END
_________________
PNPC LtCmdr Solek
Diplomatic Officer
Traveling Ambassador
Cultural Advisory Consultant
A239202RH0
&
Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau
Science Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
M239008AD0
Lieutenant Commander Nijil
First Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
USS Narendra
A239202RH0