Elvish no longer for Tolkien Super Fans? More people choosing to learn Middle Earth language over Irish
COVID-19 led an unprecedented switch to online learning. With vast amounts of free time on our hands and an urge to be productive while confined to our homes, online language courses soured in popularity.
In conjunction, 53% of homes in the UK subscribed to paid streaming services in 2020, seeing our screen time drastically increased. Preply recently released a study that reveals that these two lockdown hobbies appear to have combined.
While French, Spanish and other ‘real’ languages will always be a popular choice. Fictional languages from popular fandoms are increasing in popularity. The Irish language, already a subject of contention for the proud Irish public, now has fewer speakers than Tolkien’s Elvish.
Sci-fi and fantasy shows and films often have an avid fan base, but it appears that the masses are now flocking to learn these dialects online.
Impact of online learning
Within the last several years, our understanding of schooling has evolved dramatically. Physical presence bounded by the four walls of a classroom is no longer the only way to learn, and the COVID-19 pandemic made this very clear. Nowadays, as long as you have access to a computer and internet connection, you can get a good education anytime and wherever you choose.
Understandably there is scepticism regarding e-learning. Many people cannot separate proper education from the traditional classroom, especially when facing this enormous expanse known as the Internet. However, many people in the UK are embracing the idea of learning a language online. Some even noticed that they learn more of their chosen language in a month than they did when they were taught in school.
Why create or learn Conlang?
Elvish is made up and not used in real life, so why would anyone bother creating or learning it?
Elvish, like other well-known popular conlangs, is designed by linguists. They study the mechanisms that lead to a language's natural evolution in order to produce one that is as authentic as any commonly spoken language. Linguists predict the variables that could have influenced their evolution and account for them during language development. This means that their structures are constructed in the same manner they would have developed in the fictional world in which they are spoken
Generally, learning a new language is beneficial to the brain and allows you to communicate with people from various corners of the earth. This translates to cultural competency, enhanced problem-solving skills, diversity awareness, and greater creative thinking.
Understanding how grammar rules operate, especially those different from the rules in your native language, can be one of the most difficult aspects of language acquisition. Case markers become simpler to comprehend and predict in different languages once you've been acclimated to how they're employed in one language. It's the same with verb conjugations: if you're familiar with the patterns in one language, you'll find it easier to comprehend them in others.
Pronunciation is one of the most difficult aspects of a language to master. Even if a language is made up, its sounds are genuine and can be found in other languages. For example, Dothraki, the invented language (from the Song of Ice and Fire and its TV adaptation Game of Thrones), incorporates Spanish's dental consonants and Arabic's sound "q." These sounds will help you learn either language.
As you begin to acquire additional vocabulary and phrases in a fictional language, you'll notice that you're thinking about an item or concept in new terms rather than just translating the word from your native language. You will find yourself with many ways to express an object or idea. Bilingual brains can better navigate this sort of thinking, and linguistic research shows that being a two-language speaker makes learning a third language easier.
The flexibility of Online Language Learning
The advantage of online learning software like Preply is that you may set your own pace. Language study can be done part-time or full-time while juggling full-time work, family duties, or artistic endeavours.
Decorating objects with vocabulary on sticky notes or writing, drawing, or printing out a menu for your meals can help turn your house into a creative learning area.
If you live alone, you may practice two-way discussions or even teach your roommates some terms. Learning a language online allows you to remain in your own home and customize your learning environment to your liking.
Another appealing feature of learning a language online is that it is open to people from all walks of life. Anyone and everyone may benefit from online programs, tools, and scholarships. Feedback may be offered instantly in live seminars (particularly in small groups) or customized coaching, and digital technologies may make an online classroom feel like an in-person one.
With travel restrictions and movement limitations in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the best approach to protect your health is to stay at home and observe all health guidelines set forth by authorities.
Acting as a cultural ambassador to your nation is an important part of learning a language abroad. Prioritizing language study and interaction without infecting your instructors and friends is the most respectable ambassadorial duty.
