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deborahdeshoftim5779 · 4 years

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Exophonic Writing: 5 Benefits

Exophonic writing means writing in a foreign language. I discovered that many writers, including the renowned Joseph Conrad (a Pole), wrote exophonically.

This encouraged me, since I had often put off my French writing projects to the side after losing courage. During NaNoWriMo, I have prepared a project for exophonic writing, which will examine the influence of French on Middle High German (link in German).

While I do not have the relevant degrees, I now realise that I want to make this topic accessible to non-scholars.

Here are some benefits of exophonic writing which all multi-lingual writers should consider:

Expanded Expression: In reading articles on exophonic writing, the one common denominator between such writers is their ability to express themselves easier in another language compared to their mother tongue. Some phrases and ideas lend themselves to particular languages compared to others. For example, when I read phrases in Hebrew, I often find the expression more succinct compared to English. I find the sentence structure of German more logical and even poetic. So the range of thoughts that can be expressed increases.

Accessibility: The testimonies of at least 2 Japanese writers found that English was more accessible than their native tongues. One even found Japanese too hierarchial, and thus saw writing in English as a rebellion. While I have no interest in writing exophonically for social or political reasons, I think this perspective does highlight the outstanding nature of languages based on Latin and Greek. Instead of relying on characters or consonants, you have a collection of letters. This could be seen as more “democratic” to some. (N.B: I admire both Middle-Eastern and Asian languages, particularly Hebrew, Arabic, and Mandarin Chinese).

Cultural Affinity: It comes as no surprise that many exophonic writers are migrants to foreign nations. In fact, much of the articles on exophonic writing concern the connection between migration, culture, and writing in the dominant language. Exophonic writing has often been cast as the struggle to adapt in a foreign culture, while also recognising one’s birth origins, language, and culture. But this does not only apply to migrants. For example, I am British and have never migrated. But I feel a great cultural affinity with France, and that has stemmed from my love of French. I also admire parts of Russian culture, which again stems from my study of Russian history. And so exophonic writing can help access those cultures.

Wider audiences: To my surprise, and perhaps sorrow, translations do not sell well in the Anglosphere. Outside of translated classics, most people will read books in English, myself included. No matter how many times I tell myself to read more in French and German, the majority of what I read is inside English. And so if I wish to access French and German audiences, I must write in their language. (Likewise, those wishing to reach Anglophone audiences must write in English). The most profitable languages are those with the widest number of speakers: Chinese, Spanish, English, French, German, Russian, and Arabic. While translation is invaluable and has its place, it must remain subordinate to writing in the original language. Exophonic writers can thus cross language barriers and reach new people.

Foreign Language Mastery: While Joseph Conrad found writing in English incredibly difficult, he is renowned today as one of the finest writers in the English language. I first came across him from Noah Lukeman’s masterful The First Five Pages, excerpts of his writing held as the gold standard of writing technique. How did Conrad, a Pole born as Józef Teodor Nałęcz Konrad Korzeniowski, reach this level? By working at the language as a carpenter shapes wood. Evidently, Conrad would have written drafts in elementary English and kept polishing and polishing his drafts. And so the more we practice writing inside a foreign language, as well as reading widely in the target language, the further we progress to mastery in that language. So exophonic writers should not fear mistakes and errors. Rather, working and working on developing an authentic expression will produce excellent results, regardless of whether you write fiction like Conrad, or nonfiction.

Why isn’t exophonic writing taught in Anglophone schools? I have always aspired to write in French, but many have not even had the opportunity because the quality of foreign language teaching is poor in Britain. The examination boards have now lowered standards (again) to accommodate student fears about foreign languages. More people should appreciate the importance of writing exophonically, which is essential to many writers around the world today, as well as many historical figures. Voltaire wrote letters in English when he stayed here. Handel eventually learned English and referred to himself as “Mr. Handel.” Foreign languages are too important to be failed by a mediocre education system.

So if you study foreign languages, consider exophonic writing.

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