If you have a school age child you have probably heard the question:
The follow up is that there are calculators everywhere. They are cheap, ubiquitous and every phone and computer has one built in. That mentality is pervasive and honestly at first glance it is a little challenging to dispute. In some places the conditions for using the calculator are overwhelming... for example when doing SIN, COS, and TAN a sliderule is archaic, tables are crazy, a calculator is clearly superior. However, how about add, subtract, multiply, divide and percentages? In that case I will absolutely say people should be able to do mental math.
Well, as a Pharmacist there are times I've seen our front store staff get stumped by even very easy math questions.
Here is a simple example.
If I need to count out 90 tablets and I have a bottle of 100 tablets, how do I count? Well, there are two options.
.
I open the bottle...Pour out the tablets...and I count 5...10...15...20....25... Until I get to 90.
I open the bottle. Pour out the tablets...and I count 5...10... and then I know what is left is 90 tablets.
Guess which one is faster?
Obviously option #2.
However, my manager asked a front store staff who was counting "Why do you always count up? There is a faster way. You just take 10 out of the bottle and you are done". They just didn't get it because the "math was too hard".
Another simple example.
In the pharmacy every prescription is filed. Right now the pharmacy has filled about 1.2 Million prescriptions and guess what? Every one has a unique number. Each number is one more than the last. If one prescription number is 854,237 then the next would be 854,238 pretty simple. We also have to file them in order from highest to lowest in batches of 500. Simple, right?
A different person tasked to put them in order had issues figuring out what highest to lowest meant. Yet another said "What do I do when the numbers are the same?" That was surprising to me but in their case (example only) one number was 854,337 and the other was 855,337 ... I said the 854,337 was 1000 prescriptions back and needed to be in a different stack. They looked at me blankly and said "but they are both 337".
That was a face palm 🤦moment.
Right now I'm travelling in Indonesia with my wife. I am constantly having my wife ask the question "how much is that?". Of course the price is almost always on the item she wants to buy but its in Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) and she wants to know how much it is in Canadian dollars. At this very moment I'm looking at some corn chips and the price tag is 5,803 IDR on sale at 30% off and the conversion rate is 12,345 IDR to CAD. Now how much do I tell her?
I could get out the calculator
... But if I get out the calculator for everything in the grocery store we will be there for a week. How about simplifying the math. 12,345 is about 10,000. Roughly 20% higher but still, fairly close. Dividing by 10,000 is just moving the decimal place.
5803 is about $0.58 CAD ... very simple, very fast, and order of magnitude.
How much after discount? (sigh) she wants a closer math. OK 20% currency difference is 20/100 or 10/50 and it is roughly 50 cents. 58 cents - 10 cents = 48 cents. Now I'm closer. 30% discount is 30/100 or about 15/50. It is still roughly 50 cents so 50-15 = 35 cents. I tell her 35 cents. Which gets me a "Wow, that's cheap". Is it exact math? No, but it is close enough for her to make an informed decision. Using a calculator it is actually 33 cents..but then there is tax and a variable exchange rate. Rough math is close enough.
Because there are times when not knowing the basics makes you appear foolish and because even basic math can simplify things like shopping and figuring out a good deal from a bad one. Rushing to a calculator for everything in a grocery store is time consuming and makes someone look real cheap.
The question could also be asked about learning foreign languages. Again I'm in Indonesia right now and when I got here I spoke zero Indonesian. Honestly it was my intention to rarely leave the hotel and just focus on working out and losing weight.
When I need to speak to someone I can just take out ChatGPT and get it to translate for me. When I need to interpret something on the street I can just bring out Google Lens and get things translated for me. Why do I need to learn Indonesian?
Do you know what the blue sign there means? The fact that its over a door and it says "torpedo" if you speak English you can assume its a door to the torpedo room. On a museum piece its interesting. If it was elsewhere and you didn't know the context going near torpedoes with a big sign over top could raise some major concerns. If it was a military base and you bring out your phone for Google Lens that could be a bad idea. Taking pictures of military installations as a tourist can be a really bad idea.
How about this picture?
The pictures are a dead giveaway that they are selling food and the fact that it has things listed in English and Indonesian makes it easy. Except for the ones that don't get translated like Ragout Ayam.
But how much? What is 10 Ribu and Dapat 3?
You could of course use your Google Lens but there are dozens of vendors on a busy street and concentrating on your phone leaves you are at risk of pickpocketers (and you look like the worst kind of tourist). Simply knowing that ribu means thousand and dapat means "get" simplifies everything.
10ribu = 10,000 (and 10,000 is roughly $1 CAD.. remember math) and get 3.
Three cheese chocolate pastries for about $1. Knowing two simple words simplifies everything.
But sometimes you get put on hard mode like when I'm in Japan. In Indonesia everything is written in letters I can understand. In Japan.. Nope.
In this case I know what I want to buy but there is a lot of guesswork. Now I happen to know the Yen sign (Japanese equivalent of dollar sign) so I know that it is 460 Yen but if I didn't know that? I'm totally reliant on Google Lens. Knowing one little sign and at least I can figure out the cost. After that? I can guess but Google Lens for the complete details.
Even being here a short time I've picked up a few words.
"Dilarang" .. Don't in English. If I see a sign with this on it I know to be extra cautious.
But more importantly there is the human side of things.
"Terimah Kasih" .. "Thank you". Being polite is important everywhere.
"Selamat pagi" (siang, sore, malam). Good morning (afternoon, late afternoon, evening) Being polite is still important.
"Berapa harganya" .. "how much"
"Maaf, Saya tidak bisa bahasa Indonesia" .. Sorry, I can't speak Indonesian
If you can't say anything and know nothing you are relying on the other person speaking your language and you are basically cut off from human interaction. If you use a translator you can make yourself understood but basic interaction without a translation app makes everything smoother on a surface level. It allowed for basic interaction without a layer of awkwardness. It also signifies a desire to fit in and respect for those you are dealing with.
...and if I was staying here longer I would absolutely want to learn more of the language.
My son had a girlfriend in Japan and chatted with her online. They met in person. They liked each others company. However, they often communicated through an app. After a few months my son admitted that it fell through. Not because either side wasn't interested but rather that the nuance of conversation was missing. Deeper meaning and feelings often weren't conveyed and it felt sterile.
Conversation, nuance, tone and cultural sensitivity mean a lot and while apps can make someone understood they only go so deep. To make friends and deep connections requires language.
Literacy is important and numeracy is just literacy in math. Language is more than just asking questions and getting responses. Numeracy is more than just getting the correct answer.
Agreed, in school a language is about communication and math is about numbers. In real life? A good morning keeps harmony among strangers. A little math helps people understand the economics of everyday life. However, while computers can give answers to questions they don't give the smile, the wink, the nod, the inflection or even just a slight lilt in a voice that makes all the difference. They don't give the tone and inflection that friends and family use to see whether someone is sarcastic or not. They can translate the words but not always the meaning behind them.
I freely admit that I use a calculator to do fine math. I use reference books in the Pharmacy to double check facts. I use ChatGPT and Google Lens to help me translate to and from another language. However, I use my mind to do a sanity check on calculations. I use my training to give pharmaceutical advice at work. I also try to show interest and respect by learning a few phrases while I'm in Indonesia and other foreign countries.
I love the fact that tools are available to supplement knowledge and open doors. Here is something about tools though: A nail gun can place up to 300 nails a minute...but you still need the base knowledge to know where to put them. Without current translation apps my current trip would have been a lot more difficult. It is a beautiful tool but as with any tool using it properly makes all the difference.
At least that is my thought on the Hive Learners post prompt about "is it worthwhile learning a language". I hope you found it useful and even if you didn't, thank you for reading this far and if you feel like leaving a comment...well, I always appreciate feedback. Finally to sum it up? Learning a language is about respect and deeper communication. AI and apps are great for things that are surface level but life is better when it has deeper meaning. Thanks for reading.
