Learning English while herding: A successful story of a language enthusiast

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A young cattle herder in the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil province has proven that to learn a language, one might not necessarily need intensive and long courses. Daily English-speaking practice with his cows worked for him.

In the absence of a companion to talk to during herding, Rasti Ali, a dropout, has been practicing English with his cows for a few years, making him quickly adopt the foreign language.

“Rose, what [are] you doing in that place? Come on, get back here!” Ali called one of his heifers, whom he had named Rose.

Ali begins to herd his cows every day at early dawn in one of the pastures of his village in the Koya district. Practicing English with the cows, Ali has given English names to each of them.

“I decided to learn something useful for myself and those around me,” Ali told Kurdistan 24, recalling how he decided to start learning new languages, beginning with English.

The 20-year-old herder says he can fluently speak in American, Canadian, and British English accents.

Besides the daily practices with his cattle, Mr. Ali made new friends online with at least two American citizens who later paid him a visit in his village.

“At first, they were anxious because you know how Iraq and Kurdistan Region are portrayed in news abroad,” he said, adding he had made efforts to convince the Americans to visit his village.

One of his American friends, a university professor, enjoyed his time in Kurdistan and bought traditional clothes for himself and his wife, he said, showing footage and pictures of the visit. 

Following his successful attempt to learn English, Ali is now trying to learn French, he said.

Additional reporting by Kurdistan 24 Raparin reporter Aras Amin