Fiction involving language learning

[lavengro]

I'm busy wasting time, wondering about fiction which contains a narrative involving learning a foreign language.

I am aware of a couple of John Grisham novels (particularly The Broker in which the main character learns Italian) and "Story of Your Life" (from which the amazing Arrival derived) in which the main characters learn squiggles. And the plot of a Twilight Zone episode - "To Serve Man" - which is not so much about learning a foreign language as the importance of doing so really quickly, before dinner preferably.

Too lazy to look myself for other examples. Would any of you have any suggestions?

[zenmonkey]

Shaka, when the walls fell.

[iguanamon]

Shaka, when the walls fell.

Sokath, his eyes uncovered.

[Lianne]

Shaka, when the walls fell.

Sokath, his eyes uncovered.

Temba, his arms wide.

[Speakeasy]

... And the plot of a Twilight Zone episode - "To Serve Man" - which is not so much about learning a foreign language as the importance of doing so really quickly, before dinner preferably ...

Fabulous! I have recounted this episode to friends and acquaintances countless times over the years (I was 15 at the time of the original broadcast) ...

[Axon]

Mary Doria Russell's books The Sparrow and Children of God have long and excellent sections about languages and grammar, particularly about how a polyglot linguist handles first contact with multiple alien races.

Arthur C. Clarke and Steven Baxter's novel Time's Eye is about what happens when different parts of the Earth are thrown into different times, culminating in Alexander the Great vs Genghis Khan. Language isn't a key component of the story but issues of translation and language learning are handled well, especially when it comes to older varieties of languages.

I actually wrote a whole paper in college on the use of foreign languages in the Enderverse series by Orson Scott Card. Different characters are shown learning and speaking various languages, but my analysis was that the little bits of multilingual slang that Card includes are inconsistent and flawed. That wouldn't be a problem if he hadn't written a book on writing which told people "If you include a foreign language in your work, take the time to get it right."

And in the young adult realm, the Artemis Fowl series usually includes a minor language-related plot point in each book. Of course, Artemis is always conveniently fluent in whatever language he needs to be, including Taiwanese (in which vanishingly few foreign speakers even attempt fluency, let alone reach it).

[eido]

There was a skit relating to translation of a dog's thoughts on SNL, but it gets political so I won't post it here.

[lavengro]

... And the plot of a Twilight Zone episode - "To Serve Man" - which is not so much about learning a foreign language as the importance of doing so really quickly, before dinner preferably ...

Fabulous! I have recounted this episode to friends and acquaintances countless times over the years

I absolutely loved the Twilight Zone series growing up!

Shaka, when the walls fell.

Sokath, his eyes uncovered.

Temba, his arms wide.

I did not recognize the source and was a little afraid you were all having some sort of oddly-related mental breakdowns. I could see a good Twilight Zone episode in that....

[lavengro]

There was a skit relating to translation of a dog's thoughts on SNL, but it gets political so I won't post it here.

Tracked it down; yep, maybe just a touch political!

[DaveAgain]

Harry Flashman learns a number of languages in his adventures, prompted by terror or lust as a rule

EDIT
Alan Furst's Night Soldiers includes language learning, a compulsory subject at spy school.

Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther character picks up Russian, French, English and Spanish along the way too.