You don't pick up a language, honestly. You might pickup a few words, but learning it? No way you could pick up the grammar, syntax, structure of a second language merely by hearing it..unless you got like 20 int and are really dedicated to jolt down sentences, compare them.
Learning it through someone willing to teach it is another story and as Icon said, it could happen IC for some players (I would assume an outlander guard willing to learn could ask for a teacher or just force someone into it). But that's something that should happen IC, not simply assuming you know imho.
Let me give you an example:
My father immigrated Canada, Quebec 22 years ago; he has an Universitary degree in Electrical engeneering; his main language is spanish, he came to Canada when he was 32 years young.
When ariving as an immigrant, integration is hard; he had to do all kind of sh*t jobs to send my mother and myself back in the homeland (Chile) some $$ to pay for substenance and eventually brought us over.
He worked tossing the newspaper, worked in sprinkler's heavy sweat shops all of that, without speaking ONE word of French nor english, eventually after 2 years, he picked up a few words and with body language and ''Yes or no or ''job language'' managed to make himself understood in regards of his ''Work'', however, never enough to carry a conversation with a French Canadian EVEN less with their complicated "Slang".
Now time has passed, he is able to carry a certain level of conversation, took him perhaps 10 more years to being able to carry a conversation with someone; he never did take courses, he did later once he had to re-do his engeneering degree, in all to the point: 22 years in Montreal and STILL has very broken french.
Now, I know this isn't a RL and its a game, but it gives you an idea, if you can picture an inclusive society such as Canada that it can take an individual 20 years to manage broken sentences, imagine what in a reclusive, xenophobic, society such as Barovia where social interaction with local populace is prone to being scarce.
Adults have a terrible time learning a second language. They almost never master it, even the most intelligent.
Very true. When I got to Canada at the age of 9, took me perhaps 6 months and I was out pwnin' little "Québecois" at Soccer and dodgeball, hells even hockey...
all of that, with good french...
Picked up english later with school and while visiting Toronto (English) as I have family there, then took on University and took Italian courses, easy due my Latin background, 3 semesters of italian, its the language I struggle the most with, despite 3 years of study and some ....italian ragazze "modern friends".