So...is it for love, travel, intelligence or money that we learn languages?
Choosing to learn a language is a tough choice with so many to pick
from, so getting allocated a language on arriving at secondary school made the
process a little easier. After dabbling with ‘Le Club Francais’ in primary
school I hoped to hear bienvenue, but
instead, it was a bienvenidos for me
from the Spanish teacher. I was far from disappointed; a few rolls of an ‘r’
later and I was hooked, intent on taking in every word the teacher uttered. As
a young budding linguist going through school, it was the feeling of being able
to converse with people in another language and read what others couldn’t that made
the process of learning Spanish so exciting.
As I progressed, I realised that it was possible that languages could
open doors for me. As someone who had a flair for languages I began learning
Russian but it was Spanish which I took to sixth form and then to university.
Learning a language became a powerful tool that I realised I could use for a
career and for studying and working abroad. I decided to travel through South
America for two months during a gap year before university. The ability to speak
to the local people I encountered whilst zigzagging my way through Chile,
Argentina, Bolivia and Peru ignited my passion for learning languages.
Studying in the Basque Country and Galicia, taking Mandarin classes in
China, teaching English to some adorable children in Buenos Aires and living
with a family in a remote part of Nicaragua have given me experiences that have
shaped my values and the person I am. The value of learning a language can come
from these kinds of life-altering experiences or it can simply come from the
satisfaction of being able to order a plate of dumplings in Polish or ask for
directions to the Brandenburg Gate in German.
For me, learning languages is not about money, love or intelligence. The
most important benefit of learning a language, as I see it, is for the unique travelling
experiences it can bring. Learning a language has given me access to a world of
culture, fed my hunger for knowledge and allowed me to embrace moments spent
with diverse people in the most remote of places. And the best part: all these
experiences grew from that very first Spanish lesson at school.
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