Inspire Language Learning: Blogger Challenge

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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