I’ve always believed that learning another language is more than just another skill – it’s a gateway to understanding, connection and adventure. My experiences travelling and immersing myself in different cultures have only reinforced this belief. Every new language I’ve learned has opened doors I didn’t even know existed, transformed the way I see the world, and, more importantly, the way I engage with people.
I once heard someone say that learning another language is like acquiring another soul. At first, I thought that was a touch of poetic licence, but after years of studying and using different languages, I’ve come to realise how deeply true it is. Language is not just about communication; it shapes our thoughts, our interactions, and our ability to step into the shoes of another person. It’s the difference between ignorance and understanding, rejection and acceptance, isolation and diversity.
A Bridge Between Ignorance and Understanding
One of the most profound effects of learning another language is how it removes barriers to understanding. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been in a situation where knowing just a few words of the local language has changed the way people see me and interact with me.
I remember my first time in Kosovo. I had been learning Albanian for some time, but this was my first actual visit to Kosovo (not to mention first-hand experience of a different dialect of Albanian in action) . But the moment I said so much as “hello” in Albanian, faces lit up. “Ti folke shqip?!” (“You speak Albanian?”) they’d ask, eyes widening in surprise, mouths morphing into smiles. My efforts, however small to begin with, signalled to them that I cared enough to try – that I wasn’t just a transient visitor, but someone genuinely interested in their world.
When we don’t understand a language, it’s easy to see “the other” as distant, foreign or even incomprehensible. But the moment we step into their linguistic world, everything changes. We stop seeing people as “different”, or as unrelatable images in text books, and start recognising them as individuals with stories, struggles and joys that we can relate to, and now begin to understand.
From Rejection to Acceptance
Language is one of the most personal aspects of our identity. It’s how we express ourselves, how we connect with family and friends, how we form our thoughts, how we indicate our belonging to a particular group or society. So when someone makes the effort to speak our language, it feels like a celebration and validation of our identity.
I saw this first-hand while living in Spain. Through language (Spanish or Catalan), I formed friendships that would have never have thrived otherwise – on school exchanges to Sabadell and Málaga, and later during my university year abroad in Elche. Conversations weren’t just about words; they were about sharing experiences, laughter, and perspectives, without the filter of a language we did not share. I felt how much deeper my connections had become. I wasn’t just a foreigner visiting Spain anymore; I was made to feel a real part of a country that I had come to consider my second home. The same thing happened when I spoke Portuguese on a student camping trip in Bragança, and Flemish when staying with a multilingual family in Ghent and a friend in Brussels. Each new language brought me closer to the people around me, turning what could have been isolation into genuine acceptance.
Breaking Free from Isolation, Embracing Diversity
There’s a kind of loneliness that comes from not being able to communicate. I’ve felt it before – sitting in a group of people laughing, telling stories, and feeling completely on the outside because I didn’t know the language well enough to join in at the time (particularly deeply frustrating for me!). But I’ve also experienced the magic of breaking through that isolation, so many times.
One of the most rewarding moments I’ve ever had was when I reached the point where I could confidently use Albanian in real-world settings. What had once been a language I studied from a Hoxha-era textbook and audio cassette became a living, breathing part of my life. In Albania and Kosovo, I found myself interpreting for locals and visiting officials, bridging communication gaps that would have otherwise kept people apart. I took part in academic seminars on Albanian dialects, engaging in discussions that once felt out of reach. And the most incredible part? I wasn’t just a foreigner speaking Albanian – I was welcomed in as an ‘honorary Albanian’, embraced as someone who truly valued the language and culture. With every conversation, every shared joke, and every moment of connection, I knew I had broken free from the sidelines and stepped fully into a world that had once felt distant.
Diversity is not just about different cultures coexisting; it’s about truly engaging with those cultures. Language is the key to that engagement. It allows us to move beyond surface-level interactions and actually participate in the world of others.
An Adventurous Step into the Unknown
Learning a new language is one of the most adventurous things you can do. It forces you to step out of your comfort zone, to make mistakes, to laugh at yourself, and to persist despite the frustration. But it also brings incredible moments of joy.
I’ve had some of my best adventures simply because I dared to speak another language. Whether it was getting lost in the winding streets of Porto and asking for directions in Portuguese, trying to get a good exchange rate in Spain, or sharing stories with new friends in Belgium, language has always been the key to unlocking these experiences.
And it’s not just about travel. Even in our own communities, learning another language can open up new opportunities for connection. The world is full of people with different backgrounds, and language is the bridge that brings us together.
Bringing Hearts and Minds Together
One of the most beautiful things about language learning is that it creates empathy. When we learn another language, we start to see the world through the eyes of those who speak it. We understand their humour, their idioms, their way of thinking. We recognise that there isn’t just one way to see the world but many, and each language carries its own unique perspective.
I’ve had deep conversations with people I would have never been able to connect with otherwise – people whose stories, experiences and wisdom have shaped the way I think. And all of this was possible because I took the time to learn their language.
We Are All Fellow Citizens of the World
When all’s said and done, learning another language is about more than words, accents and grammar. It’s about human connection. It’s about recognising that we are all part of a larger world, full of cultures and perspectives that are worth understanding and deserve celebration.
Language makes us neighbours, friends and fellow citizens of the world. It reminds us that despite our differences, we share the same fundamental human experiences – love, laughter, struggle and hope.
If there’s one thing my journey with languages has taught me, it’s that the effort to learn, to speak and to understand is always worth it. Because every new language learned is another step towards a more connected, compassionate world.
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