I know Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish (and used to play around in Esperanto). I always loved learning languages but it wasn’t until later in life living in Los Angeles and speaking/hearing Spanish daily and then traveling to Mexico with my wife (who’s from there) that I really started feeling the benefits.
Knowing another language really opens doors in so many ways even if sometimes it’s only in small “insignificant” ways.
The first time I felt California was home was walking into a convenience store and being greeted in Spanish and carrying on the conversation like it was nothing.
Traveling to Mexico and being able to converse and learn all about another culture while being completely immersed in it is a powerful experience.
I don’t feel superior or better than others but when I talk to my monolingual friends and family back home I do feel a bit sad that they can’t understand or take part in some of those experiences.
I know Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish (and used to play around in Esperanto). I always loved learning languages but it wasn’t until later in life living in Los Angeles and speaking/hearing Spanish daily and then traveling to Mexico with my wife (who’s from there) that I really started feeling the benefits.
Knowing another language really opens doors in so many ways even if sometimes it’s only in small “insignificant” ways.
The first time I felt California was home was walking into a convenience store and being greeted in Spanish and carrying on the conversation like it was nothing.
Traveling to Mexico and being able to converse and learn all about another culture while being completely immersed in it is a powerful experience.
I don’t feel superior or better than others but when I talk to my monolingual friends and family back home I do feel a bit sad that they can’t understand or take part in some of those experiences.