learning languages

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, an 18 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

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btw, feel free to reply with topic ideas you want me to write about for future posts.

onto today’s topic: learning languages 🗣️ 

i wish i knew over 10 languages like those youtubers that go around with signs that say “if i don’t speak your language, i owe you food.”

language is such an authentic and meaningful way to connect with someone. even if it’s just basic conversational fluency, it’s so nice to see someone’s eyes light up in recognition of the language, of their mother-tongue. in my eyes, it’s the highest level of respect you can offer to someone’s culture. 🌏️ 

i can only speak 3 languages: english, french, and punjabi.

i want to hold conversations in so many more languages, but it’s such a time-consuming process. finding out what the best way to learn it, actually learning it, practicing, practicing more, and applying it in the real world.

i wish i learned more languages as a kid, when my brain was built better for the task. i’m so jealous of those 5 year olds that know like 7 languages.

being able to speak multiple languages is such a flex. you’re able to connect with so many different cultures, and traveling is made 10x better. i remember when my family and i traveled to paris this past august, we were trying to check-in to our hotel and my dad was taking the lead in english. after some difficulty, i stepped in and started leading the conversation with the receptionist in french. immediately, her eyes twinkled, she smiled, and we were able to get into our rooms smoothly. it was like she instantly became less rigid and more accommodating. 💫 

knowing the local language is such a superpower when traveling, and since i’m going to be doing a whole lot of that this year, it’s something i’m really mulling over. how do i approach learning a language? my goal generally isn’t to become 100% fluent, but moreso being able to hold a generic conversation. would 1-month sprints be enough for a language?

as much as i love duolingo’s user experience and design, i can’t say it has been super effective in helping me reach this goal.

for you language-knowers, what has worked for you? i’m curious.

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