Some people think learning a language is easy and doesn’t require loads of effort like skills needed in  scientific fields. But when you work with languages on the daily, you realize that there’s more to them than just grammar and vocabulary.  Mainly, translation students understand more than anyone how difficult it can be to convey a message from one language to another. They may juggle between them and make it look effortless but in reality, learning languages, even just one, even your own mother tongue, is no walk in the park.

From an academic viewpoint, it is perhaps believed that the more languages you know, the more likely you are to land a job or the smarter you are. This isn’t necessarily true since most translators around the world basically work with two languages for the largest part of their career. In translation studies, we spend hours upon hours trying to perfect our working languages, the ones we already have acquired per se, but for the ones we’re still keen on learning, it’s tough to keep up with, especially if you’ve already started working. So next time you meet a translator, please don’t ask them “Oh, well how many languages do you speak?” because that question has quite frankly become irrelevant.

However, from a social approach, learning a new language can offer a different perspective, and the more languages you know the more broadly you view the world. Evidently, studying a language is no piece of cake, especially if you have to learn a new alphabet and different sentence structures and syntax. It can become pretty confusing for your brain. But once you get the hang of it then you’ll no doubt be glad you made the effort since hard work does in fact pay off. A new language not only allows you to understand cultures and travel to more countries, but it also allows you to think differently, be less close minded and more open to diversity. It truly is a skill that no one should miss out on because it helps us communicate more effectively and it might even lead the way to new opportunities in life.

In a nutshell, the world is your oyster! Whether you’re a translator carefully working on their craft and mastering two or three languages, or whether you’re just someone who likes to discover new horizons through learning languages, then here is my advice for you: be more curious, go the extra mile when you’re trying a new language, don’t just memorize a couple of words or expressions, rather immerse yourself in the culture you’re discovering and open your eyes wider to the infinite possibilities at hand, dedicate yourself to this art, who knows, you might find something you’re passionate about along the way. And may your language learning journey be full of amazing experiences!