How languages changed my life:
My language learning journey has been pretty conventional. I was born in Newcastle and grew up in Whickham (Gateshead) in a monolingual family and in a country in which I was almost exclusively exposed to my first language until I started secondary school.
Like many students at my school, I never seemed to click with languages and found little interest in pursuing them further. Sadly, I also held the very limiting belief that learning foreign languages was of no use to me as an English native speaker.
However, as my language learning continued and my ability to understand and use German developed, I discovered I had an underlying passion for the way language worked and an utter fascination with being able to understand something which had previously been illegible and incomprehensible to me. It’s from there that I decided I wanted to pursue languages at university a decision which has changed my life in so many more ways than I could’ve imagined.
Why is language learning so important, especially as a native English speaker?
For me, being able to speak and understand a language is really a by-product of language learning because whether or not you continue to actively use the languages, the process of learning, practicing and using them provides you with such an amazing set of transferable skills.
Through language learning I have learned the art of resilience, empathy, self-confidence and compassion, as well as learning vital communication skills, how to adapt in challenging circumstances and key problem solving skills. When you understand how scary and intimidating it can be to ask for the most basic things in a foreign language, you become so much more empathetic and patient when people try to do the same in your mother tongue!
Language learning is difficult and the process is never linear; it takes a lot of time and dedication to reach the level of proficiency needed to successfully navigate a conversation or situation which isn’t in your native language. That’s why I can understand why so many English natives feel hesitant to dedicate so much time to learning a foreign language, especially if they may never even need to use it.
However, I feel that it’s particularly important for us to make the effort to learn foreign languages as English native speakers. Not only because of the skills it helps you learn, but also because being able to understand and produce even a basic level of a language creates space for connection with other people, their cultures and histories.
Though many non-native English speakers have an incredibly high grasp of English, they’re perhaps understandably more comfortable, fluid and authentic in their mother tongue. You’re also not reliant on the English speaking narratives and understanding of a country’s past, you can experience their history through their lens.
Where has language learning taken me?
Choosing to study both German and Spanish at university has given me so many life changing opportunities. I’ve had the chance to live in Austria twice; once in a small rural village during the Covid-19 pandemic and once in the suburbs of Vienna with my boyfriend.
During my time there, I worked as an English language assistant in one of the most beautiful and oldest abbeys in Austria. I made lifelong friends with native German speakers who were more open to getting to know me because I spoke German and didn’t expect them to always converse with me in English. They really helped me see the value of making mistakes in language learning and to embrace these as a strength rather than fearing them and seeing them as weakness.
I’ve also been fortunate enough to find several professional opportunities where my ability to speak both German and Spanish set me apart from other candidates who had otherwise similar skills and experience. These opportunities have ranged from managing key customer accounts in the manufacturing industry, to working as a customer service agent in the fashion industry.
During my time working in manufacturing, being able to speak fluent Spanish allowed me to connect more authentically with my biggest client as they spoke no English and were so grateful to have someone who was able to support them in their own language.
At sixth form, I didn’t realise that opportunities like this existed if I pursued languages. I really thought that modern language teaching and translation were the only viable career paths.
However, as a language learner the world truly is your oyster. You’re not limited to staying in one specific country to pursue career opportunities and you’re not tied to one specific job role or industry.
Language learning is a superpower and I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity and means to do so, to study at least one foreign language
Amber Watkins
German Speaking Customer Service Agent for a well known fashion retailer
