Soon they recognized me and smiled when I walked up. It felt amazing to be a regular in another country.
That’s when I realized: language opens doors.
Now, I live and teach in Spain, and I use Spanish every single day.
Because I speak Spanish, I’ve been able to become part of the community. One day at the gym, a girl complimented my shoes in Spanish, and we started talking. Now she’s one of my friends here!
At my favorite coffee shop, I talk with the workers every time I order. Since we chat in Spanish, they remember me and now I’m a regular.
There’s also a local empanada stand in my town. When I told the man who works there that I had traveled to Argentina (his home country!), we started talking about my trips, the food, and his family. Now every time I go, we catch up like old friends.
Spanish helped turn strangers into friends.
At school, Spanish helps me explain lessons, answer questions, and get to know my students. When someone doesn’t understand something in English, I can switch to Spanish and suddenly it makes sense. I can talk with other teachers, joke with students, and feel comfortable living in another country. Without Spanish, I would feel very alone. With it, I feel at home.
Learning another language doesn’t just help me travel, it helps me help others.
One day, I want to be a doctor. Not all patients speak English, and that can make going to the doctor scary. Because I speak Spanish, I’ll be able to explain what’s happening, listen to their worries, and make sure they feel understood. Sometimes the most important part of helping someone is being able to communicate.
