Having traveled the world not only opened up doors to learn about new cultures, taste delicious cuisines, but it also helped me to see the world in a different light. If I wanted to fit in especially when I had to spend a long time in a certain country, I had better learn to integrate and that included learning to speak the language well.
In Singapore, I learned Cantonese. It was easier to speak than Mandarin. According to one source, Mandarin is a tonal language, meaning the exact same syllable carries completely different meanings depending on your pitch. Hard enough? It was next to impossible. However, I had an easier time with Cantonese and I did pretty well with it. Then I learned Bahasa Melayu. This one was much easier and before too long I was speaking it like the locals! Bahasa Melayu is also the constitutional national language of Singapore.
Later I moved to Germany and I had to learn the language. I was living in a foreign land and had a son to boot. I couldn’t survive on English alone and that was made clear to me from the very beginning. I made up my mind to learn the language and to learn it well. I now speak it fluently.
Unlike Melania Trump who claims to speak several languages, the emphasis being on “claims,” I do speak several languages, more than just “Hello,” and “Goodbye!”
The impact on my life? Knowing the different languages made it easier to get along with the people, to integrate into the society, and to immerse myself in a new culture feet and all!
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