Interviewee: Noemi
Q: What inspired you to learn a second language?
A: Initially I just wanted to learn in order give myself a competitive edge in the jobs market. However, when I was studying I discovered the pleasure of communicating with a wider variety of people, and I was connecting with them through more topics than I usually did with others in my own language.
Q: What differences has speaking multiple languages made to your life?
A: Speaking multiple languages has literally saves my life, or at least it has made it a thousand times better than it would be otherwise. I can now access handy information that has helped me to develop character and build upon myself professionally. It’s enabled me to connect with those who do not speak my native language and some of which have become my chosen family.
Q: What would you say to someone who doesn’t know what language to learn?
A: I would say to choose the language of a country you would like to spend more time in. If you are not planning to travel there because you aren’t able to or for any other reason, look around you. Which cultures exist in your neighbourhood? Which languages would helo you to create new connections in your community?
Q: How many languages do you speak? Do you have a favourite? Are any more useful or subjectively better and why?
A: I speak six and a half languages; Italian, Spanish, Catalan, English, French, and Portuguese. The half language I speak is Neapolitan because I am only able to understand it, but cannot speak it. The more useful languages to me are Spanish and Catalan as I live in Catalonia.
Q: What do you think the best way to learn a new language is? E.g. Apps, tutors, independent research etc.
A: It depends on your current situation in life and the opportunities available to you. I think that the best way is by using a tutor because they are better able to introduce you into the culture. Though if you don’t have enough time apps and textbooks are great as they’re specifically designed for autonomous study. In any case, the more you listen to a new language the faster you will improve. Music, films, and podcasts are great resources!
Q: What is your favourite language and why?
A: This is a very difficult question! If we talk about the comfort of use with a language, then Italian and Spanish are my favourites. Italian is because it is my native language, and Spanish because it allows me to access a lot of cultural knowledge in fields of study that I have found very interesting, such as psychology, philosophy, politics, and agriculture.
In terms of cultural appreciation however, I love Catalan because it reminds me a lot of Neapolitan and other regional Italian languages. My family never taught me Neapolitan because of the stigmatisation of southern Italians in Northern Italy, so I am only able to listen to it, not speak it. For me Neapolitan and Catalan are languages that have been able to resist oppression from those who would want to make them disappear, and they have preserved a lot of cultural knowledge that is now at risk of disappearing.
