It is well documented that we live in a cosmopolitan world, full of different people, cultures, and languages. On the whole, we have embraced this diversity and learnt to celebrate our differences as opposed to using it to divide people. However a real travesty amongst the vast majority of those living in Britain is an underdevelopment in foreign languages. Having another language is adding another string to your bow and the British don’t have many of them.

To possess an alternate language is a phenomenal skill to have. It can be useful in situations where the language barrier tends to get in the way and its utility in making new contacts has been proved time and time again. A recent situation I faced was a breakdown in communication between my mum and the house-maid (how upper-class I hear you scream). The English-speaking Pakistani wanted to tell the Portuguese maid to spend half an hour extra and that she will be paid accordingly. Unfortunately, the maid was oblivious to the message and simply gave an agricultural nod. In this instance, I simply asked Google Translator to help me out and having read the on-screen message in Portuguese, she showed a wry smile and gave a firm yes. It is small instances like these when the use of a foreign tongue shows intellect and even if it is a couple of broken-words, it is a natural ice-breaker to someone from a foreign land.

I encountered a Bulgarian student back at university. Having exchanged pleasantries, my knowledge on Bulgaria or even Bulgarian for that matter was very limited. However, I still knew that the capital was Sofia, they might have been part of the Soviet Union (something to ask), and that they had a real problem with gypsies. Even possessing this pathetic amount of knowledge on his country had astounded him and even though it was only a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, I made an immediate impression. It just goes to show that even an understanding of a foreign culture can put you streets ahead of others, who might have fallen asleep in Year 9 geography thinking that the lesson made no difference to them. Even a fraction of knowledge can be the make-or-break difference. Learning a new language or even getting to know a new culture is a great way of getting ahead in any aspect of life whether it be social, business, or leisure.

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”- Nelson Mandela

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