When I was little, my dad and I went to a concert where people
sang songs in different European languages. I was so impressed when he could translate all the songs for me.
It made me determined to understand other languages, and it inspired me to study French, German, and Spanish in high school. I also studied
Latin, which not only helps you understand English better but is also the language of science-all scientific names of animals and plants
are in Latin. In college I learned Russian and since then I've taught myself Swahili and Malagasy and I'm working with a tutor to learn
Vietnamese.
Languages help you better understand how other people think and to reach out to people from other cultures. Knowing all these languages
opens doors for me; people appreciate that I try to learn their language instead of expecting them to know mine.