My Next Five Languages
I’ve always had a gift for language. I remember growing up my two favorite subjects were English and social studies. Spanish was always a close third.
Now that I’ve left the United States to live on the African continent, language is more important than I ever imagined. Africa is a mix and maze of foreign tongues, sounds, and expressions. The difference between here and the US is night and day. In America we have slight regional variances, and maybe a dispute here and there about the pronunciation of a specific word, e.g. tomato tamatoe.
But here in Africa, neighbors who have been living side by side for fifteen years might not be able to say much beyond ‘good morning’ or ‘excuse me’. Moving to Africa was like being flung into a sea of sounds that clash and clang like wild waves in a storm. Linguistically it can feel like sinking. And that was my reality when I first arrived to Senegal.
Well almost anyways. Luckily, I didn’t completely drown. I floundered with French for a few years until now I’m in a space where I can easily converse and understand. The problem is that the people and places I’m visiting now don’t speak French or English as their first or even their second language. I’m forced back into the shifty seas of language learning.
One thing I learned from my first foray in language is that it pays to have a plan. I’m writing this to share that plan with you. Here are the next five languages I plan on mastering and how:
French
I already speak French, and year over year my skills are sharpening. And yet there are always new mountains to climb. I’ve found that with language there is a level of written and verbal communication that allows you to speak to a person’s heart and not just their mind.
With French I’m just not there yet. The desire is there, but I don’t have the reps, experience, or number of years speaking French at a high enough level. I want to be a leader and visionary on the African continent for years to come and that won’t be possible unless I master French.
The upfront investment? At least three – six months of French immersion studying in a classroom environment. I’ve gone back and forth about whether this has to be in France or not, but I’m leaning towards Paris in 2023.
Wolof
An ancient, obscure, and cool sounding language that’s spoken exclusively in Senegal and the Gambia. Why learn a language that less than 20 million people speak? Because it’s the language of the place and people I’ve come to know and love over the last three years.
Yes, I could get away with exclusively speaking French and English, but I’m not generally the type of person who’s interested in just getting by.
Kinyarwanda
I’m writing this from Kigali, Rwanda, and my girlfriend is sitting on the touch across from me. It’s amazing to me how perfect and fluent her English is. She understands and communicates her deepest feelings and thoughts with me in a language that isn’t her first.
Knowing how special this is, I’d like to be able to do the same with her one day. Rwanda is such a beautiful country and Kinyarwanda such a beautiful language. Both are what I believe will be important parts of my story for years to come.
Swahili
The language of East Africa. Swahili is originally from the coastal regions of modern Tanzania and Kenya but is widely spoken and understood throughout the region. No one knows the future for sure, but it’s my goal and plan to live, work, and invest widely throughout East Africa for the rest of my life. Swahili will come in handy.
Spanish
My first love. I grew up learning Spanish from the age of twelve until twenty. After spending an entire summer in Spain’s Andalusia region, I was at a fair level. My record is a thirty minute uninterrupted conversation.
A quarter of the way there right? Wrong. Now everytime I try to speak Spanish, French comes out. I can’t keep the dominance of French in my brain at bay. Not to worry though, it’s nothing that six months south of the border in Mexico can’t fix.
Time to Start
So that is my plan. Of course, there are other languages on my list like Mandarin, Arabic, and Vietnamese or Cambodian, but those will most likely come after the above five. One thing I’ve learned about plans is that they never go as planned. What new things are you learning?
If you’re interested in learning more about working remotely, going abroad in general, or living, working, and investing in the African continent follow me @wehyeeba on all major platforms, or drop me a line at wehyee@intern-ally.com