Being multilingual!

Having worked as an au pair in France at 16 and having the opportunity to carry out work experience with Todo El Mundo, I find myself increasingly aware of the benefits of multilingualism and what it has offered me so far. While some of the more obvious benefits may be more related to school, I am very grateful for the opportunities languages have offered me, in learning about and experiencing other cultures and various dialects.

During the summer of 2022, I was lucky enough to travel to Peru where I saw both man-made and natural marvels (such as Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain and Lake Titicaca), all while expanding on my Spanish and making new friends from multiple South American countries, with whom I am still in contact. A few days into the trip, we were fortunate to do a home stay with an Indigenous community in El Lago Titicaca. This was an incredible experiences as we were able to learn about their culture, admire and learn some of their traditional dances and enjoy (as well as help to make) some meals. This was especially incredible for me as I was able to communicate with the Indigenous peoples in Spanish and deepen my knowledge and appreciation for their culture. Later on in the trip, I met some more friends from Peru, Venezuela and spoke to people from several Spanish-speaking countries: this allowed me to learn about different dialects and countries.

Also when I was still 16, I got to go over to Castillonnès in the South of France and au pair with a family I have known for a very long time. Not only did I get to see the whole family, who I hadn't seen in years, but I also got to learn some more colloquial French, allowing me to build on my language skills. Furthermore, as I go to see the cousins from Quebec, I could hear a type of French I hadn't before which was great!

Finally, languages have become almost central to my work as many French and Spanish speaking tourists visit Bath. Not only has this allowed me to facilitate to the needs of various families, but also it has allowed me to make friends and new contacts with whom I still speak online.

Working with la familia de Todo El Mundo has taught me the importance of learning languages at a young age but also that it is never too late to learn. In all classes, the students are constantly building upon their language skills in a fun way and it is lovely to see such impressive spanish from all age groups, again allowing new networks of friendships to be formed as students are increasingly able to speak with one another and other people in spanish.