From April 2024 Newsletter - Spanish focus
Next month I am going to Austria and I decided to learn some German...
I am going to a one-month artist residency where I along with other Mexican and Austrian artists will collaborate and present our art works. The residency will conclude with three days in Cologne, Germany (more about “Multiple Selves” in the May newsletter). Although I won't master German in one month and most Austrians speak English I decided to work on my foreign language muscle. Being familiar with the sound of a new language, recognizing a few words here and there, and being able to order beer and pommers (french fries) in German will make me really happy; I will feel that I've crossed into their world, touching a few tiny specks of Austrian and German cultural peculiarities. And besides I have a German-speaking family, I will continue practicing with my niece and nephew in one of their mother tongues, how cool is that?!
Knowing a language other than your own is a super power!
It keeps your mind active and sharp (I believe learning foreign languages and dancing tango will keep you young forever, plus friends, travel and art making).
Are you looking for a mental workout? Learn a new language. And that's only the beginning...Learning a foreign language opens your worldview in unimaginable ways. Through language you enter into the perspective of communities different from your own, who have different histories, traditions, culture and worldviews.
There are language expressions that only make sense in that particular language and in order to understand them, you need to twist your mind, go out of your comfort zone and learn to think in different ways. Learning a new language makes you more empathic, makes you love the world and helps you make many new friends!
Continue reading HERE
Sign up to receive Polina's newsletter HERE
Polina's newsletter is a (more less) bi-monthly email about art, creativity, pedagogy, projects and events, travel and language learning.
コメント