Our+Journey

Our Journey

 * A place to articulate what languages mean to us. Where have they taken us? ...
 * Please include your name and your language(s).

High School Japanese teacher (& a bit of French) Sydney, Australia**
 * Andrew J

Languages are a large part of my life - of who I am & my everyday life. Being able to communicate with others in their own language is a great feeling, not only for practical purposes (like finding your way around a city) but also from a very personal angle. It allows you to make friends and become part of another culture; the language giving you a more complete understanding of that culture than you would otherwise be able to attain. I have 3 families thanks to my study of Japanese. My own, my first homestay family in Japan and my Japanese wife’s family. Japan is like another home; another place where I feel comfortable and at ease. There are times when English words do not convey the full meaning of what you want to say but another language can (or vice versa). This is living the language. It helps you to express yourself; it helps you understand yourself and your own language a little bit more. Languages have not only provided me with a job, a couple of extra families and a whole heap of friends, it has also made the world smaller – and continues to do so. It has made me more tolerant, resilient, flexible, patient & more complete. How about you?