What makes language interesting to me is not the accomplishment. It’s the feeling of walking into a room where everything used to sound like noise… and one day, it starts to make sense.

At the beginning, language is confusing.

I hear people talk and I catch nothing. I smile, nod (pretend like I know), and then slowly, something changes. A word repeats and becomes familiar and it lands in the brain without translation. That moment is the best — because I am now understanding something I used to not know at all. It feels like a magic!!

Another thing that makes language exciting is connection.

There’s a special kind of loneliness when I can’t explain what I mean. I think this is partly I enjoy being a listener too. I have thoughts, humour, warmth, opinions — but they’re often unsaid. Then, little by little, I learn to put myself in an uncomfortable zone to reach people, and finally ask a basic question, not just a “yes/no” talk.

And ngl, the embarrassment is part of the journey.

Mispronouncing things. Misunderstanding a joke and laughing at the wrong time. Those moments can feel awkward… but they’re also proof that I am brave enough to try. Over time, I start to embrace it and trying to be more present. From this experience, I learn to clarify, to ask, to correct myself, to even confront misunderstandings when needed. And that’s special!

One of my favourite parts is when the meaning is not just as words, but as feeling and energy.

Like sometimes I don’t fully understand what someone is saying, but I can still tell the vibe. I can feel that I’m safe. And that’s such a quiet win, because it means I’m starting to understand beyond vocabulary, I am learning how to read a room.

And then there’s the fun reward: music.

The first time I truly understand the lyrics of my favourite song in another language, it hits different. This actually happens to me a lot with old English songs I used to love growing up. I liked them before for the melody, the mood, the vibe. But when I listen again now, I finally understand the meaning. And it makes me so happy.

In the end, learning a language reminds me that understanding doesn’t always arrive loudly.

Sometimes it comes quietly, through patience, being diligent, and small moments of embarrassment. Language teaches me to stay curious, to stay humble, and to trust the process — even when I don’t fully understand yet.

Because one day, I’ll realise that I didn’t just learn a language… I slowly learned how to belong.

aka:

I didn’t just gain a skill.
I gained access to people, culture, emotions, and shared moments.
I learned how to exist comfortably in another world.

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