The Language You Dream In: On Identity, Belonging & Speaking More Than One Language

There's an old saying that goes: you live a new life for every language you speak. 

Many of us grew up as expatriates or immigrants and grew used to switching from one or two languages at home, to one or two different ones at school or in life. To me, this is a poetic way to experience life.

Language is one of the most intimate things we carry. It holds entire cultures, customs and history within. There are so many words in every single language that cannot be simply translated. They carry such meaning, that they require a definition to understand. Take for instance, the Portuguese word saudade. It can be defined into English as “a feeling of longing…” But can you find an immediate word that can represent saudade? Some things simply live better in the language they were born in.

Therefore, I am a firm believer that knowing multiple langauges gives anyone a wider and more complex understading of human emotions all around the world. It matters not if you speak one, two or six langauges, whether you're fluent or fumbling through your grandmother's mother tongue, every word you reach for across a language barrier is an act of love and desire to connect.

This week, try something small: learn one word in a language you've always been curious about.. Here is a suggestion below:

Las palabras son semillas. / Words are seeds.”