For 20 years, I’ve been learning lots of different languages. It’s something I really love to do. Every year, I spend time studying and practicing. I learn about how words fit together and how to say them just right. It’s not just about speaking well, it’s about understanding different cultures too.
Being able to speak many languages has opened up so many doors for me. It’s helped me make friends from all over the world.
Learning languages isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it because it’s like discovering a whole new world every time I learn something new.
Today, I’ll be addressing questions about the languages I speak, as well as how I continue to learn and use them.
Question: I know that Ukrainian and Russian are native languages. Did you learn them together, like with one parent speaking one and the other parent speaking the other language? Any tips for how you didn’t mix them up or how you kept them separate in your head?
Answer: I talk Russian with my family and friends because that’s what we used to speak in Crimea, where I grew up. So, it’s like my main language.
I learned Ukrainian in school and from watching TV. Over time, I got better at telling the two languages apart. At first, it was confusing, but when you speak them a lot, you get used to using just Russian or just Ukrainian.
It can be a bit tricky because many people also speak Surzhyk, which is a mix of Russian and Ukrainian. It’s like a common language in Central and North Ukraine.
My advice is to always use languages in everything you do – reading, listening, and speaking. When you use them regularly, your brain will naturally start to keep them separate when you actively use them.
Question: When did you realize you were interested in learning languages?
Answer: I started learning English when I was about 7 or 8 years old in school. It was exciting to learn new words and grammar. Then, I started learning French as another language in school, and it became a hobby for me. I also loved reading, so I began reading in the foreign languages I was learning. That’s why I chose to study language and literature at Kyiv National Linguistic University. Later, I decided to go to Germany for further studies, where I continued my language and literature studies at Goethe University.
Question: What was the next language you learned? (language #3) (after Ukrainian and Russian)
Answer: In school, my third language was English, which I began learning as part of the school program. Then, when I was in secondary school, I started learning French as a second foreign language. My fifth language was German. I first learned it as a language student, and then I started using it in my daily life, at work, with friends, and in my personal life. When I began studying at Goethe University, I chose to focus on Turkology, American Studies, and Romance Languages with an emphasis on Italian.
Question: Why did you pick that language specifically? Or was it chosen for you? (language #3)
Answer: I didn’t choose it; English and French were part of the school program for me.
Question: Was it easy to learn language #3? And tips that made learning easier?
Answer: At first, learning English was tough for me because it uses the Latin alphabet, and I only knew Cyrillic letters.
So, I had to memorize everything, even whole passages from books. I wrote lots of sentences too.
It sounds difficult and boring, especially compared to the fun learning apps available now, like how Roman learns German. But back then, I was just a kid and didn’t take it too seriously. I actually enjoyed the learning process.
Question: Tell me about the 4th language you learned?
Question: Why did you pick that language specifically? Or was it chosen for you? (language #4)
Answer: French was part of the school program for me.
Answer: Here we go –
- French: I learned this language at school.
- Turkish: I became interested in Turkish because I was a fan of Tarkan, a popular Turkish singer. I also wanted to learn a language that was different from European languages, so I chose Turkology at the University in Frankfurt. Initially, I pursued an academic career, but later switched to digital marketing.
- Italian: I’ve always loved Italian language and culture. Movies with Adriano Celentano were popular in Ukraine in the 90s, which sparked my interest. I adore Italy’s mix of culture, art, history, food, and music. So, in the second semester of my culture and language studies in Frankfurt, I switched from French to Italian.
- Portuguese: My family was supposed to move to Lisbon in 2022, so I started learning Portuguese in advance through group Zoom lessons. However, our plans changed, and I decided to stop learning Portuguese for now because I didn’t enjoy the slow learning process in group Zoom lessons.
Answer: I mainly learned Italian by watching series and listening to music. Later on (yes, at the beginning of 2023), I found apps like Duolingo and started learning Italian online. Then I tried other apps like Babbel and Mondly, which I also enjoyed. I can say that I’ve really improved my Italian since then.
As for Turkish, my family and I bought a house in Northern Cyprus and decided to move there. Turkish is the official language there, so I decided to actively learn it to be able to speak the local language.
Question: Do you dabble in other languages at the moment? If so, which languages are you dabbling in?
Answer: No, right now I’m learning Turkish and Italian to become fluent in those languages.
Question: What’s the next language on your list and why?
Answer: I really enjoy Romance languages, so I want to learn Spanish and Portuguese. I started learning Portuguese in group online classes with a tutor in 2021; but I stopped after two months because I found the group classes boring, with people talking about irrelevant things too much.
Farsi – I studied Farsi for two semesters at Goethe University as part of my Turkology studies (this language had a significant impact on the historical development of the Turkish language). Learning Persian is like feeding the soul. It’s not as popular as English or Spanish, but there aren’t many people who know rare languages.
Persian isn’t harder to learn than any other language. Its grammar is quite simple, without cases or changing endings. Persian is known for its poetry and songs.
Answer: I follow a strict daily schedule. At 3pm, I spend 30 minutes using language learning apps. Also, while I work on my laptop, I listen to music in the languages I’m learning (currently Italian and Turkish), so I learn them passively too. As a blogger and content creator, learning languages and reading in foreign languages is part of my job. For example, I test and review lessons at learning language apps, check reels, and read Quora in different languages.
Question: How often do you use all the languages you speak?
Answer:
- Russian: I use it every day with my Russian-speaking friends and family.
- Ukrainian: Currently not in use, but I occasionally watch reels and read articles in Ukrainian.
- English: Everyday communication with my colleagues.
- German: Daily conversations with my family, colleagues, and friends.
- Italian: Not actively used, but I watch reels (especially food blogs and vlogs) and read Italian social media content. I also use Italian during my trips to Italy (1-2 times a year).
- Turkish: Currently not in use.
Answer: You really need to use them actively. Try finding a language exchange partner. I talk to myself in the languages I’m learning, and I also read, watch videos, and movies in those languages. It’s important to have the language you’re learning around you as much as possible.
Languages need to be integrated into your daily life. Apps also provide a great way to learn languages. There are many apps available for various needs like grammar, vocabulary, reading stories, watching content, and listening to audios.
You can choose from these apps and use them every day. If you don’t use the language regularly, you’ll forget it quickly, especially if you don’t use it actively.
