I learned english in primary school in the U.S. and Spanish was always spoken at home; however, i didn't learn how to speak Spanish until I was about 12 or 13 years old when I began to teach myself how to read and write in Spanish. Then i took some courses in high school and traveled to Costa Rica in the summer time where I got cultural immersion. I felt culture clash, definitely because even though I knew how to read and write in Spanish I didn't know how to speak very well. Therefore, using the language in everyday life definitely helped me improve my verbal communication and get over my fear of speaking.
In Costa Rica, i met quite a few people who like to learn other languages. I never thought about learning more than one language at a time but these people like to learn multiple. I decided to pick up French on my own and began studying on Duolingo and Pimsleure back in the States.
As I taught myself French, i surely but steadily improved my grammar and communication. I found language partners on Facebook groups and on apps like Hello talk and Tandem.
Then my curiosity grew as I realized there are approximately 6,500 languages in the world and I wanted to learn a few more. I wanted to be smarter than most and have fun switching languages in my head.
So I realized German is another language that a lot of people ask to exchange for and I decided I would give it a try. I'm still at a beginner level and would like to improve my skills in this language.
I also really like getting to know other cultures. As i meet people from the comfort of my own home on Facebook groups, i don't have to travel to learn about other people. I've made friends, talked about food, scenery and customs from different countries
Now I feel all that much more open to other cultures as I embrace my own.
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