Hi, I'd Like to Embarrass Myself with You.

The Importance in Learning Their Mother Tongue

Learning someone’s language means you become a baby again.

You stutter, sputter, and make a lot of mistakes.

It’s embarrassing.

But — it communicates,

• I’m willing to embarrass myself for the sake of connecting with you

• Your background and culture are important

When I travel to a new country, I always start a new notes document on my phone of phrases I learn. If I don’t do it, I’ll forget the phrases the next day.

It is a fun way to make friends. Everyone is happy to share their language.

Here are some of the things I ask:

• How do you say, thank you?

• how do you say, hello?

• How do you say, what is your name?

• How do you say, “how do you say?” haha.

• How do you say, what is your name?

• How do you say, my name is?

• How do you say, good job?

• How do you say, friend?

With this practice, I have learned greetings by heart in:

• Arabic

• Italian

• Spanish

• Huichol (Indigenous Mexico)

• French

• Portuguese

• Thai

• Chinese

• Indonesian

• Dutch

• Swedish

• Swiss-German

• German

• Ukrainian

• Turkish

• Hindi

• Sinhala (Sri Lanka)

• Creole (Hatian)

Most of these are just a few phrases per language.

But it honors the person that I meet — know a bit of their world.

I become their student.

Most people are proud of their language and feel grateful that you would engage them in their mother tongue.

Later on, when I meet another person that speaks that same language —

I pull up my phone notes and try out the phrases again.

The awe on their faces is priceless, and I can imagine they feel “seen” and valued.

And when you are the foreigner in their homeland, the initiative to speak their language also communicates,

• I don’t want you to presume you speak english.

• I don’t want you to demand you speak english.

• I’ll be on your terms, as best as I can/as far as I can.

At the barest of minimums - if the only phrase you can learn is “Do you speak english?” it’s way better than just speaking english.

…I’ve seen too many cringy moments of Americans abroad…

Anyways.

Learning languages opens up your world, and it opens up your perspective. You have to use your mouth differently, mess up constantly, and become a baby again.

I’d recommend checking out Preply.com, a platform I found last year.
You can find tutors for a ton of languages and meet with them on a call. Filter your budget and needs, and watch bio videos until you find someone you resonate with.

I did it for Spanish last year and spent 6 months meeting with a kind woman in Mexico City.

It was awesome.

That’s all for today, friends!

-Josh Caliguire