What happens with Languages after you leave school?
'The world is full of cultures. To tap in to these cultures effectively, you speak their languages.'
Hi. I'm Joe Brook. Studied Spanish for 7 years at TBGS. Applied for a deferred entry to read Spanish and Arabic at Exeter University and got the ticket! Why such a bizarre combination? Spanish because I've already studied and enjoyed it for so long I didn't want to give it up. Plus, it's the 3rd most spoken language in the world, with an increasing dominance in the USA. Arabic because of the highly important political, environmental and religious place it is and will continue to take on a world-wide stage.
Choosing to take a gap year was a good idea; to travel with Spanish up my sleeve made it a great idea. Although the initial Portuguese barrier halted progress in Brazil, as I crossed the border to Argentina, the statement I began with became so true. Overall I spent 3 months in South America, and here are a few things that speaking the native language 'tapped' me in to:
- Finding out and cooking national delicacies (adobo) for the hostel I stayed at in Cuzco, Peru and seeking out the best, and safest, nightclubs in La Paz
- Travelling for a month with four Argentineans; learning the differences between their and our cultures, picking up new words or phrases, continually improving my Spanish, making friends for life!
- Playing rugby in Argentina, then being invited to watch the team play in one of the biggest regional tournaments of the year, followed by eating 'asado' (an assortment of every cut of meat imaginable!) with the elite players from Buenos Aires!
- Enjoying bartering at the street markets; purchasing a whopping pair of silver earrings (for my sister of course!) and a poncho (not for my sister!) for half of their selling price
- Working at an orphanage; teaching English and giving them the chance of a job beyond farming, consoling and encouraging the orphans in their native tongue, discovering and willingly offering to pay the 5 Peruvian Soles (equivalent of 80 pence) to print the photos allowing one of the kids to apply for higher education, laughing and joking whilst playing football in the rain and mud, becoming a friend who can listen, understand and help
- Hiking Machu Picchu, crossing the Salt Plains of Bolivia, biking the Death Trail in La Paz and understand what the guides are saying!
Without Spanish I would never have experienced most of this. Just think: no food delicacies, no rugby, no travelling with Argentineans, no cheap presents, no true understanding of orphans or local wonders!
I left each country with a much greater awareness of how its people lived than the average Joe tourist who speaks little or no Spanish. Bring on University. Bring on the Middle East!
