For years, Spanish was simply part of my school day. I learned vocabulary, studied grammar, practiced conversations, and eventually became proficient in the language. I even received excellence awards for Spanish throughout school. At the time, I was proud of how far I had come, but I don’t think I completely understood how much learning another language would stay with me.
I don’t speak Spanish every day anymore. I’m definitely a little rustier than I once was, and there are probably plenty of verb conjugations buried somewhere in the back of my brain that would take me a minute to remember.
But every once in a while, I find myself in a situation where Spanish suddenly becomes useful again.
And those moments have become some of my favorites.
One of the more unexpected ones happened while I was playing softball in Georgia. I was at shortstop and somehow ended up having a full conversation in Spanish with the umpire. It had absolutely nothing to do with a classroom, a test, or proving how much Spanish I remembered. We were simply talking.
I could tell how much he appreciated the interaction, and it absolutely made his day. Honestly, it made mine too.
Another moment happened while I was on a plane heading on vacation. There was an elderly woman sitting next to me who spoke Spanish but didn’t speak English. She was trying to ask the flight attendant for something to drink, but they couldn’t understand each other.
This time, I could help.
It was such a simple interaction. She needed something to drink; I understood what she was asking for, and I could help communicate it to the flight attendant. It probably lasted only a few minutes, but it has stuck with me.
Then there was a completely ordinary trip to my local Market Basket. I ended up speaking Spanish with someone who was cooking there, and once again, knowing the language gave me an opportunity to connect with someone I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
That’s what I’ve come to appreciate most about knowing Spanish.
Of course, being able to speak another language is a great skill to have. It can be useful academically, professionally, while traveling, and in plenty of situations I probably haven’t even encountered yet. But when I think about the times I’ve actually been grateful that I learned Spanish, I’m not thinking about something I could add to a resume.
I’m thinking about people.
I’m thinking about an umpire on a softball field in Georgia. I’m thinking about a woman on an airplane who just wanted something to drink. I’m thinking about a conversation at the deli.
None of these interactions changed the world, but they changed the way I think about learning another language.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, there is so much history, art, food, music, tradition, and culture to celebrate across the many different Hispanic communities around the world. My own experience has also made me appreciate the role language can play in creating connections between people.
Learning Spanish in a classroom gave me the vocabulary and grammar, but actually using it taught me something different. There is a certain feeling that comes with realizing you can communicate with someone when they weren’t expecting to be understood.
Sometimes you see the relief on someone’s face. Sometimes you see surprise. Sometimes a conversation simply becomes a little easier.
And sometimes you make someone’s day just by speaking to them in a language that feels familiar.
I’m not going to pretend my Spanish is perfect. It isn’t. I don’t use it nearly as much as I once did, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten plenty along the way. But I’m incredibly grateful that I learned it, and I hope I never stop finding reasons to use it.
Because maybe the best part of learning another language isn’t being able to say that you speak it.
It’s realizing there are that many more people in the world you have the chance to understand.