Have you ever wondered what truly motivates people to learn languages?
Or how language learning connects us to people in ways we never expect?
Let me share an unexpected encounter that completely changed the way I think about life, human connection, and why learning languages matters. And I think it might shift your perspective too.
Whether you’re a parent raising multilingual kids, a language learner yourself, or just someone who loves meaningful stories—this post is for you.
A Chance Encounter
It was a cold, grey Sunday afternoon in the beautiful market town of St Albans.
Our children had afternoon classes, so my husband and I took the opportunity to wander through the vintage market.
While browsing some old paintings, an elderly man suddenly came up to me and struck up a conversation. He asked where I was from.
“I’m from Hong Kong!” I told him.
To my surprise, he immediately switched to Mandarin.
(Now, he probably didn’t realise that people in Hong Kong typically speak Cantonese—but that’s another topic altogether!)
As we chatted, he shared that he was autistic and had taught himself multiple languages, including German, French, Mandarin, Japanese, and Russian.
Now, at this point, I thought—OK, that’s interesting, but, well, there are lots of polyglots out there.
But then, he said something that completely surprised me.
A Lesson in Forgiveness and Open-Mindedness
He told me that he was born during World War II and was one of many British children who had to evacuate to the countryside as German bombs rained down on London and other cities.
And then he said something that really made me pause.
He said to me: “The Germans were bombing us, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to learn German later in life.”
He explained that his love for the language led him to meet a wealthy German woman, and eventually, he moved to Germany, where he lived for many years.
Then he said:
“I know some people refuse to learn or speak German because of what Hitler did. But that’s not me!”
What a powerful reminder that languages don’t belong to governments or evil historical figures—they belong to people.
Languages = People
The conversation took another turn when he said:
“I love languages because I love PEOPLE.”
He told me he had been a coach driver for many years, meeting people from all walks of life, from all corners of the world.
And then came another insight that blew my mind.
“After all these years of getting to know people, I’ve realised something—the vast majority of people in this world are GOOD AND KIND. They just want to be happy and live their lives.”
I sure hope some politicians are reading this…
Then he looked at me and said:
“You and I are making a connection now, aren’t we?”
And you know what? He was right.
It was a fleeting connection, yes, but still a meaningful one—one that I know will stay in my mind for a very long time.
And it was his passion for learning foreign languages that made this connection possible.
Despite the barriers of age, nationality, and background, we were able to connect—because he was willing to speak another language.
The Bigger Picture
As we kept talking, he shared one more thought that really stuck with me:
“Imagine if everyone in the world was willing to open their minds to other cultures and languages—maybe there wouldn’t be so many wars?”
Why This Matters
This strange but wonderful encounter reminded me exactly why I do what I do.
Why I’m raising my kids to be trilingual.
Why I spend so much time creating content for this blog, my Multilingual Family Hub website, my YouTube Channel, and why I created the Bilingual and Trilingual Parenting 101 book.
Because speaking another language breaks down barriers and builds bridges.
It lets you build real, human connections with people you might otherwise never meet.
And it occurred to me that some of the most wonderful, kind, fascinating people you’ll ever meet will be people you might have never spoken to if you didn’t share a language.
So, to all parents raising multilingual kids out there, and to all the language enthusiasts watching—
Keep going.
Keep doing what you’re doing.
Because it has so much value.
I know that in the last few years, AI has dominated conversations and made some people question the value of learning other languages.
But while AI can translate words, it can never replace human connection. Read my blog post on this topic!
It wouldn’t have created the space for the magical encounter I had with this inspiring neurodivergent polyglot who’s old enough to be my grandfather!
And if you’ve ever had an encounter like this—one that reminded you of the power of language—let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear your stories.
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