My grandmother, when she was younger

I entered college knowing that I was going to be a French major. I had no intention of teaching it or being a translator, but I loved the language and the culture. My parents were horrified to see me waste so much money to learn something that I could get – as Matt Damon puts it in Good Will Hunting – “from $1.50 in late charges at the public library.” However, not everyone was worried about my life and career decisions. My grandmother was perfectly happy that I was studying French. She used to say that, ‘you can never know an extra language.’ The ability to communicate with someone could never be extraneous.

In the intervening years, I barely used my languages. While working for a multinational company, I once received a mis-directed e-mail in French; I inanely let the sender know that I was not the correct recipient. While living in Ohio, I attended a recurring French meetup hosted by a scientist from the town in which I had studied abroad. And on the subway, I used to eavesdrop on unsuspecting tourists’ conversations. Other than that, the most useful language in my life was Spanish – mostly because no one would ever believe that I didn’t speak it, given my complexion.

But being in Europe has proven my grandmother right on several occasions. Speaking some French made it possible to communicate with a host in central Italy and with other guests in Rome and in southern Italy. It also made reading Italian easier, and it certainly helped with eavesdropping on unsuspecting hipsters in London. Speaking Russian made it easier to get around Poland and Croatia and to eavesdrop on a family in Hungary. It also doesn’t hurt for communicating with B when we don’t wish to be understood by others – assuming I stick to words that either complain or command. (I am clearly teaching him the right things.)

Equally important, it’s a big help with image. Most people around the world think that English-speakers (especially Americans) don’t bother learning anyone else’s tongue. It’s pleasant to dispel this notion. Instead of just asking if a shopkeeper speaks English, I can ask if he speaks English, French, or Russian. Not only does it increase the likelihood of effective communication, but it makes some vendors feel like we are at least trying. And each time that happens, I think of my grandmother. I can even hear her saying it: there’s no such thing as an extra language.