Learn another language! Get outside yourself!

Summary

In this episode, I talk with Megan Miller, who, at an early age, discovered the power of learning a foreign language and now works to empower others who want or need to have a bilingual voice.

“The big shift that I start to see with people that want to learn another language is a shift from ‘me’ to a collective ‘we.’ So it’s a shift that goes, ‘I speak Spanish. I’m part of this population now.’”

— Megan Miller

Why this conversation matters

The wonderful thing about exploring someone else’s particular area of curiosity is how each conversation left me thinking about the application to my life. This episode was no exception.

My guest here is Megan Miller. She is the founder of Aprovechar Language Solutions, LLC, whose mission is to empower anyone needing a bilingual voice. She offers a personalized, habit-based approach to teaching Spanish and English language and culture to adults worldwide.

Megan has over 20 years of experience in Spanish and has been obsessed with learning and teaching all of her life: from living abroad in Madrid, Spain, traveling worldwide, and being a training consultant and language coach.

Megan noted in our conversation that language has the power to help us transition from a “me” mentality to an “us” or “we” mentality. That is, by learning another language, one can better understand the culture and people it represents.

My dabbling in Italian is a case in point. Learning that language through my particular area of interest — in this case, cooking and eating, has led me to have a deeper understanding of that culture. By studying Italian in the context of cooking, I have become more aware of the importance of passing down knowledge from generation to generation, and the deep respect Italians have for their elders.

Takeaways

√ Motivation to do anything and curiosity are inextricably linked.

√ Without actually traveling, one can enjoy culture through literature, movies, and music.

√ Just as it is with English in the U.S., a foreign language has dialects and accents that shift from region to region.

√ If you want to learn a new language, study it as it pertains to something in the culture, e.g., cooking, sports, or art.

√ When learning a new language, dabble a little bit each day.

References/Links/Resources

Website: www.aprovecharlanguagesolutions.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/aprovecharlanguagesolutions

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aprovechar-language-solutions/

Podcast: https://lnkd.in/eJZPAvgF

Other podcasts that feature Megan

Successful The Podcast with Karla Parra and Natalie Burke

Your Stories Don’t Define You. How You Tell Them Will with Sarah Elkins

You might also be interested in

This is the last episode in a series where I chat with a few folks about an aspect of their life that makes them tilt their heads in curiosity and want to figure out how to satisfy it.

Other episodes in this series include:

Part 5: Being Curious About What Informs Our Beliefs

Part 4: Being Curious About Being in Someone Else's Shoes

Part 3: Being Curious About Curiosity

Part 2: Being Curious to Explore Our Identity and Relevance

Part 1: Being Curious to Overcome the Uncertainty of Transition

What are you curious about in life?

225: Being Curious About the Power of Language