1. What’s your story? How did you get into all these languages?

I was born and raised in Puerto Colombia, a town on Colombia’s Caribbean coast that, a hundred years ago, was home to the country’s main maritime port. Thousands of immigrants arrived through its iconic pier — which now stands as a historic and touristic landmark. My grandparents often spoke about that time, when the town was a gateway to the world. Their stories passed down to me a deep sense of cultural curiosity and a passion for languages. French was the first foreign language I learned as a child. Later, during my five-year degree in Foreign Languages at Universidad del Atlántico, I formally studied English, French, and German. At the same time, I began learning Portuguese, Italian, Galician, and Russian on my own. Since then, I’ve focused on Romance languages, also exploring Romanian and Catalan. Later, I pursued a Master 1 (the first year of a French Master’s degree) in Latin American Studies at the Sorbonne Nouvelle – Paris 3, where I combined language with research on identity, politics, and society. Now I’m learning German and Russian so I can speak eight languages in total.

2. Which languages do you wish you could spend more time practising?

I wish I could spend more time practising German and Russian, which are my seventh and eighth languages. I aim to reach an intermediate level in both, where I can speak with confidence and ease. German fascinates me with its clarity, its long and precise vowels, and its overall elegance. I find its sounds powerful yet refined — there’s a precision in German that I deeply admire. Russian, on the other hand, feels almost musical to me. My connection with Russian began

through a close Ukrainian friend from Kharkiv, who taught me the language and inspired my love for it. My dream is to become equally comfortable in German and Russian. These languages open up new cultural, intellectual, and emotional worlds.

3. What are some languages you’d like to learn in the future?

As a specialist in Romance languages, I would love to deepen my knowledge by learning both Catalan and Romanian. Catalan holds a special appeal for me because of its unique position as a bridge between the Romance languages I already speak — French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician. Its vocabulary and grammatical structures often echo patterns from across the Romance spectrum, making it a fascinating case of internal convergence within the family. I also have a deep interest in the languages of Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal, and Catalan plays a key role in understanding the cultural and linguistic diversity of these regions. Romanian, on the other hand, captivates me as a Romance language that has evolved under strong Slavic influence. I find its lexical and phonetic blend particularly fascinating: while it preserves a solid Latin grammatical foundation, it also incorporates sounds and words from its geographic neighbors, creating a unique linguistic identity. Exploring these languages would allow me to better understand both the unity and the diversity of the Romance language family — a theme that continues to inspire my linguistic and  cultural journey.

4. So let’s be honest — what’s the sexiest language?

As a Romance language specialist, I must admit this is a tough question. To me, the most beautiful languages in the world belong to this family — each with its own charm and melody. But if I had to choose one, I’d say Italian. There’s something undeniably sexy about its clarity, its rhythm, and the way it flows like a song. When I speak Italian, it feels like reciting poetry. It’s expressive, joyful, and often playful — much like the personality people tend to associate with Italians. The gestures, the smiles, the musicality — it’s not just a language, it’s a performance. 

5. What’s the greatest pleasure you get from speaking so many languages?

For me, speaking many languages is like unlocking parallel worlds. Each language is a universe of its own — with its own colors, rhythms, and ways of feeling. When I speak Spanish, I feel the heartbeat of Latin America and Spain. When I speak French, I connect to the entire Francophone world, rich in history and diversity. English opens the door to another kind of thought — another way of framing reality. It all begins with sound: pronunciation, intonation, and the music of speech. Languages carry centuries of human thought, emotion, and culture. Being able to feel that — to live it from within — is the most extraordinary gift I could imagine. 

6. Some people say the world is really just going to have a few languages left in 100 years. Do you think this is true?

While it’s true that dominant languages like English, Mandarin, or Spanish continue to expand globally, I don’t believe the world will end up with just a few. Language is deeply tied to culture, identity, and belonging — and for many communities, preserving their language has become both a political and emotional priority. Technology is also playing a key role. Today, many minority languages that once had Little visibility now have educational resources available online. Digital tools like translation apps are including more and more languages, helping normalize and preserve them in daily life. Galician is a language I know closely, and it’s a great example. In Galicia, there has been a

strong movement to promote the language through education, media, and public policy — recognizing it not only as a cultural treasure but as a core part of regional identity. So no — I don’t think we’re heading toward a monolingual future. If anything, I believe we’re entering a new era of awareness, where linguistic diversity is increasingly seen as something to protect and celebrate.

7. What is your message to young (and not so young) people out there who are interested in studying multiple languages?

We’re no longer in the age of bilingualism — we’re in the age of multilingualism. Learning several languages at once is not only possible, it’s a real advantage. Many still believe that focusing on just one language is more effective, and unfortunately, some education systems reinforce that idea by prioritizing a single dominant language. But the truth is, our brains thrive on variety. Switching between languages stimulates attention, memory, and long-term

motivation. When we study two or even three languages at the same time, we keep our minds engaged and avoid the monotony that can come from staying within just one system. Moving from one soundscape to another, from one worldview to the next, becomes a form of mental travel. To anyone considering this journey: go for it. Learning languages is not just an intellectual exercise — it’s a doorway into other ways of being. It expands empathy, sharpens perception,

and nourishes the soul. In a world as diverse as ours, learning multiple languages should not be a luxury — it should be a path toward becoming more fully alive.