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

I grew up in a family where my parents spoke different languages, so multilingualism was part of my everyday life from the beginning. Being trilingual early on made me realise very quickly that language shapes not only how we communicate, but how we think and belong.
English came through formal schooling, but my interest in languages really took off when I started learning them for meaning, not exams. In middle school, I became fascinated by Japanese culture and learned Japanese so I could read manga and watch TV series in the original language.
Later, studying in France was a turning point. Learning French wasn’t just about academics—it was about survival, integration, and identity. Experiencing what it feels like to have ideas but lack the language to express them deeply shaped both my personal outlook and my academic interests. At my French school, students were required to learn a second foreign language, and I chose Spanish because of its global importance and its role as an official language of the United Nations.

2. Which language(s) do you wish you could spend more time practising?

Spanish. It’s the language I’m least fluent in, but also one that feels full of possibility. Through my work and interests—especially related to global policy and the Global South—I’ve become increasingly aware of how central Spanish is to understanding Latin America. I’d love to be able to learn more about the culture of that region not just through English, but directly through Spanish.

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

Arabic is the language I’m most eager to learn next. Through my work related to AI and low-resource languages, I’ve seen how language barriers can exclude entire communities from technology, research, and policy discussions. Arabic is not only culturally and historically rich, but also critically under-served in many AI systems. Learning it would help me better understand these challenges from the inside, not just as an external observer.

4. So let’s be honest, which language has the most charm for you?

French, without hesitation. It’s the language in which I first experienced being truly linguistically “limited” as an adult. Living and studying in France taught me what it feels like to be intellectually capable but unable to fully express myself. That experience left a deep mark on me and directly influenced my research interest in multilingual and culturally adapted AI. French is tied to both vulnerability and growth for me.

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

The greatest pleasure is access—to people, to trust, and to perspectives that simply don’t surface in translation. Whether it was integrating into French academic life, working with colleagues from different countries, or engaging with global contexts through my work, languages have allowed me to listen more than speak, and to understand before judging. That’s incredibly powerful.

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

It’s a real risk, but it’s not inevitable. Having worked with low-resource languages and communities that are often invisible in technology, I’m convinced that the future of linguistic diversity depends on the choices we make today—especially in AI. If we design systems only for high-resource languages, we accelerate language loss. If we design inclusively, technology can actually help preserve and empower linguistic diversity.

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

Language learning isn’t about sounding native—it’s about reducing distance. My own experiences of struggling in French taught me empathy, patience, and humility in ways no textbook ever could. Every language you learn expands not just your opportunities, but your sense of responsibility toward people whose voices are harder to hear. And that, I think, really matters.