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

From a very early age I felt an unmistakable pull towards foreign languages. I still remember the anticipation before every German class in primary school - a kind of quiet excitement that made those lessons the highlight of my day. My teacher recognised my talent immediately, and that early encouragement shaped the path I would follow for years. As my curiosity grew, I began taking private German lessons and set myself a personal goal: 20 new words a day. That discipline became a defining habit, one that supported me throughout my academic journey. My classmates, however, were far less enthusiastic about my dictionary - the teacher often used it for dictations, and they jokingly blamed me for the extra challenge.

My passion carried me to WU Vienna University, where I was accepted into the International Business Program. The studies were predominantly in German, and naturally, the curriculum required additional foreign languages. I continued with Russian, which I had first encountered in secondary school in Bulgaria, and later completed courses in Business Russian. As I progressed, I realised that English was essential - almost everyone spoke it, and mastering it quickly became a necessity to remain competitive in the job market. Around the same time, I began learning Spanish, which opened the door to one of the most transformative experiences of my life: an exchange semester in Valencia, Spain. Immersed in the culture, I became fluent rapidly, and within two years I wrote my entire Bachelor thesis in Spanish - an achievement made possible by the academic environment and my own determination.

During my Master studies, I spent several years in Lisbon, Portugal, where I expanded my linguistic range with Portuguese and Chinese. Before entering the corporate world, I explored even more languages - French, Polish, Italian, Chinese, Arabic - each adding a new dimension to how I understand people, cultures and the world.

Today, I live in Luxembourg, a country with four official languages, and I am continuing my studies in French. My passion for languages remains one of the most vital parts of my identity. It keeps me intellectually alive, opens doors to new cultures, traditions and ways of thinking, and reminds me that learning is a lifelong journey - one I intend to pursue for as long as I can.

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

The languages I wish I could have spent more time practising would be Chinese - is a language that fascinated me and would like to continue mastering it.

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

I would like to learn Japanese, Greek and Turkish.

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

Spanish.

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

The greatest pleasure I find in speaking many languages is the ability to connect with people on a deeper, more human level. As the saying goes, “if you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” For me, learning a language is not only about vocabulary or grammar - it is an intimate window into how people think, express themselves, and perceive the world. Every language carries its own logic, rhythm, humour and emotional texture. Observing these differences, understanding them, and then communicating through them is both intellectually fascinating and profoundly fulfilling. This is why studying and speaking foreign languages gives me such deep satisfaction: it allows me to experience cultures from within, to understand people more authentically, and to feel connected to the world in a way that only multilingualism makes possible.

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?

I hope not, since languages are part of our shared human heritage, the living record of what mankind has created, preserved and passed on since the earliest days of humanity. I strongly believe that we carry a responsibility to safeguard this legacy, to nurture it, and to transmit it to the next generations.

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

Go ahead and embrace the journey - learning a language is not simply about memorising some words and mastering grammar. It is an exploration that reaches far deeper. Each language opens a doorway into a distinct culture, its history and its unique patterns of expression - a remarkable achievement of human development. Every language reflects a different way of seeing the world, and this diversity is something to be celebrated. Evolution thrives through variety, and so does our understanding of humanity.