Christopher Hughes MBE
@chrislinguist.bsky.social
Translator, language teacher & linguaphile for over 25 years. Briefly discussed Basque with The Princess Royal. Author of 'A Course in Modern Geg Albanian' - www.albarolanguages.com
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What’s the Point of Learning a Language?
For me, it’s always started with a feeling. A leap into somewhere unfamiliar. A desire not just to visit, but to understand. Not just to speak, but to connect. It’s never been about ticking boxes, …
albarolanguages.com
I didn’t learn languages to get somewhere; I learned them to be somewhere. I’ve done it for the taxi rides, the balcony conversations, the glances of shared understanding. Not to perform, but to belong. To connect. That’s the real point. And it changes everything. albarolanguages.com/2025/06/21/w...
Languages are about people, connections and relationships. They're about experiences, transformation and growth. Any language you learn is a new chapter, whether you come to it in school or abroad. And any new language you learn is another piece of the world, waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.
November 13, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Languages are about people, connections and relationships. They're about experiences, transformation and growth. Any language you learn is a new chapter, whether you come to it in school or abroad. And any new language you learn is another piece of the world, waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.
Every language is a gateway. Through languages, science, art, law, music, history, drama, sport - and just about all human endeavour - speak to you in new ways and light up new paths. Languages expand the mind, deepen empathy, and make the world closer, richer, brighter. That’s why languages matter.
November 10, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Every language is a gateway. Through languages, science, art, law, music, history, drama, sport - and just about all human endeavour - speak to you in new ways and light up new paths. Languages expand the mind, deepen empathy, and make the world closer, richer, brighter. That’s why languages matter.
Languages are not just another subject in school. Languages are about relationships, understanding and communication. They're about discovering a world beyond your own. They're full-on experiences you wouldn't enjoy otherwise. Languages take every one of us to another level.
November 6, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Languages are not just another subject in school. Languages are about relationships, understanding and communication. They're about discovering a world beyond your own. They're full-on experiences you wouldn't enjoy otherwise. Languages take every one of us to another level.
If you can do French, you can elevate your English vocabulary. If you can do German, you understand more of English grammar. If you can do Latin, you can recognise so many new words and expressions. If you can do languages, not only do you discover the world, but you discover your own language too.
November 1, 2025 at 9:33 PM
If you can do French, you can elevate your English vocabulary. If you can do German, you understand more of English grammar. If you can do Latin, you can recognise so many new words and expressions. If you can do languages, not only do you discover the world, but you discover your own language too.
Every time a language is dropped, we rob future generations of opportunities. We close off pathways to new ideas, deeper connections and a richer understanding of the world. Every student deserves the chance to open those doors. Languages aren't a luxury. They're a gateway to broader horizons.
October 30, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Every time a language is dropped, we rob future generations of opportunities. We close off pathways to new ideas, deeper connections and a richer understanding of the world. Every student deserves the chance to open those doors. Languages aren't a luxury. They're a gateway to broader horizons.
Learning another language matters. Not just because it opens your mind to other ways of life and other people's outlooks on the world, but because it creates new connections, opens doors you didn't even know were there, and celebrates humanity. Another language is another life.
October 26, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Learning another language matters. Not just because it opens your mind to other ways of life and other people's outlooks on the world, but because it creates new connections, opens doors you didn't even know were there, and celebrates humanity. Another language is another life.
A year abroad isn’t just part of a language degree. It's when language becomes real. It teaches you how to belong somewhere new. You go abroad to study a language, but you end up living it. And once you’ve lived in another language, it never truly leaves you. albarolanguages.com/2025/10/24/t...
The Year I Learned to Live in Another Language
When I think back on my degree, it isn’t the lectures or essays that stand out most clearly. It’s the year I spent living somewhere new – a year that took the language I’d studied in classroo…
albarolanguages.com
October 24, 2025 at 11:10 AM
A year abroad isn’t just part of a language degree. It's when language becomes real. It teaches you how to belong somewhere new. You go abroad to study a language, but you end up living it. And once you’ve lived in another language, it never truly leaves you. albarolanguages.com/2025/10/24/t...
Languages aren’t about perfection. They’re about reaching out, being understood, and understanding in return. Confuse your genders, forget your subjunctive - it doesn’t matter. You’ve already opened a door to another world. You'll fill in the gaps in time; connection comes first.
October 18, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Languages aren’t about perfection. They’re about reaching out, being understood, and understanding in return. Confuse your genders, forget your subjunctive - it doesn’t matter. You’ve already opened a door to another world. You'll fill in the gaps in time; connection comes first.
Your school French is just the beginning. It's the start of a lifetime of adventure, creativity and stories you never knew you'd tell. It's your invitation to German, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin and beyond. It's a whole world of curiosity, humanity and discovery. The outcomes are yours to craft.
October 14, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Your school French is just the beginning. It's the start of a lifetime of adventure, creativity and stories you never knew you'd tell. It's your invitation to German, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin and beyond. It's a whole world of curiosity, humanity and discovery. The outcomes are yours to craft.
If you’re lucky enough to learn a language at school, take it. It might take you on exchanges to France, Germany and Spain, a year abroad, student adventures, fun times. You might interpret Albanian in Kosovo, teach Romanian, work with Farsi and Chinese - and discover a whole new life along the way.
October 11, 2025 at 5:06 PM
If you’re lucky enough to learn a language at school, take it. It might take you on exchanges to France, Germany and Spain, a year abroad, student adventures, fun times. You might interpret Albanian in Kosovo, teach Romanian, work with Farsi and Chinese - and discover a whole new life along the way.
I'm proud to be described as a 'linguist', because that means that I'm curious about other cultures, welcoming of other traditions, eager to discover more of the world, open to diverse perspectives, excited about new experiences. There's a whole lot more to linguists than vocab and grammar.
October 7, 2025 at 9:19 PM
I'm proud to be described as a 'linguist', because that means that I'm curious about other cultures, welcoming of other traditions, eager to discover more of the world, open to diverse perspectives, excited about new experiences. There's a whole lot more to linguists than vocab and grammar.
Another language is not just a language. It’s a window on other peoples, cultures and beliefs. It cuts through conflicts and controversies. It brings people together and settles arguments. Another language is understanding, solidarity and friendship. Languages are powerful.
October 5, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Another language is not just a language. It’s a window on other peoples, cultures and beliefs. It cuts through conflicts and controversies. It brings people together and settles arguments. Another language is understanding, solidarity and friendship. Languages are powerful.
One of the (many) great things about learning another language is the joy of being understood. Then comes the new relationship with the world, the spark that lights up another culture, the thrill of speaking that first sentence. Suddenly the life around you feels alive, vibrant, full of possibility.
October 2, 2025 at 8:49 PM
One of the (many) great things about learning another language is the joy of being understood. Then comes the new relationship with the world, the spark that lights up another culture, the thrill of speaking that first sentence. Suddenly the life around you feels alive, vibrant, full of possibility.
Translation is no mere transfer of words. It’s the art of conveying messages across borders. Every day, in multiple fields, I experience how human translators weave connection, culture and meaning. On #InternationalTranslationDay, we honour the craft that brings people together.
September 30, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Translation is no mere transfer of words. It’s the art of conveying messages across borders. Every day, in multiple fields, I experience how human translators weave connection, culture and meaning. On #InternationalTranslationDay, we honour the craft that brings people together.
Europe’s languages are bridges - linking past and future, neighbours and continents. Each tongue opens doors to others: Spanish to Catalan, Galician and Basque; German to Dutch and Frisian; French to Romanian and beyond. On #EuropeanDayofLanguages, celebrate connection through diversity.
September 26, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Europe’s languages are bridges - linking past and future, neighbours and continents. Each tongue opens doors to others: Spanish to Catalan, Galician and Basque; German to Dutch and Frisian; French to Romanian and beyond. On #EuropeanDayofLanguages, celebrate connection through diversity.
To speak another language is to expand your horizon. It reshapes how you sense the world, deepens how you connect with others, and transforms how you live. It opens doors to ideas and ways of being you’d never have imagined. That’s why languages matter to us all, wherever your journey leads.
September 23, 2025 at 1:15 PM
To speak another language is to expand your horizon. It reshapes how you sense the world, deepens how you connect with others, and transforms how you live. It opens doors to ideas and ways of being you’d never have imagined. That’s why languages matter to us all, wherever your journey leads.
Languages aren’t just school subjects - they’re keys to connection. Portuguese got me breakfast first in Cascais, Spanish saved a New York taxi fare, and Albanian made me feel local in Pristina. A language creates opportunities and leads to unanticipated moments. albarolanguages.com/2022/08/07/w...
Who knows where languages can take you? My language journey (so far…)
I think my love of languages and ultimately wanting to work with languages stemmed from primary school. I was fascinated with words, books, reading, writing – even punctuation and grammar – f…
albarolanguages.com
September 18, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Languages aren’t just school subjects - they’re keys to connection. Portuguese got me breakfast first in Cascais, Spanish saved a New York taxi fare, and Albanian made me feel local in Pristina. A language creates opportunities and leads to unanticipated moments. albarolanguages.com/2022/08/07/w...
Languages aren’t a luxury. They’re how we learn to listen, experience, and see the world in all its diversity and complexity. Every student should have that opportunity. Languages are essential to the curriculum, because they connect us to people, stories and perspectives we can’t afford to lose.
September 14, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Languages aren’t a luxury. They’re how we learn to listen, experience, and see the world in all its diversity and complexity. Every student should have that opportunity. Languages are essential to the curriculum, because they connect us to people, stories and perspectives we can’t afford to lose.
There are almost 7,000 languages in the world. At least one of them could be your next adventure, your next opportunity, your next connection. That's nearly 7,000 ways to shape your world view and celebrate humanity. There's something for everyone, whatever your motivation and however you start.
September 10, 2025 at 8:28 PM
There are almost 7,000 languages in the world. At least one of them could be your next adventure, your next opportunity, your next connection. That's nearly 7,000 ways to shape your world view and celebrate humanity. There's something for everyone, whatever your motivation and however you start.
Languages feed into every subject in school, and make every subject broader and more universally applicable. Another language is not one subject; it's a piece of every field of human knowledge. It's history, geography, maths and science through a different lens. It's a transformative experience.
September 7, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Languages feed into every subject in school, and make every subject broader and more universally applicable. Another language is not one subject; it's a piece of every field of human knowledge. It's history, geography, maths and science through a different lens. It's a transformative experience.
What can you do with languages? Open doors to new worlds.
Broker peace or strike deals. Bring stories, science and sport to every corner of the globe. See history through fresh eyes. Turn strangers into friends. Connect, persuade, inspire. The better question? What can’t you do with languages?
Broker peace or strike deals. Bring stories, science and sport to every corner of the globe. See history through fresh eyes. Turn strangers into friends. Connect, persuade, inspire. The better question? What can’t you do with languages?
September 6, 2025 at 9:53 AM
What can you do with languages? Open doors to new worlds.
Broker peace or strike deals. Bring stories, science and sport to every corner of the globe. See history through fresh eyes. Turn strangers into friends. Connect, persuade, inspire. The better question? What can’t you do with languages?
Broker peace or strike deals. Bring stories, science and sport to every corner of the globe. See history through fresh eyes. Turn strangers into friends. Connect, persuade, inspire. The better question? What can’t you do with languages?
Every language I’ve learned has opened a door I didn’t know was there - to friendships, impromptu chats, late-night laughter and unexpected belonging. Because sometimes, speaking a few words in someone else’s language can change the story of your life. albarolanguages.com/2025/09/01/o...
One Conversation Away: The Adventures Waiting Behind Every Language You Learn
When people ask me why I’ve spent so much of my life learning languages, I tend to smile and say something along the lines of: “Because speaking someone else’s language opens doors that don’t even …
albarolanguages.com
September 2, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Every language I’ve learned has opened a door I didn’t know was there - to friendships, impromptu chats, late-night laughter and unexpected belonging. Because sometimes, speaking a few words in someone else’s language can change the story of your life. albarolanguages.com/2025/09/01/o...
If you know some French, why not give Romanian a try? Not only is Bucharest known as 'Little Paris', but Romanian words like 'om, creion, machiaj & sondaj' are familiar to learners of French. What better way to celebrate Romanian on #RomanianLanguageDay! albarolanguages.com/2024/01/24/r...
Romanian: Romance with a Twist
After most of the ‘major’ Romance languages (Spanish, French, Catalan, Portuguese and Italian) had firmly embedded themselves in my heart and mind, there was one more, winking at me and beckoning a…
albarolanguages.com
August 31, 2025 at 7:52 PM
If you know some French, why not give Romanian a try? Not only is Bucharest known as 'Little Paris', but Romanian words like 'om, creion, machiaj & sondaj' are familiar to learners of French. What better way to celebrate Romanian on #RomanianLanguageDay! albarolanguages.com/2024/01/24/r...
If ti vuls discurrer a language but nu înțelegi all the right woorden, you still یاد خواهی گرفت a lot by dizer what you can 说出, even if es scheint dir tre malfacila. Soon, your jezik will lacharol and jy kan fill in the gaps. Languages are all about communication and connection.
August 30, 2025 at 3:07 PM
If ti vuls discurrer a language but nu înțelegi all the right woorden, you still یاد خواهی گرفت a lot by dizer what you can 说出, even if es scheint dir tre malfacila. Soon, your jezik will lacharol and jy kan fill in the gaps. Languages are all about communication and connection.
Learn another language and you really see other people. You find common ground. You make human connections. You enjoy new experiences. You celebrate difference. You step out of your bubble. All your senses are heightened. Learn another language, and you're a citizen of the world.
August 28, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Learn another language and you really see other people. You find common ground. You make human connections. You enjoy new experiences. You celebrate difference. You step out of your bubble. All your senses are heightened. Learn another language, and you're a citizen of the world.