Speaking two languages is amazing.
 

You might even have three or more.

It gives you a widened sense of communication, of community, of connection. 

It gives you the ability to listen to those people behind you on the tube complimenting your shoes in your second language and smile to yourself and be glad.

But, it also brings confusion. 

It brings listening to your relatives speak faster in another tongue than you can and searching for a word in one language that carries the same meaning as the one in your head that would mean nothing to the people around you. 

Sorry, was that English I just spoke? 

Sorry, I know that German wasn’t quite right. 

Even more frighteningly, you start, maybe, to lose one language. 

And it feels like a part of you is becoming detached, harder to access and utilise; a treasure chest you can’t quite find the key to unlock. 

And you can hear it from someone else, too. 

“I find speaking Hindi a valuable skill. Speaking another language gives me a different perspective of a culture and enables me to communicate with many more people. However, it requires constant practice, and without this, it becomes challenging to maintain fluency and accent, which I struggle with most.”

- Khushali Khandelwal, speaker of English and Hindi.

So, is the ability to communicate in another tongue worth the slight loss of the original one? 

Yes, I would say, on the whole. 

Travelling, meeting new people, forming new connections and having access to a new secret code that only some can speak is always worth it. 

Just remember to try and keep it that way.

In fact, do everything you can to keep both alive. 

Sign up to courses, talk to relatives as much as you can, read in those languages until you achieve fluency. 

Please. 

Because without language, what are we?

Without the ability to communicate, to express opinions, beliefs, thoughts, what are we? 

It is what makes us human. 

Maybe this is a sign to go and learn another language. 

Try and expand your communication. 

Talk to new people. 

Keep your existing ones alive. 

And we will continue to be creative, interesting and individual.