Learning a language is not easy for most people. It requires discipline, time, and dedication. But is there also an easier, more enjoyable way?
Doing fun things—watching films or TV, reading the news, books, comics, texting, having conversations, and so on—can make the process more enjoyable. I, for example, develop language learning apps in new languages because that makes learning them more fun for me.
As someone who has studied linguistics and learned multiple languages, my most important tip for language learning is this: discover what you love about that language.
There are books, films, and music in almost every language—but what makes this language special to you? Find the elements in the language that you love. Is it the alphabet? The etymology? The literature or poetry? The grammar? The sentence structure? Word order? Is it the metaphors or idioms?
Once you know the answer, focus on and enjoy that part of the language. And just like that, you’ll start to enjoy interacting with that language more and more. That’s because you’re appreciating it more and because it’s always easier to learn something when you love it.
But finding what you love isn’t always easy. Not everyone is drawn to the same things, and you need to know the language somewhat before you can recognise what stands out to you. Still, once you discover what you love about a language, learning it becomes so much easier—and far more rewarding.
As someone who has carried out anthropological research in several different settings and on various groups, it can be easy to make participant observation, note-taking, and writing up research feel highly formalised. This is, of course, important for maintaining good research standards and credibility.
However, anthropology doesn’t have to be only a career or job description. It can also be a hobby—a fun and engaging one.
I try to practise anthropology as often as I can: when watching domestic or foreign films, observing people in everyday settings, or analysing automatic translations on foreign websites (some word-for-word translations can be both amusing and informative). And because you’re not observing to publish academic research, you don’t need to focus on many things or delve into complex issues. It’s enough to notice simple details—like toilets, body language, how close people stand to each other, naming customs, eating arrangements, and so on. It’s not about constructing theories; it’s about practising observation and enjoying the act of being curious.
Because this isn’t a professional research context, you also don’t need to limit yourself to one group or setting. This gives you the freedom to let your eyes wander and simply notice what stands out, without the need for a rigid framework.
This kind of everyday observation sharpens your skills. The more attuned you are to small cultural variations and sensory details, the more insightful questions you can ask. It also helps you better understand any context you find yourself in—a valuable tool for developing strong intercultural awareness.
And finally, your observations often make for great conversation starters. Asking something like, “How do people usually stand in an elevator in this country?” is a question most people have never consciously considered. They’ll likely appreciate your eye for detail—and might even join you in looking at the world a little more curiously.
Audio recording of the blog post created with Vidnoz AI and Apple sound.
Many people enter international development because they want to help others. Often, they picture themselves as heroes helping the less fortunate. While this desire to help is good, it’s often not enough. What matters most isn’t your intentions – it’s your ideas.
There’s an old saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” While being rather dramatic, this saying could describe several failed development projects. When we’re too focussed on our good intentions and wanting to “help”, we can become biased when it comes to the efficacy and efficiency of our work. We may over-present the positive outcomes and under-present the negative outcomes. We might even accept lower standards because we think that any help is better than no help.
This thinking is backward and actually the opposite is true: If people didn’t ask for your help, you may need to provide extremely good help for them to want it. Just because something is free doesn’t mean it can be low quality. Just because your organisation is a charity doesn’t mean that it should be less efficient or viable than a business. The truth is that if you want your project to succeed, it must be sustainable and qualitative and well-organised and it must solve problems that people want to have solved.
So instead of just thinking about how much you want to help, think of specific problems. Don’t just think of abstract notions like poverty or inequality or injustice, be as concrete and precise as possible. Ask yourself: What does poverty look like specifically in this area? What concrete examples of inequality are there? What could be a real, practical solution to these problems? And how can I provide this solution in a sustainable way?
Many people may want to just “start an NGO” but don’t know what for or what about. This will not work. Think of your NGO as a start-up business: Would you want to start a business without a great, new, needed, innovative idea or technology? No. Then why do that with an NGO?
Listen to this blog post as an audio file generated by Apple’s system voice.
I believe that it is incredibly important for those who want to begin with Christian ministry or international development to seriously question their motivations first.
For example, ask yourself whom specifically you want to help. Can you name specific groups or concrete individuals? Do you also want to help your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues or do you just feel that way about abstract people in faraway places? If your desire to help is mainly abstract, it’s probably worth questioning those motivations. The uncomfortable truth is that ideals of abstract service can sometimes mask a deeper desire for recognition or validation. Could you be wanting to help people so othat will see you as good and helpful?
When the motivation to help others comes from a need for approval, we enter dangerous territory. Pleasing everyone is an impossible task and those who fall into this trap can often overextend themselves. Sometimes we can believe there is no end to the amount of help needed and feel incredibly burdened by it. This can lead us to ignoring our own needs, doing too much and still ending up feeling unfulfilled. This often leads to burnout or exhaustion, and actually makes you less effective in your work. It is important to remember that you are not responsible for fixing ever problem or getting everything right. Your worth does not come from what you do but from who you are, and who you are right now is already worth enough.
Wanting to please people can also lead you to putting on a mask or appearance that doesn’t match who you really are on the inside. It is only when we are comfortable being ourselves that we can make genuine connections. This is not always easy though, because in certain situations we have to choose between pleasing people and being authentic, for example by saying no to people. If we choose to hide our real beliefs and mask our own needs too many times, we can become bitter. And if we then still continue to wear our perfect masks, it can become a very dangerous vicious cycle of ever-increasing resentment and anger.
Pleasing people can also lead to very shallow relationships. If you feel emotionally distanced from the people you are trying to help despite your efforts, consider whether you’re engaging authentically. People can sense when you are doing something to please them and aren’t meeting them on an equal level. When we subtly diminish ourselves, others perceive this imbalance. However, if you respect yourself, it is likely that other people will respect you more too.
The truth is that you will never be able to please everyone. It is also not your job to please everyone. Even if you choose to help people, that is not the same as how much you please them. And how well you can help depends on how well you are taking care of yourself. It’s not selfish to take care of your own needs first. It’s only when you have something yourself that you can also give it to others. Good service comes from being whole, not empty. That’s why it’s important that you can respect your boundaries, can take care of your needs, and that you know your self-worth.
