Rosie Goldsmith is an award-winning journalist and has
traveled the world reporting on current affairs. She was born in the UK but has
spent time living in many different countries including South Africa, Germany
and Italy. Rosie is a passionate advocate for immersing yourself in different
cultures and is the creator of the European Literature Network.
“Hearing the sounds of all the different languages was just magical to
me”
The interview began with Rosie telling us all about her travels when she
was younger, and how this started her language learning journey. She loved to
find out more about the people and the culture of the country she was visiting.
She realised very early on that language was the tool she needed to be able to
really experience what a country was like.
It was therefore a natural choice for Rosie to study languages at school
and university. However, she does warn of the difference between formal education
over immersive learning. Teachers will generally have a formal approach to the
language so you can understand and manipulate it, but in practice you’ll often
find that’s not how the language is spoken. For example, when learning French
you’re taught to say “Comment allez-vous?” to greet someone. In
France, however, you’re much more likely to hear “Ça va?” instead. It’s
these colloquialisms that you don’t normally pick up with only formal language
lessons.
“My languages are a passport”
Rosie had never planned to become a journalist. It was a case of right
place, right time while she was living in Germany. Going into broadcasting
meant that she had the opportunity to ‘perform’, which she was used to from her
days as a singer and actress. So it felt a very natural career choice for her.
However, Rosie confesses that the opportunity was only possible thanks to her
ability to speak in German, French and then later, Italian.
“Not saying you have to be an extrovert to learn a language… but it does
help!”
Clear in her belief that everyone should try to learn another language,
Rosie thinks that it is in fact criminal for young people not be given the
opportunity at school. Like any subject, languages can be hard to start with.
Not everyone is going to be good at it. It’s about getting out there and
trying, even if you only learn a few phrases.
Rosie also reminded us that language learning isn’t isolated. Language
ties up with other interests such as history or music. So find something you’re
interested in and just give it a go!
“I love the fact that they make me into different people”
According to Rosie, language has the power to affect your personality.
For example, German is much more formal compared to Italian which makes the
speaker more expressive. To Rosie, “a language is a cognitive door to a
deeper sense of yourself.”
It was this aspect of languages that impacted her choice for her
university degree. Rosie explained that she had traveled to both France and
Germany and each country had brought out a different side of her. She therefore
couldn’t chose between the two and just decided to study both!
Rosie finished the interview by telling us all about her favourite words
and impressing us with her ability to switch seamlessly between languages!
Watch the full interview below:
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