Half a dozen young men from Somalia, four women from Iraqi Kurdistan, and six volunteers from Newcastle upon Tyne. Add some humour and sensitivity to the mix, and you have the perfect recipe for kindness and compassion. Entering the kitchen on that cold Sunday in November, I saw an array of ingredients on the table in front of us. I had decided to do some volunteering for a local refugee charity, but to be honest I had no idea what to expect.  I had been assigned to the middle table and would be responsible for cooking the ‘hot’ meal. There were two slight problems, however. Firstly, I’m not renowned for my culinary ability, and secondly, I don’t speak Somali, Arabic or Kurdish. Nevertheless, it was amazing how despite…

It’s only fair to share my story first! At school I had zero interest in languages. It would be easy to blame the attitude to language learning that English schools had 25 years ago but the truth is that like most teenagers I was more interested in the boy next door.  I remember a total of 4 words of the French I was taught at school – Bonjour and Pain Au Chocolat!  Fast forward to my mid twenties. I had finished university and entered the world of full time work but wanted to continue learning something.  I was looking around a second hand shop on my lunch break and found…

Can You Build Meaningful Relationships Over Skype? A Personal Reflection on Language Learning and Connection In today’s post-Covid reality, many people are asking: Can we really build or maintain a meaningful relationship with someone over Skype? As someone who actively uses Italki for language learning, I believe the answer is a resounding yes. My experience with Italki, which facilitates one-on-one conversations with teachers or informal language partners, has shown me that you can develop deep, lasting connections without ever being in the same room. Let me tell you why. There’s a Spanish word, sabiduría, that encapsulates wisdom gained through life experience. I’m not sure there’s an exact English equivalent, but…