My Language Exchange - By Madu Lopes

My main motivation to participate in a language exchange program is the strong desire to achieve real fluency, which goes far beyond the grammar and vocabulary we learn in books.

Although formal study is important, the true language is found in the day to day, such as in slang, idiomatic expressions, the rhythm of informal conversations and the cultural subtleties that are difficult to understand from the outside. An exchange provides a total immersion, making us think, act and live in the language we desire. This practice accelerates learning in a way that no classroom can match.

Furthermore, I am motivated by the chance to get to know the culture, customs, and everything related in a warmer way. I want to go beyond the tourist experience and really understand what life is like in another part of the world. This shows a greater feeling of citizenship and empathy.

Living in a different country helps to develop resistance, problem-solving skills and independence. It makes me leave my comfort zone, which is where the greatest growth happens (and something I have aspired to since I was little).

Building a new social network, with different people, with different customs and ideologies, adapting to different habits and managing daily tasks in a new language is a difficult challenge, but very rewarding. In the end, a language exchange is not just about learning to speak in another way, but also learning to see the world in a new way.