What Languages do I speak?
Brazilian Portuguese
Level C1
Brazilian Portuguese is by far my favorite language and I would argue it is objectively one of the most beautiful. The grammar is a bit more difficult than Spanish but in my opinion it is well worth it. The sounds are unique and the music is legendary.
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It is my strongest foreign language at this point. I struggle with certain vocabulary but am able to express myself with some fluidity in daily conversation with Brazilians. I still have an accent which locals can pick up on but I should be able to reach C2 by the end of 2024.
Spanish
Level B2
I never spent much time working on Spanish but due to the fact that I've cumulatively spent 3 years in Spain, Peru, Chile, and Paraguay, it was something that I had to pick up interacting with so many locals. I own and read several chess books in Spanish and am able to understand roughly 90% of the writing. My spoken Spanish remains quite weak and beyond saying basic things correctly, I butcher the grammar whenever more complex sentences have to be constructed. I am not passionate at all about the language and that is the only reason why I may never fully master it. I will continue to come into contact with the language through travelling in Latin America and abroad, and so perhaps I will be able to gradually perfect it.
Buenos Aires
Mandarin
Level B2
Along with Brazilian Portuguese, Mandarin is the one other language I have a distinct passion for. The character-writing, culture, tonal speaking, and flexible grammar all combine to make this one of the most unique languages out there. I minored in Chinese at McGill University and also spent a lot of time in China. I am taking daily classes on preply with a Chinese speaker to hopefully achieve C2 level by mid 2025.
Turkish
Level A2
I spent Fall of 2020 in Istanbul and for a few months took intensive Turkish classes with a tutor. The language is extremely peculiar with its suffix-based construction style. I had gotten to a B2-level before forgetting it entirely after leaving. My Dad is Turkish and the goal is to be fluent enough to have long winded arguments with him over tea and Backgammon. To that purpose I will devote time to achieving C2 once Mandarin is dealt with.
Russian
Level A1
I took an intensive college course in it for a semester and that's about it for the moment. The grammar is a bit complex but compared to Turkish it's a walk in the park. Cyrillic has left a deep impression on me with its 10 vowels and backwards r's.
I hope to return to Russian at some unspecified time. I intend for this to be the 4th of 5 languages I achieve professional fluency (C2) in.
French
Level A1
I studied on and off for 2 years between 2016 and 2018. Before encountering Brazilian Portuguese I was convinced this was the best latin-based language. It certainly sounds nice with it's distinctive sound profile. I suspect the reason I never developed a firmer grasp on it is that unlike, Spanish and Portuguese, I never spent extended amounts of time among French speakers. Depending on if my dream trip to Madagascar ever takes place, French may be kept on the backburner for several years.
Serbo-Croatian
Level A1
For 8 months over 2021 and 2022 I was convinced I would be settling in Serbia. To that end I studied Serbo-Croatian to the level of B1. Of course, since leaving Serbia I've forgotten 90% of what I knew. The language itself is remarkable resembling a hybrid of a Slavic-influenced Italian with Russian-styled cases. I would have no problem picking the language up again if I end up relocating to Serbia or Croatia but until then learning it would be completely useless! The one time I spoke it outside of Serbia was when I guessed off hand that my servers in an NYC pizzeria were Serbian. Outside of the country, apart from an occasional neighborhood enclave in a big city, finding Serbian speakers to practice with would be nearly impossible. Sadly this means day by day my Serbian will become more and more rusty, to the point where I don't remember anything.