Matt Boyle here. Language learner and founder of Language Card Games.

In world that is so divided and chaotic, language learners give me an unbreakable hope. They’re the kind of people who love to build bridges, not walls. They’re the kind of people who love deep conversations, not trivial distractions. 

They know how to listen… with patience and empathy. They know how to respond… with kindness and effectiveness. I feel like these skills grew more easily before, in those halcyon days when people actually got together to socialize and play with their friends and family, as well as those in their broader community. But now, we have devices and social media to contend with, which are always pulling at our lizard brain, vying for yet another infinitesimal slice of our attention. (Technology is important and useful, but when it’s not kept in its proper place, it destroys our chances for authentic relationships.)

So let’s get back to sitting around the table and communing! Let’s reclaim our shared humanity! As language learners, a sacred mission lies before us: to highlight what we have in common, to celebrate where we have differences, and to try to express everything as beautifully as we can through our carefully chosen words.