Right now I speak 4 languages :

(I didn’t include Chinese because my level is still too low.)

By doing my exchange semester in Shanghai, I realized something important: being a polyglot is a superpower. One that could help me in every single aspect of my life.

Here’s why it can help yours too :

People appreciate it when you know even a few words in their mother tongue. It shows you’re genuinely curious about their culture.

Had I only spoken French. I would never have gone to Shanghai in the first place. Let alone gone on a date there.

And yes, speaking multiple languages also means a bigger dating pool.

Your network is only as wide as the languages you speak.

Speak English → you can reach almost everyone.

Speak Vietnamese → your reach is limited to Vietnamese speakers.

That’s why I know so many French startup founders creating content in English.

They want their ideas to spread globally. (It’s also what I’m doing right now by writing this in English.)

Traveling as a tourist doesn’t feel the same as a local. People scam you. You only see the “good side” of the country you visit. But when you start talking with locals, that’s when it’s the most interesting.

You get to know the other side.

Let’s be honest: if you don’t speak English today, you’re at a massive disadvantage.

But beyond survival, languages multiply your opportunities: friendships, jobs, experiences you wouldn’t even know existed otherwise.

I saw so many interesting Chinese AI communities. Yet I couldn’t easily talk with them. Simply because they didn’t speak English.

Here’s the thing: people are always more open, more detailed, more authentic in their mother tongue. If you don’t speak it, you’ll always miss part of the picture.

Some people change how they behave based on the language they speak.

South Koreans have “aegyos”: a playful, cute behavior that cannot be directly translated.

I remember meeting a Beninese guy in Shanghai. At first, we spoke Chinese. Then I mentioned I was French, and we switched. That’s when he opened up and told me his whole story. Something that would never have happened in a second language.

Until next week,

Rémy