In many ways, my interest in language learning began with my grandmother. She moved from Switzerland to England when she was young and I was always amazed that she spoke English to me, Italian to my grandfather and French or German on the phone to her relatives and friends. I always imagined she could be a translator of books, or a tour guide. What's more, she didn't learn English at school, but picked it up by herself when she came to England.

It's hard for me to understand how someone can speak several languages so well. I can just speak a bit of Italian and German by listening to her. And I hardly use other languages in my own job. But that doesn't mean I don't want to learn other languages. In my eyes, being able to ask for a meal in a restaurant on holiday in a non-English speaking country would be great. Most important of all, it would be nice to talk with people from around the world-it would be easier to make new friends if I spoke their language. In fact, language learning is easier now than ever because of new technology. For example, recording your voice helps you see how well you're doing and helps you continue to improve. There are apps to help you learn new words. However, I still think going to class improves conversation skills and helps you quickly deal with mistakes. So it's better to combine （结合） different methods.