Day 72 - Learn how to say thank you in other languages so you can thank people in their native tongues.

They say that one of the best phrases you can learn when traveling in another country is 'thank you'. Not only does it show your gratitude for a person's help, but also a certain level of respect in the fact that you're attempting to reach out in their local language.

There are many good reasons to learn another language or words in another language; one of the best reasons is that language learning is an example of "cognitive reserve", which is something that keeps the mind active in the same way puzzles and games do.  Scientists have found that one of the best methods of fending off the symptoms of dementia (a popular form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease) and brain damage is by building up your ‘cognitive reserve’.  People who live intellectually stimulating lives and who are better educated are somehow better protected against the factors that trigger mental decline.

Not to mention but the majority of the world does not speak English; in today’s society we are so isolated that we hardly realize this. More and more towns and cities in the United States are becoming diversified and we are coming into contact with more non-English speakers all of the time. So learning another language will benefit you in terms of business and personal relationships by being able to communicate with people in their language. This will set you apart and gain immediate respect and credibility.

Today I will be trying to memorize how to say ‘thank you’ in 5 different languages. I chose the following 5 languages because not only do I think they common languages spoken throughout, but they are also languages that have intrigued me.  

1. French – Thank you in French is ‘Merci’ (pronounced mair-see)
2. Swahili (language of Africa) – Thank you in Swahili is ‘Asante’ (pronounced ah-SAWN-tay)
3. Hindi (language of India) – Thank you in Hindi is ‘Shukriya’ (pronounced shook-ri-ya
4. Chinese – Thank you in Chinese is ‘Xiè Xiè’(pronounced shi-e shi-e)
5. Italian – Thank you in Italian is ‘Grazie’ (pronounced gra-zee)

Although I cannot guarantee I will remember the above gratitude phrases, I will definitely make it a point to learn words in another language each time I travel and will also try to practice these five phrases on a weekly basis. You should do the same, try to memorize at least one ‘thank you’ phrase in another language today. We all know how important manners are and it’s a nice feeling when you show thankfulness to another person, especially in their native tongue.♥

"To have another language is to possess a second soul." - Charlemagne♥