Language Essay Contest Winners Series: Exploring Why Andrea Tchesnovsky Learns Languages

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Last fall, undergraduate students were invited to submit short essays on the theme: Why Do I Learn Languages? This contest provided students with the chance to share their personal experiences with multilingualism and language learning. An interdisciplinary faculty committee reviewed the submissions, and the winning essays are featured below, accompanied by reflections on each student's relationship to the essay writing process and language.

We recently had the chance to speak with Andrea Tchesnovsky, a senior Comparative Literature major and winner of the language essay contest. Her award-winning essay, "Why Do I Learn Languages?", delves into the profound influence language acquisition has had throughout her life.

Finding Home in Multilingualism

In addition to her major, Tchesnovsky minors in Italian, but her language interests don't stop there. “I knew I was going to write it in Italian, but I still wanted to find a way to include all of the other languages that have shaped me,” she says. In her essay, she compares each language she speaks to a different part of a house, with each language playing a unique role. “I compared the languages I know to a house; I said that English geared in the foundation and then I gave each language a role so that people still got a comprehensive review without it being too specific.” Her approach demonstrates how the study of languages and cultures can feel both diverse and, in its own way, like home.

Winning the essay contest has also helped Tchesnovsky build closer connections with her professors. “I just wasn't expecting it but yeah, it's been really nice and everyone's been super kind. I feel closer to my teachers now, even teachers from past semesters!” 

Following Inspiration

When she first arrived at UMass, Tchesnovsky didn't anticipate that Italian would become such a central part of her academic journey. Reflecting on her experiences learning French and Spanish, she recalls thinking, “Okay well, obviously I really enjoy new languages, and these languages are kind of similar.” At the time, she was also following a content creator who was learning Italian, and their journey inspired her. “Then, I thought, ‘Yeah I have to just take Italian’. It's not like I came in with the idea that I was an Italian minor; it just kind of happened organically.”

For Tchesnovsky, learning languages is an essential skill that everyone should consider investing in. “I always hear people say ‘I wish I knew another language’ or ‘I wish my parents taught me it.’ I feel like learning languages is something that you have to take agency over. If you want to learn a language, then take responsibility. Take action and sign up and do it!” 

Tchesnovsky’s essay captures how language can shape our lives in meaningful ways, highlighting the valuable enrichment that comes with multilingual learning.

Her essay is posted below. Congratulazioni, Andrea!

Why Do I Learn Languages?

Andrea Tchesnovsky

I have always thought that my voice sounds better in Bulgarian. Maybe it’s because it’s my native language, or maybe something about the rugged consonants makes me sound more genuine, but I like myself most in Bulgarian. Still, whenever I have an idea for a story, I turn to English. It’s closest to my subconscious, and grants me the freedom and opportunity to express myself. If I am a house, then Bulgarian and English are my foundation, the basis upon which I lay the rest. 

Spanish is the screened-in porch from which I view the world. It brings me back to the smell of Seville in the spring—those glorious months I studied abroad in Spain and traveled throughout Europe. French is the apple tree in the backyard, the gift that keeps on giving. I learned it when I was eight, but it has served me well in my adult life, more than I’d have thought. Italian is where I shed my layers and rediscover the child-like wonder of learning a new language. It’s the playroom, the newest room in my house. 

Ultimately, that’s why I do it—so my house can grow until it’s big enough to swallow the whole world. 

Perché Imparo Le Lingue?

Ho sempre pensato che la mia voce suona meglio in bulgaro. Forse è perché è la mia lingua madre, o forse qualcosa sulle consonanti ruvide che mi fa sembrare più genuina, ma io mi piace di più in bulgaro. Tuttavia, ogni volta che ho un’idea per una storia, mi rivolgo all’inglese. È il più vicino al mio subconscio, e mi dà la libertà e l’opportunità di esprimermi. Se sono una casa, il bulgaro e l’inglese sono la mia fondazione, la base su cui depongo il resto. 

Lo spagnolo è il portico schermato da cui vedo il mondo. Mi riporta all’odore di Siviglia in primavera—quei gloriosi mesi che ho studiato in Spagna e ho viaggiato per tutta l’Europa. Il francese è l’albero di mele nel cortile, il dono che non finisce mai. L’ho imparato quando avevo otto anni, ma mi ha servito bene nelle mia vita adulta, più che pensassi. L’italiano è dove mi

sento vulnerabile di nuovo e riscopro la meraviglia infantile di imparare una nuova lingua. È la salla giochi, la più nova stanza di casa mia. 

Alla fine, è per questo che lo faccio—affinché la mia casa possa crescere tanto da inghiottire il mondo intero.