"Hallo, Do You Speak English?"

30 October 2026

Reflections on language I start my German lessons this week. I know, I’m scared for me too. But moving to Switzerland means I’m required to learn one of three official languages — German, French, or Italian. Can I share a secret? I’m surprised that I can’t get by living in Switzerland with only English. It’s obvious that moving to a new country may mean learning a new language and so living in a Swiss German canton means learning German, but man, I’m nervous. German is tough. For example, take “Geburtstagsgeschenke.” What do you think that means? It means birthday gifts. BIRTHDAY GIFTS. Everyone I talk to about learning German makes the same face, as if to say — “Eish, couldn’t be me!” or “Phew, girl, good luck.” And so here I am, grappling with a few questions you may also have, so let’s dive in. Isn’t English Universal? Apparently, no. It’s not. I know I sound silly, but I’ve never really thought that much about the fact that I only speak English. Maybe it’s because the U.S. is so big — I can take a five hour flight and be in the same country; not the case in Europe. Maybe it’s because English is so universal in my circles; it’s usually my only option (until a family gathering or a conversation with my grandmother when my elementary Ndebele rises from the ashes). Leaving the U.S. has forced me to reckon with my lack of language skills for the first time since high school. Growing up in the eastern, mid-Atlantic U.S. with immigrants from all over the world (compared to say … the Southern Western U.S. or parts of Florida and California), English is the lingua franca. Rarely did I head to the grocery store or anywhere and think, “Am I going to be understood?” Alas, my new life brought me face to face with the hard fact that English is not totally universal. I mean, I knew this intellectually, but the lived experience of having to think about the words coming out of my mouth is emotionally and physically jarring. How Does Language Shape My Experience? Honestly, I’ve been mulling over this question quite a bit. (If you have thoughts, please share them in the comments below.) All I know is that during my first two months, I sometimes avoided leaving the apartment because of the language barrier. I felt self-conscious about not speaking Swiss German, and to me, it seemed an insult to start every conversation with “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” (Do you speak English?) Maybe that was my projection onto Swiss German people, I don’t know. When I shared how the language barrier had become almost a physical barrier for me, a fellow American suggested I stop asking “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” and begin my conversations with English. What? I can do that?! That hadn’t even occurred to me. I did it; and all of a sudden it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I’ve left the apartment so much more ever since. For background, as an African raised in America, English is my native language because it’s the language I grew up speaking, but it is technically the second or third language I learned. Knowing different languages is powerful. Think about it, when we (I’m looking at you, fellow Americans) meet someone who speaks more than one language, we think — “oh, that person is [smart, cool, capable, etc].” To me it also means this person can belong to, and transition through, different spaces. It’s a passport of sorts. I mean, why else do colonizers (neo, and otherwise) insist on spreading sharing their language? In a recent stand up bit, the comedian TJ jokes about third languages and the impact of slavery and colonialism on language, saying, “That’s the way the world happened, people take over other people’s cultures and they (the colonizer) make you speak their language. If you’re a different nationality than your language… that’s not good [for you].” But TJ’s point made me think about the power of language, the tool it can be for embracing or erasing peoples and culture. For example, take South Africa’s 12 national languages, a balancing act embracing the majority of the indigenous peoples through language. Compare that to the indigenous peoples in Brazil, Angola, or Hawa’ii speaking non-indigenous languages. For me there’s also an element of power dynamics when it comes to learning and speaking languages. I think of Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, who famously published primarily in his native Kikuyu (or Gĩgĩkũyũ) and wrote specifically about decolonizing language. As a result, I’m very aware when I bring English into a non-English speaking space. But what’s the dynamic when I’m going from one colonizer language (English) to another (German)? Am I contributing to these power dynamics? Maybe. Then Why Am I Even Learning German? In case you’re wondering, yes, I’m learning German for immigration purposes. To fully integrate or assimilate (what’s the difference?) into Switzerland, I am required to learn the official language of my city. Again, intellectually I recognize that Switzerland is not an English speaking nation, and yet given that it’s 2025 and English is “everywhere,” I am stunned. My casual, subconscious American/English supremacy thought I would be fine to build a life with only English. Spoiler alert: I am not. When I peel back the layers, and wonder why all the deep feelings about learning German, I realize I’m torn. When Swiss people speak to me in English, it pulls them a little out of their space and into mine. And at the same time, speaking only English leaves me out of Swiss spaces. There’s so much stunted conversation when you’re getting to know someone, much less getting to know someone through a language barrier. I’ve come think of it as a veil sewn to my head, I’m wearing the veil and no one can see me clearly and I can’t really see them clearly either. And it’s not just about going into town, it’s about sitting at dinner with my in-laws. It’s about making genuine friends with whom I can build emotional intimacy. It’s about feeling at home in Switzerland. The reality is there are plenty of people who speak English in Switzerland and aren’t bothered by speaking it, so maybe I’m overthinking the whole thing. But there’s power in language. And I want to always be the most powerful version of myself. If you’ve ever had an experience learning a new language, please leave a comment and share your experience. Or if you think I’m overthinking this whole thing, share that, too! Leave a comment Thanks for reading “Becoming An Immigrant, Again.” Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Originally published on Substack on October 13, 2025.