I’m not completely sold on the idea of making a career out of languages. None of the traditional language-related professions appeal to me. But it is also true that I have to do something after I finish my studies to keep up my language skills. I don’t want to study and then just forget everything.

I have almost finished my teacher training. Teaching is tempting, because in teaching to others, you’re better able to internalise information and learn yourself.

I had already started to sketch out the topic for my master’s thesis in German Philology when I was accepted to study French Philology, of which I have now completed the intermediate studies. At the moment I am concentrating on Italian Philology, with the goal of at least completing the intermediate studies. Then I will have to finally nail down a topic for my thesis.

I want my master’s thesis to generate some new knowledge, even if it is only a tiny fraction of it. I see no point in studying just for the sake of getting a degree, something that is so popular nowadays. As a potential topic I have been considering studying how far-right rhetoric is used in different countries: Germany, France, Italy, and Finland. I want to come up with some real results.

When it comes to studying, I am only competing with myself. It’s neither here nor there how well or poorly someone else knows a language. People too often tend to let things get them down. There is no point in competing, because there is always someone better than you. It is downright impossible to compare someone who has been bilingual from an early age with someone who began their second language studies as an adult.