My First Language Learning Experience - and How It Made Me a Teacher

My First Language Obsession: How a Childhood Trip to Russia Changed Everything

Hi, I’m Chiara—an Italian language enthusiast living in Brussels and now a full-time language teacher. In this post, I want to share how my passion for languages began in the most unexpected way: through a family trip to Russia and a fascination with the Cyrillic alphabet. Spoiler alert - this childhood curiosity would later shape my career and life path.

Struggling with English in School

People often assume I have a natural talent for language learning, but that wasn’t always the case. As a child, I struggled with English in school. I didn’t connect with the logic, disliked the sound, and found my teacher’s pronunciation examples awkward. I wasn’t exactly the kid you'd expect to become a language teacher.

The Turning Point: A Trip to Russia in 2004

Everything changed in 2004 when I was 11 and went on a family trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg. I wasn’t thinking about becoming a language learner or teacher back then - I wanted to be a writer. But something unexpected caught my attention: a travel guide with a glossary and the Cyrillic alphabet.

That was my spark.

Falling in Love with the Cyrillic Alphabet

I began teaching myself the Cyrillic alphabet by transliterating Italian words. It wasn’t always easy—I had no way to hear the correct pronunciation and some letters confused me (especially those with dual sounds like “г” and “ё”).

Still, I remember the excitement of learning something completely new. I’d ask my mom for random words just so I could write them down in Cyrillic. That joy and curiosity stayed with me.

From Hobby to Habit: Collecting Phrasebooks and Learning Alphabets

While most kids collected stickers, I collected phrasebooks. Every trip to Milan meant another language book from the local bookstore. I wasn’t fluent in Russian yet, but I was developing the mindset of a language learner - self-motivated, curious, and consistent.

I also loved exploring new writing systems. 

Why “Talent” Isn’t the Whole Story

People often say I’m “gifted with languages,” but the truth is more nuanced. Talent needs the right environment to grow. I created those conditions myself—through consistent curiosity, playful experimentation, and eventually, structured learning.

One of the tools that helped me most in those years was the website Omniglot, which offered a treasure trove of writing systems and phonetics. It even improved my English, because I finally had a reason to use it and learn it properly.

Whether you're just starting out or coming back to language learning after a break, remember that your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else's. Learning a language can begin anywhere—even with a childhood scribble in Cyrillic.

Want more stories, tips, and real talk about learning languages as an adult?

Subscribe to my WhatsApp channels, in English or Italian.