Instagram: Angie_Tonachio

TikTok: Wiener.Salad

During my time working at a surf hostel, I was often surrounded by coworkers and guests who didn’t all speak English fluently. To connect and communicate effectively, I took the initiative to learn some key words in Bahasa, French, and Spanish.

This helped us bridge the language gap. Beyond words, we used a lot of acting out, hand gestures, and body language to get our points across. This approach not only helped me engage with the community but also built genuine friendships—some of my coworkers are now some of my best friends.

This experience taught me that effective communication goes beyond language—it’s about empathy, creativity, and making a real effort to understand and be understood.

How I’d approach promoting language learning to a diverse audience:

1. Highlight real-life benefits: Showcase how learning a new language opens doors to new cultures, friendships, and career opportunities

2. Use inclusive and relatable stories: Share diverse examples and success stories from people of different backgrounds and ages to make the content feel accessible to everyone.

3. Keep it simple and fun: Use engaging, easy-to-understand language and visuals, so learners at any level feel motivated and confident.

4. Leverage trends: Incorporate popular TikTok or Instagram trends, sounds, or challenges that appeal to broad audiences but tie back to the language learning theme.

   Overall, my goal would be to make language learning feel exciting, achievable, and relevant to everyone!