Knowledge of language helped me know Moldova, András Brett from Hungary

[Info-Prim Neo interview of the Series “Moldova-20! Whereto?”] [ – Why did you decide to study Romanian?] – I arrived in Moldova in 2008 for a four-year period and quickly realized that I will have to learn the official language in order to do my job better and live a full life. [ – Did the Romanian language help you discover a different Moldova?] – You understand the country better when you talk to its people. The knowledge of Romanian helped me know the Moldovan traditions better. I traveled all over the country, from Soroca to Giurgiulesti, and saw wonderful places and people. [ – How much do you speak in Romanian?] – Most of all, I speak Romanian when working with my Moldovan colleagues and then in restaurants and shops. But I want to speak it more as a language is forgotten when it is not spoken. [ – Does Romanian help you in the dialogue with the Moldovan officials?] – Most of the officials speak foreign languages, but surely they are glad when they see I speak Romanian and ask me how this is possible. [ – Why not all the Moldovans know and speak the official language and how does this affect society?] – The answer to the first question is very simple – those who know Russian can do well everywhere as this language is spoken by everyone. That’s why the ‘other-language speakers’ (I do not like this term that has not been even included in the explicative dictionary) do not need to learn it (the Romanian language – e.n.). I don’t think they can earn something from this. On the contrary, they do not enjoy all the advantages in the business sector for example, in the relations with Romanian companies. I would like this situation not to affect society, but it has a negative impact as some people from both of the camps, luckily not many, believe that their native language is more important than the other language. I think those who know two languages as mother tongues can be envied. But the promotion of Romanian should not harm Russian. The aim should be that everyone must speak both of the languages at the same level or at least so that the people could communicate and understand each other. [ – Where and how did you learn Romanian?] – When I was a student, I studied it for a year, but I did not remember much as I did not speak Romanian. In 2008, I accidentally discovered the Romanian Language House situated on M. Kogalniceanu St. I entered and met Alexei Axan, who nicely explained the studying methods to me and I started to learn it. I watched TV, read newspapers and started to talk little by little. As they say – a language is learnt during a whole life! [Elena Nistor, Info-Prim Neo]