Member Profile: Mara Del Valle

My name Is Mara Del Valle and I am from Mexico City. I have been privileged enough to be able to learn several languages because of personal interest.

Language is easily the first interaction we have with people and is the best window into their world view; it tells you what they find important and as such is a way for empathy.

It has been very important for me to be able to comprehend the differences of the human experience and ways of expression. Has it happened to you that all of a sudden you find a word or proverb that gets a feeling or situation just right? Most of what happens to us has been experienced by someone else already.

Needless to say, language serves as a time capsule, preserving the history and heritage of a people—making it all the more important to keep it alive. In Mexico, there is often a stigma attached to speaking indigenous languages, so it’s incredibly refreshing to see others making efforts to protect and promote their native tongues.

It may seem difficult at times, but it’s always worthwhile to try—at the very least—to understand the loss of unique ways of expression that is taking place in our increasingly globalised world.