Learning new languages can be hard, and with San Luis Obispo High School only offering four different foreign language programs, senior Erin Pipes has taken it into her own hands to become multilingual. In her interview with Expressions, Pipes shared her experiences with learning multiple languages.

Expressions: How many languages do you currently speak or are learning to speak?

Senior Erin Pipes: Russian, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, German, Latin, Greek…. About seven.

Expressions: How many of those do you speak fluently right now?

Pipes: None truly fluently. But I’m getting there in Latin.

Expressions: What’s your favorite language to learn?

Pipes: German.

Expressions: Why?

Pipes: Well, structurally it’s very similar to English, but the words are also really fun to say.

Expressions: What’s your favorite [German] word?

Pipes: “Knöpfen.”

Expressions: What does that mean?

Pipes: “Button.”

Expressions: Do you think you’re going to use any of these languages in the future?

Pipes: Yes, I plan on either becoming an interpreter or a psychologist, but I do plan on doing at least a year abroad in Germany during college.

Expressions: Why Germany?

Pipes: College is free there.  And I mean it’s got a really cool culture, and we don’t learn that much about Germany besides the World War II crap.

Expressions: So what made you want to learn all these languages?

Pipes: “Dora the Explorer.”