Most of my attitudes towards languages ​​other than my own have been shaped by being an English teacher. This year, twenty-seven different languages ​​are spoken at my school, many of which I had not heard of until recently. Growing up, I wasn't exposed to other languages ​​at all. I lived in a predominantly Caucasian area of ​​rural Pennsylvania. I haven't had any experiences with people of different races or languages. Where I live and work today stands in stark contrast to my initial experiences. When I started teaching at a school with a high population of English Learners (ELs), I didn't know what to expect. I learned to love diversity and different languages. I will often ask my students or their parents how to pronounce certain words and listen completely captivated as they speak to each other in their native language. It continues to fascinate me when I listen to five-year-olds seamlessly transition from speaking a language with their peers to speaking English with me. I only speak one language fluently. There have been many things that have dissuaded me from learning another language. The most common one is that I don't even know where to start. When I tell people I'm an EL teacher, their first response is to ask about my Spanish proficiency. Although many of my students speak Spanish, it is not the only language I work with on a daily basis. The most widely spoken languages ​​at my school, like Spanish and Kurdish, are not the ones I would want to learn first because there are so many students and parents who are able to translate or explain the majority of what is needed when needed. The language I want to speak from year to year differs depending on the students I have. One year, I had a student who spoke Karen. There is...... middle of article......My personal language learning experiences influence the teaching of my EL students through my ability to be patient with them and try to understand d 'where they come from. I have learned that I do not appreciate when conclusions are assumed due to external factors over which I have no control. I try to take this knowledge and apply it to my EL students. One of the most important lessons I have learned and apply to my teaching is that of love. Love is powerful and strong. It has the unique ability to overcome any linguistic, social, political or other barriers prevalent in a child's life. As a child, all I wanted was love and that is what I consistently and tirelessly offer to each of my EL and non-EL students. Works Cited Ogulnick, K.L. (2000). Linguistic crossings: Negotiating yourself in a multicultural world. New York, New York: Teachers College Press.