In my younger days I met an outstanding swedish gal in Germany and she convinced me to go with her to live in Sweden, but said she, "after one week in Stockholm, I will not answer you if you speak to me in English or German - you've gotta speak Swedish - its for your own limitless future"
What a gal!!!
I enrolled in a government school - there were many, many foreigners in my class from so many countries, it was sheer poetry to me.
One day, a Thai student just could not grasp a vocabulary word - after explaining the concept within the swedish language several times, the Professor (Rolf) gave him the word in his own language (Thai).
The Thai boy almost fell off his chair. So did I.
I almost fell off again when it was quickly learned in a private chat that Rolf was proficient in upwards of 24 languages, possibly 30+
I was in HEAVEN.
Within a year I was reading Dagens Nyheter a swedish newspaper and conversing at a level that caught every swede's attention. And how did that come about?
I was definitely a major part of it for I was relentless as a student but the rest was due to Rolf, a teacher creme de la creme, the best of the best.
THAT IS WHAT I"M TALKING ABOUT