This morning I rode an early train to the city and not only enjoyed the rare pleasure of a seat, but also the chance of overhearing a conversation in Spanish I couldn’t understand – except for the occasional word.

As a fan of language and communication, I love Melbourne for the diversity of languages it’s possible to hear. Personally, I think one of the most satisfying things to experience is conversing, however poorly, with a stranger in their own language and for both people to be able to understand each other.

If you’re interested in picking up a new language and maybe one day practicing with a tourist or even a local, you might want to check out either The Foreign Language Bookshop in the CBD or Intext in Hawthorn.