Why do we choose to study the languages we do? In her second installment, Lily Alford teases the tricky question of cultural engagement, exploring how a love of reggaeton or Argentine politics may not be the only key to the great glass door of Spanish language learning and culture.

With the first instalment of her slow-travel series, Lily Alford reflects on the opportunities for personal growth which are presented to us through language learning. Some days the words spill, others they sputter, but they are never wasted.