--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I spoke Spanish when I was three, and…" description: "\"I spoke Spanish when I was three, and then Maltese. I love dictionaries. I like foreigners. My dad moved every year before I was 14, and I learnt to li..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/john-lloyd-16779_abroad_i-spoke-spanish-when-i-was-three-and-the_2839892.jpg" --- # I spoke Spanish when I was three, and then Maltese. I love… ![“I spoke Spanish when I was three, and then Maltese. I love dictionaries. I like foreigners. My dad moved every year before I was 14, and I learnt to like abroad. I'm not scared of change.” quote by John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/john-lloyd-16779_abroad_i-spoke-spanish-when-i-was-three-and-the_2839892.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/john-lloyd-16779_abroad_i-spoke-spanish-when-i-was-three-and-the_2839892.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a2/john-lloyd-16779_abroad_i-spoke-spanish-when-i-was-three-and-the_2839892.jpg) > “I spoke Spanish when I was three, and then Maltese. I love dictionaries. I like foreigners. My dad moved every year before I was 14, and I learnt to like abroad. I'm not scared of change.” [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adaptability grows from early exposure to diverse cultures and languages, fostering comfort with change. **In simple terms:** Early multilingual exposure builds comfort with change. Key Takeaway Embrace new environments and keep learning. Themes adaptability culture learning change family Mood curious confident Type personal reflective When to use this quote - moving frequently - learning languages - travel - career relocation - social integration Key Concepts multilingualism resilience identity formation Questions to Reflect On - How has moving shaped your identity? - What strategies help you stay grounded amid change? A Different Perspective May overlook depth of cultural integration for novelty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Dictionaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictionaries/) [Foreigners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreigners/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Spanish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spanish/) ## Related quotes > [“When hunting a Maltese Falcon, catch it, but don’t scratch it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marais/when-hunting-a-maltese-falcon-catch-it-but-don-t-scratch-it/) [Anthony Marais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marais/) > [Very few of my books are about who stole the Maltese Falcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-parker/very-few-of-my-books-are-about-who-stole-the-maltese-falcon/) [Robert B. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-parker/) > [The funny thing is, when a Harley-Davidson guy full of tattoos comes out with a Maltese, they're trying to soften themselves out. When a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/the-funny-thing-is-when-a-harley-davidson-guy-full-of-tattoos-comes/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [I have a Maltese Shih Tzu. I'm notorious for dressing her up in sweaters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-sunshine/i-have-a-maltese-shih-tzu-i-m-notorious-for-dressing-her-up-in/) [Caroline Sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-sunshine/) > [I have my dog Cooper, who is a Maltese, and he hears me singing a lot around the house. I took him on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-roberts/i-have-my-dog-cooper-who-is-a-maltese-and-he-hears-me-singing-a-lot/) [Ashley Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-roberts/) > [I spoke Spanish on the street and was told to go back from where I came from, even though I was born in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zegler/i-spoke-spanish-on-the-street-and-was-told-to-go-back-from-where-i/) [Rachel Zegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zegler/) > [My first language is both English and Spanish. My mom was raised in Los Angeles, so with her we spoke English, but my father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jencarlos-canela/my-first-language-is-both-english-and-spanish-my-mom-was-raised-in/) [Jencarlos Canela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jencarlos-canela/) > [I probably spoke Spanish growing up about 95 percent of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-taurasi/i-probably-spoke-spanish-growing-up-about-95-percent-of-the-time/) [Diana Taurasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-taurasi/) > [The minute he spoke Spanish, I said, "I'm home."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-doerr/the-minute-he-spoke-spanish-i-said-i-m-home/) [Harriet Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-doerr/) > [After Zorro, people spoke Spanish to me for ages. I'm Welsh but that movie instantly gave me a new ethnicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/after-zorro-people-spoke-spanish-to-me-for-ages-i-m-welsh-but-that/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) > [“When I spoke to her in Spanish I was not translating, I was not thinking my thoughts in English first, but I was nevertheless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/when-i-spoke-to-her-in-spanish-i-was-not-translating-i-was-not/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [When I was 11, I moved to the United States with my two brothers and my mom. We moved to northern New York, up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/when-i-was-11-i-moved-to-the-united-states-with-my-two-brothers-and/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [It was very difficult to leave Argentina when I was kid, so I only spoke Spanish for the first six years of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-taylor-joy/it-was-very-difficult-to-leave-argentina-when-i-was-kid-so-i-only/) [Anya Taylor-Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-taylor-joy/) > [“What do angels look like? I saw one today wering gaudy jewelry, spoke with a thick Spanish accent, quoted 'Chakespeare.' She said, 'All the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monique-duval/what-do-angels-look-like-i-saw-one-today-wering-gaudy-jewelry-spoke/) [Monique Duval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monique-duval/) > [I don't know, 'Zorro' was just so great for me because, knowing where I came from, everyone spoke Spanish to me, like, forever after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-don-t-know-zorro-was-just-so-great-for-me-because-knowing-where-i/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) ## More by John Lloyd > [“As a baby, Oliver Cromwell was abducted by his grandfather’s pet monkey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/as-a-baby-oliver-cromwell-was-abducted-by-his-grandfather-s-pet-monkey/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“James Joyce married a woman named Nora Barnacle. She once said to him, ‘Why don’t you write books people can read?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/james-joyce-married-a-woman-named-nora-barnacle-she-once-said-to-him/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“Tour de France riders need to eat the equivalent of 27 cheeseburgers a day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/tour-de-france-riders-need-to-eat-the-equivalent-of-27-cheeseburgers/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“There is no known scientific way of predicting earthquakes. The most reliable method is to count the number of missing cats in the local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/there-is-no-known-scientific-way-of-predicting-earthquakes-the-most/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“Where does Chicken Tikka Masala come from? Glasgow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/where-does-chicken-tikka-masala-come-from-glasgow/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [Jokes are a lot about meaning. I think if we understand what jokes mean and why they work, we'd understand everything else. Genuinely I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/jokes-are-a-lot-about-meaning-i-think-if-we-understand-what-jokes/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“Only 2% of women describe themselves as beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/only-2-of-women-describe-themselves-as-beautiful/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“About 200,000 academic journals are published in English each year. The average number of readers per article is five.   The average numbers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/about-200-000-academic-journals-are-published-in-english-each-year/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“When John Hetherington ventured out in public wearing the first top hat, it was considered so shocking that children screamed, women fainted, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/when-john-hetherington-ventured-out-in-public-wearing-the-first-top/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“In Switzerland, it is illegal to keep just one guinea pig.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/in-switzerland-it-is-illegal-to-keep-just-one-guinea-pig/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“Robert Burns was never called Rabbie or Robbie—though he did occasionally call himself Spunkie.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/robert-burns-was-never-called-rabbie-or-robbie-though-he-did/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [The universe is fractal. The closer you look at it, the more interesting it becomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/the-universe-is-fractal-the-closer-you-look-at-it-the-more/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“British spies stopped using semen as invisible ink because it began to smell if it wasn’t fresh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/british-spies-stopped-using-semen-as-invisible-ink-because-it-began/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“Kummerspeck (“grief bacon”) is German for the weight put on from eating too much when feeling sorry for yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/kummerspeck-grief-bacon-is-german-for-the-weight-put-on-from-eating/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) > [“You are 14% more likely to die on your birthday than any other day. 51”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lloyd/you-are-14-more-likely-to-die-on-your-birthday-than-any-other-day-51/) [John Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) [Explore all 39 John Lloyd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lloyd/) ## More Abroad quotes > [I love India, Russia and touring has made me many friends abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/i-love-india-russia-and-touring-has-made-me-many-friends-abroad/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [“When the ancient Romans would conquer a new place or a new people, they would leave the language and the customs in tact –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/when-the-ancient-romans-would-conquer-a-new-place-or-a-new-people/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [Africa for the Africans... at home and abroad!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-garvey/africa-for-the-africans-at-home-and-abroad/) [Marcus Garvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-garvey/) > [For years, I had a top secret clearance and never left Russia. Just once did I go to Bulgaria with my wife for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-kalashnikov/for-years-i-had-a-top-secret-clearance-and-never-left-russia-just/) [Mikhail Kalashnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-kalashnikov/) > [We have a family holiday once a year, usually abroad, but that's it. I feel I should have holidays for my family's sake, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/we-have-a-family-holiday-once-a-year-usually-abroad-but-that-s-it-i/) [Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/) > [I didn't go abroad until quite late. A friend drove us to Amalfi, Italy, for his sister's wedding when I was a teenager. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harewood/i-didn-t-go-abroad-until-quite-late-a-friend-drove-us-to-amalfi-italy/) [David Harewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harewood/) > [I studied a month in Costa Rica and loved it. I'm not scared to go abroad. I feel like I can figure things out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-olusola/i-studied-a-month-in-costa-rica-and-loved-it-i-m-not-scared-to-go/) [Kevin Olusola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-olusola/) > [I don't think I know everything because I don't watch much news from abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peng-shuai/i-don-t-think-i-know-everything-because-i-don-t-watch-much-news-from/) [Peng Shuai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peng-shuai/) > [Clearly, if you go abroad to a top club, it means one more step in your development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-kroos/clearly-if-you-go-abroad-to-a-top-club-it-means-one-more-step-in-your/) [Toni Kroos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-kroos/) > [My first trip abroad was to do a TV version of 'Les Miserables' in France with Anthony Perkins. There I was at 12 acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dexter-fletcher/my-first-trip-abroad-was-to-do-a-tv-version-of-les-miserables-in/) [Dexter Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dexter-fletcher/) > [I've had a lot of success in England, and I've really enjoyed my time with Manchester City, but I wanted to challenge myself even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-duggan/i-ve-had-a-lot-of-success-in-england-and-i-ve-really-enjoyed-my-time/) [Toni Duggan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-duggan/) > [“Hatutakiwi kuishi kama raia wa Tanzania peke yake. Tunatakiwa kuishi kama raia wa dunia na watumishi wa utu, hasa katika kipindi hiki cha zama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/hatutakiwi-kuishi-kama-raia-wa-tanzania-peke-yake-tunatakiwa-kuishi/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [I'm a simple hillbilly. I don't like eating modern, industrialized, fast food. I grew up eating home-cooked food. So when I'm traveling abroad, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-hirata/i-m-a-simple-hillbilly-i-don-t-like-eating-modern-industrialized-fast/) [Andrea Hirata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-hirata/) > [When you're abroad, you always miss your country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-mancini/when-you-re-abroad-you-always-miss-your-country/) [Roberto Mancini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-mancini/) > [The great and recurrent question about Abroad is, is it worth the trouble of getting there?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/the-great-and-recurrent-question-about-abroad-is-is-it-worth-the/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) Browse all 363 Abroad quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I spoke Spanish when I was three, and then Maltese. I love dictionaries. I like foreigners. My dad moved every year before I was 14, and I learnt to like abroad. 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