Language is what connects people. To be able to have a conversation and express your feelings in words brings you closer to others. Generally, people know somewhere between one and three languages. Less than one percent of the world’s population is polyglot, which means a person who can speak over five languages. Dubai-based Pakistani cab driver Hussain Sayed is one among those few. Hussain who has been living in Dubai for the last 14 years can speak 10 languages, reported Khaleej Times.
Besides his native languages — Pashto and Urdu — Hussain can speak in Arabic, Malayalam, Mandarin, Russian, Farsi, Tagalog (language of majority of Filipinos), English and Hindi.
The report says that Hussain thought of doing so while he was working as a watchman and encountered people from different nationalities. He realised that breaking a language barrier can result in healthier bonds and better opportunities.
He says that the understanding between him and others grows when he speaks in the language they speak. “People’s faces automatically light up when you speak to them in their language,” said Hussain.
The 33-year-old cabbie learned these languages with the help of Google translate and language-learning apps available online. The hardest languages to learn for Hussain were Russian and Mandarin.
Hussain was a medical aspirant who left his studies midway to earn for his wife’s treatment. His wife had a heart condition and in order to provide her the required treatment he moved to Dubai. His first job there was of a watchman, which he took over from his elder brother. Hussain started driving a cab nine years ago, when he found a job at Dubai Taxi.
Even after knowing ten languages, Hussain is not done yet. His next aim is to learn Spanish, French and Italian. Father of four children, Hussain wants them to receive the education they deserve. “Until my dying breath, I will see to it that my kids will be able to study well,” said Sayed.
Read all the Latest News and Breaking News here
