121: Hebah Nigm on Speaking 6 Languages Fluently by Age 23, Grounding Her Identity in Islam and Traveling the World as a Hijabi

The Maverick Show with Matt Bowles

Hebah Nigm takes us on her journey growing up in an Egyptian immigrant family in Vienna, Austria, and learning to speak 6 languages fluently by age 23. She explains how her passion for language learning developed through her interest in other cultures and world travel. She reflects on her own identity, being torn between cultures, and not being fully accepted in either Austria or Egypt. By contrast, she reflects on the stability and consistency of her Muslim identity, and her ability to connect with people across cultures, borders and languages through Islam. She then reflects on her international travels to Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ceuta in North Africa, Finland, Switzerland, Canada and the U.S. She shares on her safety precautions, the importance of travel planning, and provides tips for other Muslim women travelers. Hebah then talks about foreign language learning and why it’s important to begin with a self- assessment to understand what type of language learner you are. She explains the importance of exposing yourself to the language as much as possible and gives tips on how to refine your accent by carefully listening to the sounds, intonation and melody of the language. And, finally, she talks about her YouTube channel, “Hebah’s Rollercoaster”, where she shares language- learning tips, insights from her world travels, and reflections on race, gender and her Muslim identity. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: www.TheMaverickShow.com