Raihana Haidary
My studies at the ANU have taught me as much about persistence, discipline, dedication and hard work as about these very languages that I have sought to master. During the last three years, I have developed a strong foundation upon which to continue each of these language journeys.
The pandemic was tough for Raihana Haidary but she used the time to pursue her long-standing dream of studying languages at The Australian National University (ANU).
This week, she donned the graduation cap after completing her degree in Bachelor of Languages and Certificate of Languages in Arabic, French, Italian, Persian and Chinese.
This is Raihana’s fourth degree and she has previously studied a Bachelor of Arts (Honours in Government and IR) at the University of Sydney, Law at the University of Cambridge and a Master's of International Law at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
“I had always regretted not pursuing languages earlier and the pandemic presented me with a unique opportunity to pursue my goal of fluency in the languages of the United Nations. I am a firm believer in the power of languages -they can break down barriers. It is a powerful medium for both truth and mistruth,” Raihana said.
“My studies at the ANU have taught me as much about persistence, discipline, dedication and hard work as about these very languages that I have sought to master. During the last three years, I have developed a strong foundation upon which to continue each of these language journeys.
“I have studied Arabic, French and Italian at several other universities and institutes across the country and none compare to my experience at the ANU. It has been an immensely intellectually engaging and rigorous experience.”
For Raihana, learning languages has helped her in her other field - law. While studying languages, she continued to learn and teach domestic and international law and found her memory and capacity to read between the lines and engage in critical legal analysis improving day by day.
“The positioning of a single word in a preamble or Article, the move of a phrase from the start to the end of the paragraph, the substitution of one word for another in the drafting of legislation suddenly made a world of difference. This acute attention to the details did not exist before I embarked upon this language journey,” Raihana said.
Raihana began with the original aim to work in an international court or tribunal which includes both English and French as their official languages. However, after studying these languages, in particular Arabic and Persian, she felt a renewed connection to her roots and the Middle East region which has suffered from so much war and conflict.
“My parents are refugees from Afghanistan where Persian/Dari and Pashto languages constitute the official spoken languages. Whilst I knew how to speak Pashto, I couldn’t speak or understand Persian. Learning Persian helped me to connect with the diaspora in Australia and it was important for my identity as well,” she said.
To those interested in studying languages, Raihana warns against following YouTube genius polyglot influencers which are often unrealistic representations of the language journey. There is no substitute for hard work and with languages small but very consistent steps daily will build a solid foundation in your language journey. She stresses it is a journey, not a destination, so balance is everything.
