Both oral and written communication have always been my strongpoints, as both my majors, German and Journalism, focused on communication. Effective communication depends upon being able to formulate a message that the receiver will understand as you want it to be understood. My experience with many varied people and cultures has developed my ability to do that. I have been on both sides of not being able to communicate due to language, as a person in a foreign country where I did not speak the language, in Germany, Hungary and France, and as a teacher of absolute beginning English learners. I remember during the first week of Hungarian language lessons in the Peace Corps, I wanted to practice my very limited vocabulary.  I met a man outside and told him, "Jo napot kivanok. Americai vagyok. Kosenem szepen." Afterwards I realized I had said, "Good day. I'm an American. Thank you very much." Actually I wanted to say, "Good day. I'm an American. How do you do?" My knowledge of languages often helps me to communicate more effectively, even when speaking with people who speak the same language as I do.