By Arbish Afsar
Aleksandra Arandelovic speaks seven languages, blending her heritage and education into a global experience into her pursuit of her master’s degree while in the U.S.
Despite her proficiency in English, Arandelovic remains critical of her accent. Being a perfectionist, she aims to master every nuance of the language, believing that her fluency is incomplete without impeccable pronunciation.
“I was speaking Serbian at home,” Arandelovic said, reflecting on her early years, “and suddenly I had to learn Italian in school, then English in elementary, it became second nature to me.”
Born to Serbian parents in Italy, Arandelovic’s early childhood was shaped by the need to adapt, and it wasn’t always easy. Her family had migrated from Serbia due to the war, bringing their native language with them.
At home, Serbian was the language of comfort, but outside, the realities of growing up in Italy meant adjusting to new languages at a young age. By the time she started elementary school, English was added to her linguistic repertoire, followed by Spanish in middle school.
While her classmates struggled to keep up, Arandelovic’s multilingual environment gave her an inherent advantage and shaped her love for learning languages.
“My teachers made me hate German,” said Arandelovic. “But learning Portuguese on my own showed me that I didn’t need formal lessons to succeed.”
Throughout her education, Arandelovic always looked for ways to broaden her horizons. Scholarships allowed her to explore the world and practice her skills in real-world situations.
One scholarship took her to Norway, where English became the bridge for communication in an immersive international environment. The second brought her to Ireland, where she worked as a shop assistant, gaining experience in the local way of life and improving her English.
“I’ve always been a perfectionist,” Arandelovic said with a warm smile. “If I want to do something, I’ll do it perfectly—otherwise, it’s not worth doing at all.”
