Singapore student turns love for stories into global language journey
A Singaporean student’s passion for languages is turning heads, as she masters more than 10 languages while championing cultural preservation.
From One Book to a World of Languages
What started as a simple online purchase of a Tibetan version of Harry Potter sparked an unexpected journey for Ms Loy Xing-Yi. Determined to understand the book she bought, she taught herself the Tibetan alphabet through online resources, taking weeks just to decipher a single page.
A Passion for Learning Across Cultures
Now 18, Ms Loy is considered a hyperpolyglot, with proficiency in more than 10 languages including English, Mandarin, French, Japanese, Spanish and Korean. Her approach is driven by curiosity rather than pressure, often using familiar stories like Harry Potter to better grasp vocabulary and grammar in new languages.
Stepping Beyond the Traditional Path
Instead of following a conventional academic route, she chose to challenge herself by switching education systems and pursuing international qualifications. Her efforts paid off when she graduated with a perfect International Baccalaureate score, reflecting both academic excellence and self-driven learning.
Preserving Languages and Cultural Identity
Beyond learning languages, Ms Loy is deeply invested in preserving lesser-known languages and cultural heritage. She has worked on projects involving minority languages and started an initiative to promote local folklore among Southeast Asian students, reaching thousands across the region.
Language as a Bridge to Society
For Ms Loy, language is more than communication—it is a powerful tool that shapes identity, culture and societal perspectives. She believes preserving linguistic diversity is essential, warning that a world with only one dominant language would lose its richness and cultural depth.
Her journey highlights how curiosity, discipline and cultural awareness can open doors far beyond the classroom, inspiring a deeper appreciation for diversity in an increasingly globalised world.
Sources: Straits Times (2026) , Asia One (2026)
Keywords: Hyperpolyglot Singapore, Language Learning Journey, Multilingual Student Story, Cultural Preservation Youth, Linguistics Passion
