Research & Communication Project

Two Languages and One Humanity

A student-led project about empathy and communication: listening to people describe their lives in their own words, seeing how perspectives can differ, and finding the human experiences that still connect us.

By Dayeon Yang & Alisa Sergeevna Olekhova
73 respondents Korean English Russian 13 open-ended questions
Why this project? We wanted to explore how empathy and communication work across different languages — by listening to real people, comparing perspectives, and learning more about ourselves along the way.
EmpathyTrying to understand someone from their point of view, not ours.
CommunicationListening to how people express different ideas across languages and cultures.
Real voicesLetting people answer freely instead of choosing from fixed options.
Self-discoveryLearning more about our own values by listening to others.

30 Dreams We Couldn’t Forget

Q10 asked, “What is your biggest dream?” Among the 73 responses, people imagined very different futures — and a few also said they had not found their dream yet.

Q10 · What is your biggest dream?
Thirty answers that show just how different a “dream” can be.

From the 73 responses, we selected thirty especially memorable dreams with different goals, personalities, and cultural backgrounds. Original wording is kept below, with English translations added where needed.

🐈 🇲🇾 Malaysia
To fall in love😍 and get a cat. I also want to live a nice life without many problems and to have friends and family that will stay by me whenever.
Original response in English
🦍 🇺🇸 United States
To get my phd and study gorillas.
Original response in English
🏅 🇰🇷 South Korea
국가대표
To become a member of the national team.
📚🐕 🇷🇺 Russia
поступить в dream university (한국대학교). завести 5 собак.
Get into my dream university (a university in Korea) and have five dogs.
🌏 🇯🇵 Japan
人の役に立てる仕事がしたい。（英語を使って）
I want to do work that helps people, using English.
✨ 🇵🇭 Philippines
to be an independent and confident woman that people can look up to
Original response in English
🏡🌹 🇷🇺 Russia
Я мечтаю построить дом на нашем участке рядом с морем, чтобы родные и друзья приезжали к нам в дом отдыхать и погостить. Посадить много роз, черешню и малину в саду вокруг дома. Поставить красивую и просторную беседку для чаепития.
I dream of building a house on our land near the sea, where family and friends can come to relax and stay with us. I want to plant lots of roses, sweet-cherry trees, and raspberries around the house, and have a beautiful, spacious gazebo for tea.
⚖️ 🇺🇸 United States
to be an attorney which I am now beginning class this fall 2026.
Original response in English
⛸️ 🇷🇺 Russia
Выучить корейский язык и стать фигуристом-любителем в Team Tutberidze
Learn Korean and become an amateur figure skater with Team Tutberidze.
✅ 🇰🇷 South Korea
I think I've achieved it!
Original response in English
🔬💸 🇰🇷 South Korea
돈 많이 벌어서 맨날 놀기, 과학자 되기
Make a lot of money so I can have fun every day, and become a scientist.
🛡️💻 🇷🇺 Russia
microsoft Offensive Security Engineer / Red Team Engineer
Original response in English
🌙 🇰🇷 South Korea
저녁이 있는 삶
A life where I have my evenings to myself.
🕊️❤️ 🇷🇺 Russia
свобода.. и возможно любовь
Freedom… and maybe love.
🎨💄 🇰🇷 South Korea
웹툰작가, 메이크업아티스트
To become a webtoon artist or a makeup artist.
👨‍👩‍👧 🇰🇷 South Korea
아이들을 독립된 어른으로 잘 성장시키는 것
To raise my children well so they grow into independent adults.
🌿 🇰🇷 South Korea
건강하게 잘 늙어가는것
To grow older in good health.
🏠 🇰🇷 South Korea
Having a house/home on my own. I don't have any specific dream job or occupation that I want to do, but I always knew that I wanted a house on my own and decorate it the way I like.
Original response in English
🤝 🇦🇺 Australia
To live in a world with more empathy.
Original response in English
🎓 🇷🇺 Russia
Добиться в жизни чего-то большого
To achieve something big in life.
🌤️ 🇷🇺 Russia
Прожить тихую жизнь в достатке
To live a quiet life without financial worries.
🎬 🇰🇷 South Korea
방송피디
To become a television producer.
🏛️ 🇰🇷 South Korea
교수
To become a professor.
🪈 🇰🇷 South Korea
대금연주자가 되고 싶다
I want to become a daegeum performer.
❤️‍🩹 🇷🇺 Russia
Чтобы все были здоровы и живы
For everyone to be healthy and alive.
🌱 🇰🇷 South Korea
좋은 사람으로 멋지게 나이들어가는 것
To grow older gracefully while remaining a good person.
💰😊 🇰🇷 South Korea
경제적인 자유와 행복
Financial freedom and happiness.
🏡 🇰🇷 South Korea
멋진 엄마
To become a great mom.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 🇷🇺 Russia
Моя мечта работать в онлайн школе умскул, создать семью и жить прекрасно.
My dream is to work at the online school Umskul, start a family, and live a wonderful life.
🌟 🇰🇷 South Korea
존경받는 어른이 되는것
To become an adult who is respected by others.
Some dreams were about careers or achievement. Others were about animals, family, freedom, a home, helping people, or simply feeling that the dream had already been reached. That range was one of the most interesting parts of the survey.

13 Questions — All 73 Responses Accounted For

Each respondent is placed into exactly one primary category for each question. Every stacked bar represents all 73 people, so the category numbers in every card add up to exactly 73.

1

What does home mean to you?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Comfort / safety / rest 30
Family / people 14
Being yourself / belonging 7
A place to return to 7
Other individual meanings 15
Category sum: 73 / 73
2

What does family mean to you?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Love / closeness 27
Support / trust 13
Belonging / identity 7
Blood / family bond 7
Other individual meanings 19
Category sum: 73 / 73
3

What best represents your country's national character?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Culture / identity / unique traits 30
Resilience / hard work / drive 19
Community / cooperation 19
Kindness / openness / hospitality 5
Category sum: 73 / 73
4

What should every foreign visitor try in your country?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Food & drink 34
Cities / nature / local places 28
Historic / cultural places 7
Cultural experiences 4
Category sum: 73 / 73
5

What can people do to protect nature? What does nature mean to you?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Reduce waste / recycle / save resources 32
Protect / preserve / reduce impact 15
Nature as life / healing / peace 9
Other individual meanings 17
Category sum: 73 / 73
6

What values are most important to you?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Love / family / relationships 19
Honesty / responsibility / trust 15
Growth / freedom / happiness / self 11
Kindness / empathy / respect 4
Other individual values 24
Category sum: 73 / 73
7

What was your childhood like?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Happy / warm memories 29
Ordinary / peaceful / family-centered 7
Difficult / challenging 3
Busy / active / growing up 3
Mixed / highly individual memories 31
Category sum: 73 / 73
8

What does empathy mean to you?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Understanding another perspective 31
Care / compassion / support 9
Listening / communication 4
Connection / emotional sharing / other 29
Category sum: 73 / 73
9

What helps when school or studying feels stressful?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Rest / sleep / step away 18
Music / entertainment 16
Talking to people 5
Exercise / food / studying / other 34
Category sum: 73 / 73
10

What is your biggest dream?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Happiness / health / peaceful life 15
Career / achievement / helping others 12
Family / love / relationships 4
Freedom / wealth / personal goals / other 42
Category sum: 73 / 73
11

What are your hobbies?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Art / creative activities 26
Sports / exercise 19
Games / movies / media 6
Reading / social / collecting / other 22
Category sum: 73 / 73
12

What kind of music do you enjoy?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Pop / K-pop / J-pop 18
Rock / indie / alternative 7
R&B / hip-hop / rap 3
Classical / ballad / jazz / mixed / other 45
Category sum: 73 / 73
13

If there were no language barriers, what would you tell the world?

73 respondents · one primary category per response
73TOTAL
073 responses
Love / happiness / hope 17
Kindness / empathy / respect 11
Peace / unity / celebrate differences 6
Greetings / friendship / connection 10
Advice / personal messages / other 29
Category sum: 73 / 73
How We Collected the Survey

We did not just post a link and wait.

We personally explained our project to people around us and asked if they would like to take part. We shared the survey through our own circles and kept promoting it ourselves. The answers came in little by little, so we waited almost one month until the survey was complete. Some people answered quickly and others took more time, and we tried to respect each person’s pace.

01 · ExplainWe told people what the project was about and why their opinions mattered to us.
02 · ShareWe directly shared and promoted the survey with people around us.
03 · Wait & listenWe waited almost one month and read the answers carefully as they came in.
What we learned: In the end, we learned much more than just survey results. The same question could lead to completely different answers, and those answers showed us perspectives we probably would not have thought about by ourselves. We also realized that real empathy is not assuming another person feels the way we do. It starts with listening first and trying to understand the situation from that person’s point of view. That became the most important thing we learned from this project.