The Language and Travels of Dr. Jose Rizal

THE LANGUAGES AND
TRAVELS OF

DR. JOSE RIZAL

DR. JOSE RIZAL


RIZAL BELIEVED THAT KNOWING THE LANGUAGES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS

WOULD HELP US COME TOGETHER SO THAT WE COULD CONVERSE EASILY
WITH ANYONE, EVEN IF THEY LIVED IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. THIS WILL ALLOW
US TO COMMUNICATE OUR THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, SENTIMENTS, AND BELIEFS.
ADDITIONALLY, HE BELIEVED THAT LANGUAGE ENABLES US TO COMMUNICATE
WITH OTHERS WHILE ALSO ILLUSTRATING THAT NOT EVERYONE THINKS ALIKE.
HE BELIEVED THAT LANGUAGE IS A COMPONENT OF CULTURAL
CONSTRUCTION THAT CAN BE USED TO DEFINE, ADVANCE, OR DISTURB
CURRENT NORMS AND VALUES.
FURTHERMORE, HE BECAME A SYMBOL OF UNITY BECAUSE OF HIS
UNWAVERING BELIEF THAT EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF ETHNICITY OR OTHER
TIES, DESERVES TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND DECENCY. EVERYONE
ON THE PLANET IS A MEMBER OF THE SAME COMMUNITY.

i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DR. JOSE RIZAL [PREVIEW]...................................................i
SPAIN....................................................................................................1
SINGAPORE........................................................................................2
SRI LANKA [COLOMBO].............................................................3
FRANCE...............................................................................................4
GERMANY..........................................................................................5
ITALY...................................................................................................6
SWITZERLAND................................................................................7
EGYPT.................................................................................................8
ENGLAND...........................................................................................9
JAPAN.................................................................................................10
THE U.S.A..........................................................................................11
BELGIUM..........................................................................................12
HONGKONG......................................................................................13
REFERENCES................................................................................15

TRAVELS SPAIN

IN MAY 1882, JOSE RIZAL DEPARTED THE
NATION TO CONTINUE HIS EDUCATION
OVERSEAS. HE ENROLLED IN A MEDICAL
COURSE AT THE UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE
MADRID IN SPAIN. RIZAL RETURNED TO
MADRID AND CONTEMPLATED WRITING A
BOOK THAT DETAILED SPAIN'S COLONIAL
HISTORY WITH THE PHILIPPINES.

SPANISH

THE YOUNG RIZAL HAD INDIVIDUAL TUTORING
IN LATIN AND SPANISH BEFORE BEING
PLACED IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL IN BIAN.
RIZAL’S FIRST PRIVATE INSTRUCTOR WAS
MAESTRO CELESTINO, AND HIS SECOND
TUTOR WAS MAESTRO LUCAS PADUA.
MAESTRO LEON MONROY, THE HERO'S LATIN
AND SPANISH INSTRUCTOR, WAS THE THIRD
TUTOR.

1

TRAVELS SINGAPORE

ON HIS ROUTE TO SPAIN, RIZAL FIRST STOPPED AT SINGAPORE, WHERE HE
SPENT TIME TRAVELING AND VISITING PLACES, INCLUDING THE CITY'S
RENOWNED BOTANICAL GARDEN, BUDDHIST TEMPLES, AND THE STATUE OF SIR
THOMAS STANFORD RAFFLES, WHO FOUNDED SINGAPORE.

2

SRI LANKACOLOMBO

T R A V E L SRIZAL'S VOYAGE TO COLOMBO, SRI LANKA WAS ON JUNE 13, 1882, WHILE

ABOARD THE FRENCH SHIP DJEMNAH, WAS CRUCIAL FOR HIM TO ADVANCE HIS
COMMAND OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE.

3

TRAVELS FRANCE

(1887) RIZAL WENT TO FRANCE IN JUNE 1883 TO
LOOK AT HOW MEDICINE WAS DONE THERE. AFTER
FINISHING HIS EDUCATION IN SPAIN, RIZAL
RELOCATED TO PARIS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN
OPHTHALMOLOGY. HE DECIDED TO GO INTO
MEDICINE BECAUSE HE WANTED TO HELP HIS
MOTHER, WHOSE EYE CONDITION WAS WORSENING.
HIS "SECRET GOAL," WHICH WAS TO ADOPT
EUROPEAN CUSTOMS AND LIFESTYLES TO ONE
DAY SUPPORT HIS FATHERLAND, IS STILL FRESH IN
HIS MIND.
(1891) EL FILIBUSTERISMO, RIZAL'S SECOND BOOK,
WAS COMPLETED IN MARCH 1891 IN FRANCE. HE
INTENDED TO PUBLISH THE BOOK IN BELGIUM, BUT
HE STRUGGLED FINANCIALLY. HE WAS CUTTING
BACK ON MEALS AND EXPENSES BECAUSE HIS
BROTHER'S HELP FROM HOME WAS TAKING LONGER
THAN EXPECTED TO ARRIVE.

FRENCH

TO LEARN THE SUBTLETIES OF FRENCH IDIOMS,
HE SOUGHT PRIVATE FRENCH LESSONS. HE
ALSO CREATED NUMEROUS FRENCH-LANGUAGE
LITERARY WORKS IN FRANCE AND WAS
ASTOUNDED TO SEE THAT A WOMAN AUTHOR
COULD WRITE IN A MALE STYLE.

4

TRAVELS GERMANY

(RIZAL LANDED IN HEIDELBERG, A HISTORIC
GERMAN CITY KNOWN FOR ITS MEDIEVAL
UNIVERSITY AND PICTURESQUE ENVIRONS, ON
FEBRUARY 3, 1886. RIZAL SENT PROFESSOR
FERDINAND BLUMENTRITT HIS FIRST LETTER IN
GERMAN ON JULY 31, 1886. BLUMENTRITT'S
INTEREST IN THE LANGUAGES OF THE
PHILIPPINES WAS KNOWN TO RIZAL. A BOOK
CALLED ARITMETICA WAS ENCLOSED WITH THE
LETTER. BLUMENTRITT DELIGHTED RIZAL BY
SENDING HIM BOOKS AS GIFTS. THEIR LENGTHY
AND REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE STARTED
WITH THIS.

GERMAN

MAX AND MORITZ, TWO CHARACTERS FROM
GERMAN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, SERVED AS
INSPIRATION FOR RIZAL TO LEARN THE GERMAN
LANGUAGE. HE ATTEMPTED TO PRACTICE THE
GERMAN HE WAS LEARNING FROM PASTOR
ULLMER. THE DRAMA WILHELM TELL BY
SCHILLER, SOMETIMES KNOWN AS "GUILLERMO
TELL," AND FIVE OTHER HANS CHRISTIAN
ANDERSEN STORIES WERE TRANSLATED BY
RIZAL FROM THE ORIGINAL GERMAN INTO
TAGALOG TO DEMONSTRATE HIS SKILL.

5

TRAVELS ITALY

RIZAL VISITED ITALY. HE TRAVELED TO FLORENCE, VENICE, MILAN, AND TURIN.
IN 1887, HE ARRIVED IN ROME ON JUNE 27. THE SIGHTS AND RECOLLECTIONS OF
ROME, THE ETERNAL CITY, ENTHRALLED HIM. THE "CITY OF THE POPES" AND
THE CENTER OF CHRISTIANITY, THE VTHAANTK IYCOUAN, WELCOMED RIZAL FOR THE FIRST
TIME ON JUNE 29. HE WAS AWED BY THE MAJESTIC STRUCTURES, ESPECIALLY
ST. PETER'S CHURCH, WHICH WAS ALSO CELEBRATING HIS FEAST DAY.

6

TRAVELS SWITZERLAND

RIZAL AND VIOLA TRAVELED FROM RHEINFALL TO SCHAFFHAUSEN,
SWITZERLAND, BY CROSSING THE BORDER. THEY REMAINED THERE FROM JUNE
2 TO JUNE 3, 1887. THEN, THEY CONTINUED THEIR TOUR, STOPPING IN BASEL,
BERN, AND LAUSANNE. VIOLA AND RIZAL WENT TO GENEVA. ONE OF THE MOST
PICTURESQUE CITIES IN ALL OF EUROPE, THIS SWISS METROPOLIS DRAWS
MILLIONS OF TOURISTS ANNUALLY. SPEAKING FRENCH, GERMAN, AND ITALIAN,
GENEVANS WERE LINGUISTS. THEY HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH RIZAL IN THESE
THREE LANGUAGES.

7

TRAVELS EGYPT

ON JULY 8, 1887, RIZAL ARRIVED IN EGYPT'S PORT. RIZAL,
WHO WAS TRAVELING VIA THE SUEZ CANAL, DISEMBARKED
AT THE RED SEA PORT AND WAS ASTOUNDED BY THE
STUNNING MOONLIT SCENERY IN SUEZ AS WELL AS THE
CITY'S DIVERSE POPULATION AND LANGUAGE.

8

TRAVELS ENGLAND

IN MAY 1888, RIZAL ARRIVED IN ENGLAND. HE WAS
ALLOWED ENTRY TO THE BRITISH MUSEUM IN
AUGUST, WHERE HE COPIED SUCESOS DE LAS ISLAS
FILIPINAS, ANTONIO DE MORGA'S EXTENSIVE STUDY
OF THE PHILIPPINES, WHICH RIZAL LATER
ANNOTATED FOR PUBLICATION "AS A PRESENT TO
THE FILIPINOS.

RIZAL TRAVELED TO LONDON ON MAY 25, 1888. HE
SPENT A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME IN DR. ANTONIO
MA'S HOUSE. LONDON ATTORNEY REGIDOR. HE
BOARDED WITH THE BECKETT FAMILY AROUND THE
END OF MAY. HIS HOUSE WAS NEXT TO A PARK AND
THE BRITISH MUSEUM WAS A SHORT STROLL AWAY.
HE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF HIS TIME IN THE
BRITISH MUSEUM RESEARCHING THE PHILIPPINES IN
RARE HISTORICAL TOMES LIKE MORGA'S SUCESOS.

ENGLISH

RIZAL TRAVELED TO LONDON FIRST TO IMPROVE
HIS ENGLISH AND THEN TO STUDY THE PRE-
COLONIAL PHILIPPINES THROUGH THE HISTORICAL
RECORD OF ANTONIO MORGA'S SUCESSORS.
ANOTHER REASON WOULD BE JOSE RIZAL'S LOVE
FOR AN ENGLISH WOMAN, GERTRUDE BECKETT.
SHE BECAME THE MOTIVATION FOR HIM TO LEARN
EVEN MORE TO ATTEMPT TO EARN HER
AFFECTION. HE MOST LIKELY DID THIS BETWEEN
1888 AND 1889 WHILE LIVING IN LONDON.

9

TRAVELS JAPAN

HIS STAY IN THE LAND OF THE CHERRY
BLOSSOMS WAS AMONG RIZAL'S HAPPIEST
EXPERIENCES. HE WAS IN JAPAN FROM
FEBRUARY 28, 1888, TO APRIL 13 1888 OF
THAT YEAR, WHICH IS A MONTH AND A HALF.
HE FELL IN LOVE WITH JAPAN'S NATURAL
BEAUTY, THE POLITENESS OF THE JAPANESE,
AND THE LOVELY SHRINES. IN ADDITION, HE
FELL IN LOVE WITH A JAPANESE GIRL, WHOSE
BEAUTY BROUGHT ROMANCE AND HAPPINESS
TO HIS GRIEVING HEART.

JAPANESE

ON HIS FIRST DAY IN TOKYO, RIZAL COULD
NOT COMMUNICATE IN JAPANESE. HE
STRUGGLED IN STORES BECAUSE OTHERS
COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HIM, AND KIDS
TEASED HIM. GIVEN HIS CIRCUMSTANCES,
RIZAL DECIDED TO LEARN JAPANESE.
WITHIN A FEW DAYS, HE WAS ABLE TO
COMMUNICATE IN JAPANESE.

10

TRAVELS U. S. A

ON APRIL 28, 1888, RIZAL MADE HIS FIRST TRIP TO AMERICA. HIS ARRIVAL WAS
TAINTED BY RACIAL PREJUDICE SINCE HE WITNESSED HOW WHITE AMERICANS
TREATED BLACK AND CHINESE PEOPLE UNFAIRLY. RIZAL HAD BOTH POSITIVE
AND NEGATIVE OPINIONS ON THE US. THE POSITIVES INCLUDED THE NATION'S
MATERIAL ADVANCEMENT, THE ZEAL AND VIGOR OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
THE COUNTRY'S NATURAL BEAUTY, THE HIGH QUALITY OF LIVING, AND THE
PROSPECTS FOR BETTER LIVES PROVIDED TO LOW-INCOME IMMIGRANTS. ON
UNPLEASANT IMPRESSION WAS THE LACK OF RACIAL EQUALITY. THE CONCEPTS
OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM, ABOUT WHICH AMERICANS FREQUENTLY SPEAK
BUT RARELY ACT, WERE VIOLATED BY RACIAL DISCRIMINATION.

11

TRAVELS BELGIUM

RIZAL ARRIVED IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, ON JANUARY 28, 1890. DUE TO THE
HIGH COST OF LIVING CAUSED BY THE ONGOING UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION AND THE
FACT THAT THE CITY'S JOYOUS LIFESTYLE INTERFERED WITH HIS LITERARY
ENDEAVORS, HE DEPARTED PARIS. EL FILIBUSTERISMO, RIZAL'S SECOND BOOK,
WAS BEING WRITTEN WHILE HE WAS IN BRUSSELS.THE AGRARIAN UNREST IN
CALAMBA WAS GETTING WORSE. THE DOMINICAN HACIENDA'S MANAGEMENT
CONSISTENTLY INCREASED THE LAND RENTS.

12

TRAVELS HONG KONG

RIZAL BOARDED THE VESSEL MELBOURNE IN MARSEILLES ON OCTOBER 18, 1891,
WITH A DESTINATION OF HONG KONG. HE STARTED WORKING ON HIS THIRD
TAGALOG NOVEL ON THE JOURNEY. AMONG RIZAL'S UNFINISHED NOVELS WERE
MAKAMISA, DAPITAN, AND ANOTHER ONE WITH NO TITLE.RIZAL CALLED HIS
JOURNEY "HEAVENLY." OVER 80 PEOPLE BOARDED THE SHIP, THE MAJORITY OF
THEM FROM EUROPE, ALONG WITH TWO SPANIARDS TRAVELING TO AMOY. THE
LONE ASIAN AMONG THEM, RIZAL ASTOUNDED HIS FELLOW TRAVELERS WITH HIS
MULTILINGUALISM.

13

[INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

14

REFERENCES

Filipinas heritage library (n.d.) The travels of Rizal.
https://www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph/articles/the-travels-of-rizal/

Ford, J. (2021). Why did Rizal go to France? Answers To All.
https://answer-to-all.com/science/why-did-rizal-go-to-france/

Jose Rizal Travels (n.d.). Rizal Bound for the Philippines.
https://www.joserizal.ph/tr26.html

Life and travels of Jose Rizal (n.d.). Filipinas Library.
https://travels-of-rizal.weebly.com/blog/life-and-travels-of-jose-rizal

Ocampo, A. (2017). Rizal in Wilhelmsfeld. Inquirer.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/101681/rizal-in-wilhelmsfeld

Travels (n.d). Jose Rizal Online.
https://rizal.raphaelmarco.com/travels

15

[INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

16

HE WHO UNCONDITIONALLY
LOVED HIS COUNTRY

HE BECAME A SYMBOL OF UNITY BECAUSE HE
HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION FOR HIS
PEOPLE TO PROPERLY PURGE THEIR CULTURE OF ITS
VICES. HE WISHED FOR THE YOUTH TO BE AWARE OF THEIR

NATIONAL RIGHTS AND TO BE PROUD OF THEIR
BACKGROUND AND CULTURE.



BY REPRESENTING THE NATIONAL PEOPLE, AIMS, BELIEFS,
AND HISTORY, NATIONAL CHARACTERS ATTEMPT TO BRING

PEOPLE TOGETHER. IN LIGHT OF THIS, RIZAL ROSE TO
FAME DUE TO HIS SILENT BUT EFFECTIVE FIGHT FOR
INDEPENDENCE. INSTEAD OF USING FORCE AND HOSTILITY,
HE CHOSE TO EXPRESS HIS LOVE FOR THE PHILIPPINES

THROUGH HIS BOOKS, ESSAYS, AND ARTICLES.



MOREOVER, HIS EXEMPLIFIED LEADERSHIP WAS MOTIVATED
NOT BY SELF-INTEREST BUT RATHER BY THE DESIRE TO

FORGET ONE'S INTERESTS IN FAVOR OF THE GREATER
GOOD, REFERRED TO AS NATIONAL SPIRIT IN HIS WORKS.
WITH ALL THESE IN MIND, HE WAS A REMARKABLE FIGURE

DURING THE REVOLT AGAINST THE SPANISH EMPIRE,
PRICING THAT PENS ARE MIGHTIER THAN SWORDS AS HIS

EMBLEM, BECOMING A SYMBOL OF UNITY.

JOSE P. RIZAL