John Quincy Adams went to school in both France and the Netherlands, and spoke fluent French and conversational Dutch.[9] Adams strove to improve his abilities in Dutch throughout his life, and at times translated a page of Dutch a day to help improve his mastery of the language.[10] Official documents that he translated were sent to the Secretary of State of the United States, so that Adams' studies would serve a useful purpose as well.[10] When his father appointed him United States Ambassador to Prussia, Adams dedicated himself to becoming proficient in German in order to give him the tools to strengthen relations between the two countries.[11] He improved his skills by translating articles from German to English, and his studies made his diplomatic efforts more successful.[11]