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Characteristics of language learners | ||
Tags: Learning Experience | Reasons for study | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Polyglots |  | |
| Lakeseayesno Tetraglot Senior Member Mexico thepolyglotist.com Joined 4337 days ago 280 posts - 488 votes  Speaks: English, Spanish*, Japanese, Italian Studies: Esperanto, French | Message 1 of 18 30 January 2013 at 3:27am | IP Logged |
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Hello everyone.
I'm currently writing a book regarding my experiences in language learning (as it's something I've done consistently since childhood, as well as something I enjoy very much and have taken a lot from). However, besides putting my thoughts and experiences down in paper, I also want what I write to accurately reflect what a language learner is; this, however, is data that I've found to be mostly nonexistent. Other than the odd study ruling on what cerebral areas language learners have developed the most, etc, etc, there's actually very little info on the common characteristics of the language learning community. Taking in advantage that almost all (if not everybody) in this forum is learning or has learned a language out of pleasure rather than obligation, I'd like to do a mini-survey of the community, just to get my facts in order. I've narrowed my survey to just a few questions regarding the traits I most commonly see in language learners like myself. As these are mostly two-option questions, you can just choose one and write it down in your reply, but if you'd like, feel free to elaborate! (Also, this is aimed at ANYONE learning a language--it doesn't matter if you speak two or twenty languages.) - Did you start learning languages (for pleasure) before or after you became an adult? - Do you have a set routine for studying, or are a "learn-as-you-go" learner? - Did you have motivation or a reason to start learning languages, or started doing it as an extracurricular activity? - Do you like reading? - Do you consider yourself "passionate" about learning your chosen language (or, if you've stopped studying actively, were you passionate about it at the time)? Thanks in advance to all who participate! (Also, I was lost for a while regarding if this should be here or in General Discussion. If the mods consider this to be in the wrong place, please forgive me and move it to its proper place.) Edited by Lakeseayesno on 30 January 2013 at 3:29am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Ogrim Heptaglot Senior Member France Joined 4642 days ago 991 posts - 1896 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, English, Spanish, French, Romansh, German, Italian Studies: Russian, Catalan, Latin, Greek, Romanian | Message 2 of 18 30 January 2013 at 10:29am | IP Logged |
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I can give you the short or the long answers to those questions. If you want the long one, I rather pm it to you. The short answers are:
1. I started learning languages for pleasure as a "young man" (around the age of 16). 2. I used to have a set routine, but now due to lack of time it is more "learn whenever you can". I do like to follow structured courses though. 3. I started learning languages (for pleasure) because of my interest in other cultures and in literature. 4. Yes, I read a lot. 5. Yes and no - depends on the language. Edited by Ogrim on 30 January 2013 at 11:03am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| renaissancemedi Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Greece Joined 4361 days ago 941 posts - 1309 votes Speaks: Greek*, Ancient Greek*, EnglishC2 Studies: French, Russian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew | Message 3 of 18 30 January 2013 at 10:53am | IP Logged |
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- Did you start learning languages (for pleasure) before or after you became an adult?
Before. French at the age of ten. I demanded it of my parents. - Do you have a set routine for studying, or are a "learn-as-you-go" learner? Well, this is a tricky question. A routine is what gets me results, so I try, but sometimes I change courses, then return to the previous course, etc. My routune is "study every day", but I make a few steps back sometimes. - Did you have motivation or a reason to start learning languages, or started doing it as an extracurricular activity? It's always nice to have a language under your belt, if you want to have a chance at a good job. However, my parents decided I should learn English, and as for french, I asked it of them because I loved how it sounded. As for the languages I am currently studying it's partly because they might be useful, partly because I like them. The truth is I love literature and history, and languages help me satisfy those passions. I also love fashion, and I want to read all those German pattern sites out there. I never saw languages as an end, but as a means to an end. - Do you like reading? Reading and writing. - Do you consider yourself "passionate" about learning your chosen language (or, if you've stopped studying actively, were you passionate about it at the time)? Yes. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| hribecek Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5352 days ago 1243 posts - 1458 votes Speaks: English*, Czech, Spanish Studies: Italian, Polish, Slovak, Hungarian, Toki Pona, Russian | Message 4 of 18 30 January 2013 at 12:42pm | IP Logged |
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- Did you start learning languages (for pleasure) before or after you became an adult?
After, at age 24. - Do you have a set routine for studying, or are a "learn-as-you-go" learner? A little bit set but open to new ideas. - Did you have motivation or a reason to start learning languages, or started doing it as an extracurricular activity? Extra-curricular. - Do you like reading? Yes. - Do you consider yourself "passionate" about learning your chosen language (or, if you've stopped studying actively, were you passionate about it at the time)? Yes, passion is and has always been my main reason for language learning. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Arekkusu Hexaglot Senior Member Canada bit.ly/qc_10_lec Joined 5384 days ago 3971 posts - 7747 votes Speaks: English, French*, GermanC1, Spanish, Japanese, Esperanto Studies: Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Estonian | Message 5 of 18 30 January 2013 at 3:13pm | IP Logged |
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- Did you start learning languages (for pleasure) before or after you became an adult?
Before. - Do you have a set routine for studying, or are a "learn-as-you-go" learner? Learn-as-you-go. No method, no technique. - Did you have motivation or a reason to start learning languages, or started doing it as an extracurricular activity? Extracurricular. - Do you like reading? Not really. Not fiction, and not for leisure, anyway. I do read a lot as a source of information and knowledge, though. - Do you consider yourself "passionate" about learning your chosen language (or, if you've stopped studying actively, were you passionate about it at the time)? Passionate, in this and in all. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| sans-serif Tetraglot Senior Member Finland Joined 4562 days ago 298 posts - 470 votes Speaks: Finnish*, English, German, Swedish Studies: Danish | Message 6 of 18 30 January 2013 at 3:52pm | IP Logged |
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- Did you start learning languages (for pleasure) before or after you became an adult?
Before. At least if input activities count as "learning languages". If not, after. - Do you have a set routine for studying, or are a "learn-as-you-go" learner? Learn-as-you-go. I have thought about the process of learning a language quite a lot, and I have some ideas and approaches that I like, but at the end of the day I go about it in a very unstructured way. - Did you have a motivation or a reason to start learning languages, or started doing it as an extracurricular activity? Motivation/reason, maybe? I'm not sure what to answer. Languages in general or for pleasure? I wanted to read some books that hadn't been translated into my mother tongue, so I read them in English instead. I wasn't trying to learn anything, I just wanted to understand the story. At the time, I had been taking German and English for a year or two. - Do you like reading? Yes. It's also one of the most important components of my learning "strategy". - Do you consider yourself "passionate" about learning your chosen language (or, if you've stopped studying actively, were you passionate about it at the time)? Nope. Passionate is a big word. I'm not sure if I would say I have any true passions. Edited by sans-serif on 30 January 2013 at 3:53pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| agantik Triglot Senior Member France Joined 4638 days ago 217 posts - 335 votes Speaks: French*, English, Italian Studies: German, Norwegian | Message 7 of 18 30 January 2013 at 10:15pm | IP Logged |
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- Did you start learning languages (for pleasure) before or after you became an adult?
Before, when I was about ten , I discovered my father's 1960 Spanish Assimil method as well as a bunch of English books in the family library. - Do you have a set routine for studying, or are a "learn-as-you-go" learner? I used to, when I was a student, now for lack of time (married life with children and job, hello!)I'm rather the learn as you go type. - Did you have motivation or a reason to start learning languages, or started doing it as an extracurricular activity? I found it fascinating, I had the feeling of entering a parallel world with its own culture, literature, history I was eager to discover. - Do you like reading? A lot. Up to 150 books a year in my student days. - Do you consider yourself "passionate" about learning your chosen language (or, if you've stopped studying actively, were you passionate about it at the time? Definitely. Edited by agantik on 30 January 2013 at 10:19pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Nuuskamuikkunen Triglot Newbie Finland Joined 4319 days ago 21 posts - 43 votes Speaks: Finnish*, Polish, English | Message 8 of 18 30 January 2013 at 11:46pm | IP Logged |
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- Did you start learning languages (for pleasure) before or after you became an adult?
After, excluding a couple very short and ineffective tries as a kid. - Do you have a set routine for studying, or are a "learn-as-you-go" learner? Yes, and no. I know what works for me, but I am too lazy to have a routine. - Did you have motivation or a reason to start learning languages, or started doing it as an extracurricular activity? I always have a reason. - Do you like reading? Absolutely. - Do you consider yourself "passionate" about learning your chosen language (or, if you've stopped studying actively, were you passionate about it at the time)? Yes. Too lazy to learn it otherwise. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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