Why do you help other language learners? (General discussion) Language Learning Forum

Why do you help other language learners?
Tags: Motivation
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Language Learning Forum : General discussion

21 messages over 3 pages: 1 2 3 Next >>

Cavesa
Triglot
Senior Member
Czech Republic
Joined 5009 days ago
3277 posts - 6779 votes

Speaks: Czech*, French^C2, English^C1
Studies: Spanish, German, Italian

Message 9 of 21

29 June 2012 at 9:31pm | IP Logged

1. Because so many have helped me, even with the most newbie questions.

2. Because it is so easy to get discoureged and language learning is already a rare
hobby, so giving an advice, if I can, is the least I can do for this piece of world to
grow.

3. Because I feel clever that I am able to answer :-D
2 persons have voted this message useful

tanya b
Senior Member
United States
Joined 4778 days ago
159 posts - 518 votes

Speaks: Russian

Message 10 of 21

30 June 2012 at 3:45am | IP Logged

I'm deluding myself to think my posts are really that helpful, but when I actually did give advice to learners of Russian and Armenian, and they appreciated it, it really made my day.

Most people who express an interest in languages are just "hit and run" learners who have no intention of learning more than a few phrases. At least on this forum you know your advice and expertise is going out to "kindred spirits" who are sincere in their desire to learn.
3 persons have voted this message useful

montmorency
Diglot
Senior Member
United Kingdom
Joined 4828 days ago
2371 posts - 3676 votes

Speaks: English*, German
Studies: Danish, Welsh

Message 11 of 21

30 June 2012 at 9:57pm | IP Logged

Solfrid Cristin wrote:

I do not need drugs, I can just get high on answering questions here, :-)

I get high taking drugs while I'm answering questions on here :-)

(Just kidding; I don't take drugs, unless you count wine ... :-) ).

3 persons have voted this message useful

mikonai
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
weirdnamewriting.bloRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 4929 days ago
178 posts - 281 votes

Speaks: English*, Italian
Studies: Swahili, German

Message 12 of 21

30 June 2012 at 10:41pm | IP Logged

Teaching is definitely an important part of learning for me. And who else to indulge me
but people who would actually be interested? Being able to explain some aspect of a
language so someone else understands it ensures that I understand it myself, and
oftentimes I won't, really, until I do explain it.

Helping people out also can help me since I put my bits of advice up for other people to
see and comment and correct me when I'm wrong. If I'm off track, I'll hear about it in
the gentlest way, because honestly, this is one of the nicest forums around.

I've got all sorts of selfish reasons like that, but I have to say I also hate to see
someone's question just languishing without anyone to help, and I'm just happy to jump in
and spout off what little I know.
5 persons have voted this message useful

atama warui
Triglot
Senior Member
Japan
Joined 4701 days ago
594 posts - 985 votes

Speaks: German*, English, Japanese

Message 13 of 21

01 July 2012 at 3:57am | IP Logged

emk wrote:

I find that teaching is an essential part of learning. I don't really understand things
until I explain them.

So if I see a beginner with a really interesting question, and nobody answers it for a
while, I'll try to summarize my own experiences. This lets me boil an inchoate, half-
formed idea down into a nice, clean summary. And along the way, I certainly hope to "pay
forward" some the incredibly useful advice I've received here.

I found this one really interesting, as I never thought about it this way, but it makes perfect sense and I can relate to that.

It may also be interesting to know that I'm able to explain concepts of my TL better than of my mother tongue; but I improved in German, too, just by learning Japanese.

Also, when someone asks a question about my mother tongue, it makes me think a bit about why I'd express something like that (or why not), which then makes me compare it to the language I'm learning - because I think that, when I do explain something, it has to be done in a way a learner can comprehend.

That being said, I only commented on topics here sometimes, uttering my opinion on stuff. I never really tried to teach or thoroughly explain something, although I do enjoy it (I help friends with German, but reject learners of Japanese all the time).

There are a lot of more competent people here on HTLAL (and some people who are convinced they are^^) who not only know more than I do, but also explain things better.

I enjoy giving my view on things though, as that's what I think this board is also for. Plus, it's fun. Way more fun for me to read postings from fellow language learners about languages and learning, than watching TV or Youtube. Even some rather horrible explanations on this forum were helpful for me, as recognizing the flaws taught me a thing or two about the given subject.
4 persons have voted this message useful

Wulfgar
Senior Member
United States
Joined 4671 days ago
404 posts - 791 votes

Speaks: English*

Message 14 of 21

05 July 2012 at 9:18am | IP Logged

My goal is to only ask questions here, and take the role of a student rather than a teacher. I've failed miserably at
that. I received several pieces of bad advice when I was a younger learner, and think "if I can help just one person
avoid a similar mistake, the world will be better somehow". But I suspect that most of the time I'm just annoying
people.
1 person has voted this message useful

fabriciocarraro
Hexaglot
Winner TAC 2012
Senior Member
Brazil
russoparabrasileirosRegistered users can see my Skype Name
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Speaks: Portuguese*, English^B2, Italian, Spanish, Russian, French
Studies: Dutch, German, Japanese

Message 15 of 21

06 July 2012 at 2:04am | IP Logged

Because I'm nice! =)
4 persons have voted this message useful

mrwarper
Diglot
Winner TAC 2012
Senior Member
Spain
forum_posts.asp?TID=Registered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 5226 days ago
1493 posts - 2500 votes

Speaks: Spanish*, English^C2
Studies: German, Russian, Japanese

Message 16 of 21

22 July 2012 at 6:50am | IP Logged

emk wrote:

I find that teaching is an essential part of learning. I don't really understand things
until I explain them.

I look at it the other way around (: or is it actually the same thing?): if you can't explain it you don't understand it as well as you thought.

But why do I do it?

1. For moral reciprocity: I've learned so much from others that it would just feel wrong not to share with others whatever I know and they don't, even if they're different 'others'.
2. Because it's nicer and more useful to exchange ideas with people who are into the same things as you*, and these are sometimes much more hard to find off-line.
3. As 'proof to self: I really understand this - see how the guy got it?' ;)

* Since there's no exchange unless both parties say something 2 kind of implies 1 in the long run.

3 persons have voted this message useful

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