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Why learn languages?This question again. | ||
Tags: Reasons for study | Motivation | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| 1qaz2wsx Diglot Groupie Greece Joined 5378 days ago 98 posts - 124 votes  Speaks: Greek*, EnglishC1 Studies: Russian, Albanian | Message 1 of 20 15 December 2010 at 9:49pm | IP Logged | ||
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I can speak English and Russian.I have tinkered with dozens of languages but I can still find no adequate reason to study a new language that is of no use to me.It is easer for me to study a new language because I need it in real life.The rest of them can be used just to read books.So,why do you study new languages? Edited by 1qaz2wsx on 15 December 2010 at 9:49pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Arekkusu Hexaglot Senior Member Canada bit.ly/qc_10_lec Joined 5386 days ago 3971 posts - 7747 votes Speaks: English, French*, GermanC1, Spanish, Japanese, Esperanto Studies: Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Estonian | Message 2 of 20 15 December 2010 at 10:27pm | IP Logged | ||
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I study language because I draw a sense of accomplishment from it and because I feel happy when I'm able to exchange with a person of another culture in their language. It satisfies my sense of curiosity and a desire to push my limits. Edited by Arekkusu on 15 December 2010 at 10:37pm 5 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| B-Tina Tetraglot Senior Member Germany dragonsallaroun Joined 5532 days ago 123 posts - 218 votes Speaks: German*, English, French, Polish | Message 3 of 20 15 December 2010 at 10:35pm | IP Logged | ||
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There are plenty of reasons why I love the languages I study (though some of those reasons rather apply to not-so-common languages), which are in no specific order:
1. it gives access to a culture which otherwise would have passed completely unnoticed (cf. 3.) 2. it is a great feeling if native speakers of your target language show you how they appreciate you learning the language. You will be perceived and treated differently when visiting the country. 3. by the same token, you may notice that you and the people around you may have had a totally biased image of the country in your mind. For instance, there is a lot of ramble on how to deal with turkish immigrants in Germany, and I think that most people ranting are totally oblivious to the great history and culture of that country. 4. great exercise for your brain! 5. it is extremely satisfying to actually apply things and concepts abstractely learned beforehand 6. you can communicate! :-) As for "usefulness": it may very well happen that you find ways to integrate a languaqge you are learning into your everyday life so that it becomes more useful to you. If you interact a lot in English, you may start making English friends via the Internet or find a job in the UK/USA. So much for now, I'm sure I can come up with several other reasons if I give it more thought :-) 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| egill Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5701 days ago 418 posts - 791 votes Speaks: Mandarin, English* Studies: German, Spanish, Dutch | Message 4 of 20 15 December 2010 at 11:08pm | IP Logged | ||
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Why study a language that is of no use to you?
Why collect stamps that you will never use? Why read mystery novels that are fictional and have no bearing on the real world? Why go hiking when all you do is retrace your steps or make a big circle? Why do any hobby that is not useful? Because it's fun. Sure hobbies may have practical aspects, but that's not the point. If they were otherwise, we wouldn't really consider them hobbies. "Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it."—Richard P. Feynman Edited by egill on 15 December 2010 at 11:10pm 6 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| languagenerd09 Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom youtube.com/user/Lan Joined 5105 days ago 174 posts - 267 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Mandarin, Japanese, Thai | Message 5 of 20 16 December 2010 at 3:11am | IP Logged | ||
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I study foreign languages becuase, it's in my heart, the sense of being able to communicate with people outside my country and to explore the words of other people. It fascinates me.
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| psy88 Senior Member United States Joined 5596 days ago 469 posts - 882 votes Studies: Spanish*, Japanese, Latin, French | Message 6 of 20 16 December 2010 at 4:01am | IP Logged | ||
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I agree with all of the others. The question recalls to mind another answer to a question that asked "why": "If you have to ask, you will never really understand why."
3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| 1qaz2wsx Diglot Groupie Greece Joined 5378 days ago 98 posts - 124 votes Speaks: Greek*, EnglishC1 Studies: Russian, Albanian | Message 7 of 20 16 December 2010 at 10:54am | IP Logged | ||
Maybe you got a point there,but languages are not stamps.It takes an eternity to learn them.And given that I don't have much free time for hobbies I stick to the languages that I need most. Edited by 1qaz2wsx on 16 December 2010 at 10:55am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| CheeseInsider Bilingual Diglot Senior Member Canada Joined 5127 days ago 193 posts - 238 votes Speaks: English*, Mandarin* Studies: French, German | Message 8 of 20 17 December 2010 at 7:59pm | IP Logged | ||
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I have many reasons... One of them is that I hate my country and want to move away haha :P
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