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Why learn languages?This question again. | ||
Tags: Reasons for study | Motivation | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| Solfrid Cristin Heptaglot Winner TAC 2011 & 2012 Senior Member Norway Joined 5339 days ago 4143 posts - 8864 votes  Speaks: Norwegian*, Spanish, Swedish, French, English, German, Italian Studies: Russian | Message 9 of 20 17 December 2010 at 8:58pm | IP Logged |
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Why did I learn my languages? English, because that was my mother's way of spending quality time with me, later because it was compulsory at school and finally because I studied it in order to become a teacher. Spanish because I was dumped in a Spanish family in Spain who only spoke Spanish when I was 11, and my mother didn't pick me up for 6 months. I continued in order to become a teacher.
French because I was sent to live in a French family for a year when I was 14, and I had to learn French in order to communicate with the family I lived with, and my class mates.I continued in order to be able to teach it. German because it is an important language that can serve you well in your carreer. Italian because it is a beautiful language and I felt it would be an easy language to pick up. The languages I have dabbled in I have chosen for a multitude of reasons: love, friendship, curiosity. If you do not see any reason to learn any more languages, I don't think you should. If you can't think of any reasons to do it, our reasons for studying languages will be no good to you. Go for football or chess instead. 2 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 10 of 20 17 December 2010 at 9:05pm | IP Logged |
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Maybe I will,eventually.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| global_gizzy Senior Member United States maxcollege.blogspot. Joined 5708 days ago 275 posts - 310 votes Studies: Spanish | Message 11 of 20 19 December 2010 at 5:25am | IP Logged |
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Well, I have different reasons for different Languages:
Spanish is something that my heart has craved since childhood, in all honesty. I tried to convince my mother to speak to me in Spanish when I was a little kid because I WANTED to speak and understand that language. Arabic is a close second, but for the longest time, I wanted Arabic for myself because my parents told me to want it. I think their driving me has fizzled and I'm beginning to truly lust for the language in my heart for my own sake, especially now that I have some basic competency in Spanish. Esperanto appeals to me in a special way. It sings to the humanitarian, citizen of the earth, lets love and and be loved type person within me. It also appeals to my inner- geek. Every language that I consider has a different reason and then there are the "core" or standard reasons for language learning that apply to virtually every language that I take even a half serious crack at. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| leafhound Newbie United Kingdom Joined 5094 days ago 6 posts - 10 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Thai, Spanish | Message 12 of 20 19 December 2010 at 7:15pm | IP Logged |
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With each language you learn a new world opens up,
a world that was not accessible before and indeed was not even know about. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| tomsawyer Senior Member Aruba Joined 5292 days ago 103 posts - 141 votes Speaks: English* Studies: GermanB1, French, Russian | Message 13 of 20 19 December 2010 at 7:25pm | IP Logged |
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For the past month I've been backpacking around Germany, seeing if the German I've worked hard to learn would pay off. I can safely say that even in a country where so many people speak English, if I hadn't known German, I wouldn't have met half the people I did, and I would have been treated as just another tourist out of the factory, instead of somebody who's obviously genuinly interested in their way of life, and for that reason I have had a most incredible time here. That's why I learn languages.
3 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Eodice717 Newbie United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5114 days ago 3 posts - 3 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German, Russian | Message 14 of 20 20 December 2010 at 1:53pm | IP Logged |
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What sparked my interest in learning languages was doing my final semester for my Bachelor's Degree in Germany. I had to learn at least the basic phrases before I got over there. However, when I began studying the language more in depth, I realized that I liked learning this language and continued to do so even after my stay was complete.
During my 4 months there, I was exposed to various languages in my exchange program (Russian, Bulgarian, Italian and Thai for the most part). It was around April that I became friends with a native Russian speaker; and that was it for me. When I got back to the states in the summer, i began to research all of the available options for learning Russian and German. My real goal, aside from the hobby of communicating with native speakers, is to conduct business in these languages and go back to Europe as an expatriate. Sure, English may be the international business language, but not everyone wishes to speak it. Therefore, I have made it my goal to become fluent in these 2 languages for both personal and professional gain. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| kyssäkaali Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5558 days ago 203 posts - 376 votes Speaks: English*, Finnish | Message 15 of 20 20 December 2010 at 3:28pm | IP Logged |
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Because it's fun and it's my hobby. Like collecting rocks, it's not for most people, but for a select few it's an absolute thrill. I couldn't care less about "usefulness" and can only shake my head when people refuse to so much as even touch a language because it doesn't have eleventy bajillion speakers. The other day someone on the unilang forum stated he would never learn a language with less than some absurd number like "500 million" speakers and if anything, I felt pity for him--that leaves out so many choices and takes away all the fun!
2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| slymie Tetraglot Groupie China Joined 5233 days ago 81 posts - 154 votes Speaks: English, Macedonian Studies: French, Mandarin, Greek Studies: Shanghainese, Uyghur, Russian | Message 16 of 20 20 December 2010 at 4:02pm | IP Logged |
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I get a great amount of pleasure out of learning language. The sense of accomplishment after years of study then being able to understand everything you hear. Being able to make friends with people who you would have never been able to communicate with before. Reading books in the language they were intended to be read in, watching movies without subtitles and catching all the slang and idioms, opening doors to new cultures and ideas. Opening job prospects and even saving you money! (In Moscow I paid 50 rubbles for something a Sweedish girl infront of me paid 300 for because I asked for it in Broken Russian.)
I don't even consider it to be much of a hobby. Sure its enjoyable and takes up your time as a hobby should, but it just has too many rewards to be considered a 'pass-time' (well, unless you are the sort to study rare languages to the point you can introduce yourself then rush to do a youtube video.) 3 persons have voted this message useful |
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