Why Learn a foreign Language?

Why Learn a foreign Language?
There are dozens of different reasons why people decide to learn a foreign language. Getting your reasons clear in your mind will help you keep focused on a goal which can seem far away when you’re struggling to get past “uno, dos, tres."

For travel, romance, work, or simply to keep your brain active: your reason is unique for you, but it’s important that it’s clear. Do you need to be a fluent reader and writer or will everyday conversation serve your purposes? Think about this and set an appropriate goal defining the level you want to reach.

Which language?
Depending on your motivations, the choice of language could be entirely clear: if your future husband is Italian, learn to speak what he speaks.

What about if you’re learning for work, study or travel reasons? Sometimes the choice might seem obvious, but be careful and do your research! Let’s say you’re going to spend a year studying in Barcelona. Should you learn Spanish – widely understood in many countries across the world – or Catalan, arguably the more local language? Or imagine your employer is sending you to their Chinese branch for a couple of years – will Mandarin suffice for everyday needs like shopping and chatting with the neighbors, or might you want to learn one of the dozens of other languages or dialects spoken in China?

When your motivation is more related to fun and intellectual exercise, choosing a language related to a culture you’re really interested in will keep you motivated when the verb conjugations get you down. If you’re obsessed with eating souvlaki and drinking ouzo, for example, then try Greek! An alternative is exposing your ears to a range of different languages – on a foreign movie channel perhaps – and finding a language that sounds good, literally. A Japanese friend of mine visited Bratislava a few years ago and fell in love with the harsh rolling sounds of the Slovak language – so much so that he moved there to study Slovak language and literature.