Who doesn’t want to know another language? The idea is just so appealing. Your world is opened up, a whole different culture is at your fingertips to explore. You can journey to other countries, open your mind, and meet sexy foreigners. All your friends will think you’re cool. At Least that’s what everyone thinks they’ll get from learning another language. Truthfully, Most people will only learn how to say their hellos, how’s the weather, and their likes and dislikes before their interests subsides. Languages are complicated beasts that take years or even decades to achieve fluency. It requires daily practice and going out of your comfort zone to use the language. It’s a commitment, and you better have more reasons than bragging rights and overseas hookups to keep you going.
Before choosing a language, it’s important to know what you will have to put into it. You’ll have to practice everyday, as much as possible. Practicing takes a lot more than just using Duolingo, by the way. Properly studying will include writing, reading, listening, and speaking. Good self study programs will include literal thousands of flash cards, reading challenging texts, listening to videos of native speakers, and repeating for good pronunciation. It’s also a good idea to eventually speak with native speakers, which can be done online through programs such as iTalki. Above all that is fully immersing yourself in a language. If you’re brave enough, find an overseas job as an ESL teacher and apply yourself, and you’ll be on the fastest track to fluency.
So which language is best for you? The most useful language to learn for Americans is undoubtedly Spanish, so that might be your first choice. But it might not be the best choice.
What’s most important is choosing a language that is truly interesting to you, one that gets you excited any time you hear it. It doesn’t matter if it’s Spanish, Chinese, Hebrew, or Latin. It doesn’t matter if 50 million people speak it or just 50. All that matters is that you enjoy the language enough to come back to it every day and practice. The worst thing you can do is to force yourself to learn a language you hate. Even if it’s useful, it won’t work out. Embrace whatever speaks to you, even if it’s just for fun and has no practical use.
Learning a language is a constant struggle, but I guarantee it will be worth it if you truly love the language. Reading a complex sentence or understanding a native’s confusing slang that you wouldn’t have comprehended a few months ago is immediately fulfilling. You’ll feel glee that you finally understand another part of the puzzle.
If you’re still psyched after knowing what it will take, go download Duolingo and test out some of the languages. Pull up some intro videos to hear how the language sounds. Find your soul-language and go learn! Au revoir et bonne chance!
Written by John Bowdle
Ms. Harner's EN100 Blog 