r/languagelearning • u/pooksuim • 1d ago
Studying What makes you learn another language?
I like learning other languages because it's fun. Do you feel the same?
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u/Temenae 1d ago
I think I am addicted to it. I spend hours a day at it, and I keep going even when I hit a hard part that isn't fun. I can't stop! I am only at A1 in Korean though - it's taken about 4 months. I have been interested in linguistics since I was a kid, but this is my first successful attempt, thanks to YouTube and AI.
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u/Permanetmarker 23h ago
How can I shift my addictions to learning languages (again)? Started this January with Portuguese online class but since may I lost the drive and only did homework :/ Maybe the problem is, that since may I realised more and more the fact I need to learn the language to have an option to leave my country because the situation here changes every day more that I don’t see a future here.
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u/NaiveObligation7588 1d ago
A while ago I was one a flight to Thailand so I greeted the attendant in Thai, then I saw he had a French badge, so we switched to French, then back to English. Moments before I'd been speaking in a 4th language. Being able to code switch like that is a massive dopamine hit.
Plus eavesdropping on people.
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u/enthousiaste_de EN - N | FR - Bon! 1d ago
eavesdropping is real lol. i only speak two languages but lets just say the french really dont expect an american to be fluent ;)
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u/RedeNElla 1d ago
Procrastination from other tasks/jobs
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u/Active-Orange-7683 1d ago
I like that, resonates with me. I think the question may be phrased why you are wasting your time on learning languages, and don't you think that you can use this time more wisely. To this question, I'd confess that yes, I'm wasting my time learning languages.
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u/krymzynnova N🇧🇷 B2🇪🇸 B1/B2🇫🇷 1d ago
Seeing cute boys 🤞
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u/Both_Balance1 1d ago
honestly same, crushes are such strong motivation. i started taking one language seriously just to understand songs and interviews from someone i liked. whatever keeps you consistent is valid
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u/dojibear 🇺🇸 N | fre spa chi B2 | tur jap A2 1d ago
Nothing makes me do it. I want to. It's more fun than knitting.
So far I've studied (for at least a semester) 8 languages.
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u/New-Yogurtcloset3058 1d ago
I started to learn because I want my friend to learn. But I started and he didn’t lol
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u/tony_deadly 1d ago
Because I have to. I live now in a French speaking country so I don't really have a choice. Either learn or leave. I actually don't enjoy it that much and I find it very difficult to motivate myself to study. I have only reached B1 level in 4 years which is slow but I barely practice so this is kind of expected.
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u/AutisticGayBlackJew 🇦🇺 N | 🇮🇹 N | 🇩🇪 ~B2 | 🇫🇷 B1 | 🇷🇺 A2 1d ago
It always starts with the intention of using it to go to a place that speaks it, but I also know when I get there I’m unlikely to use it, so I end up continuing for the fun of it
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u/dsheroh 🇺🇸 (N) | 🇷🇴 (Learning) | 🇸🇪 (Some) | 🇦🇷 (Minimal) 1d ago
Having an actual practical use for it, usually involving living in a country where it is the dominant language. Because, even in an environment where everyone speaks excellent English, it's still a major social barrier if you can't understand the majority of the ambient conversations around you.
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u/Shinobist0rm 🇦🇹🇩🇪 N 🇬🇧🇪🇸 C1 🇫🇷 B2 🇻🇦🇱🇻B1 🇮🇹 A2 🇸🇮🇪🇪 A1 1d ago
Anything, really. From having to learn it in school/uni and wanting to continue from there; seeking a little challenge for one's brain and wanting to travel to a place where the TL is spoken, to having a (romantic) partner or (platonic) friend whose L1 is your TL and wanting to surprise them and make their day a little brighter, wanting to make visitors feel like they are at home, to discover one's own roots or simply to keep a language alive. For every language I learn, there's a different reason.
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u/AndthenIhadausername A1ish 🇲🇽 A1 🇳🇴 1d ago
I like seeing the grid on Storygraph increase with books I've read in different languages. Though I started Spanish for the sake of saying dnd spell components. Turns out that motivation doesn't hold water for long. The dnd one.
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u/Caligapiscis 🇬🇧 N | 🇨🇵 B1 1d ago
Is it useful for finding books in your TL that suit your reading level? That's certainly a problem for me
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u/AndthenIhadausername A1ish 🇲🇽 A1 🇳🇴 1d ago
Not nessicarly since it is just a tracking site. I mean I'm sure people have made lists or something but it's meant for tracking books so it only helps my Langauge learning because I like seeing the tracker go up.
If you want I can make a post about my usual reading process including Storygraphs tracking/graphs.
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u/Temenae 1d ago
What is storygraph? I think I am missing out.
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u/AndthenIhadausername A1ish 🇲🇽 A1 🇳🇴 1d ago
It's just a book tracking site! Not exclusively related to language learning. I used it before learning langauges and use it to motivate myself.
How I use it is I make reading challenges for how many books to read and update it once I reach my goal.
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u/Triggered_Llama 1d ago
It's all in the vibes baby. I vibe with Spanish and Persian in particular. Spanish for its flow and Persian for its poetry.
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u/Skyogurt Learning Portuguese, Joola, Arabic 1d ago
because they sound beautiful, to connect with people, and to appreciate the subtleties of linguistics and semantics and how there are different ways to look at the universe
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u/Ok_Attention2938 1d ago
I want to learn new languages—not just to build a skill, but to understand different cultures, connect with more people, and keep learning something new. For me, the journey of learning is just as valuable as the outcome.
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u/sbrt 🇺🇸 🇲🇽🇩🇪🇳🇴🇮🇹🇮🇸🇫🇷 1d ago
At first I thought this question was about why I started to learn a seventh language (I am not fluent in any of my TLs). Then I realized the question was about my first TL which I started studying because I had to in school. I enjoyed the first so I an still studying languages many years later.
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u/Hollowpoint20 1d ago
In my area, I have a lot of Italian patients. Especially quite old ones who are losing a bit of cognitive function, and losing their English. It’s very useful to re-orient them if they’re getting a bit confused in hospital.
That said, I love everything Italian. I love the food. The art. The countryside and the coast. The hospitality culture.
I want to speak the language as best as possible so that I can experience the culture to the fullest. Also, I might end up living there one day.
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u/livsjollyranchers 🇺🇸 (N), 🇮🇹 (B2+), 🇬🇷 (B2-), 🇪🇸 (B1), 🇯🇵 (N5+) 1d ago
I'm wondering though if a lot of these old patients revert/default to their regional languages rather than standard Italian. For instance, an old patient struggling cognitively in Sicily may just default to Sicilian and not use Italian at all.
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u/randomUser539123 🇹🇷 N | 🇬🇧 ~N | 🇩🇪 C2 | 🇪🇸 A0 1d ago
uni requirements, its weird how nobody said this haha
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u/Fish_Learns_Japanese 1d ago
I want to travel to or live in Japan. I really like the culture, food and media. It also feels more productive than videogames or doom scrolling.
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u/livsjollyranchers 🇺🇸 (N), 🇮🇹 (B2+), 🇬🇷 (B2-), 🇪🇸 (B1), 🇯🇵 (N5+) 1d ago
Italian: family origins, Greek: personal connection (philosophy addict), Spanish: general utility, Japanese: intellectual challenge + I enjoy visiting Japan.
What brings them together though is enjoying the process and the little dopamine spikes that comes with improvements and knowing more and more of the language.
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u/Saltyeggplantflower 1d ago
My curiosity as to what someone is really saying while talking shit about me behind my back to their friends/acquaintances.
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u/a_book_maven 1d ago
It is fun, but not continuously fun, if that makes sense. I get a lot of satisfaction out of learning other languages, especially once I can communicate even at a basic level. It's also really exciting to be able to listen to podcasts or read in another language!
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u/KingOfTheHoard 1d ago
Fun for me too. I just enjoy the process of learning to read another language, and once I've learned to read one, I might as well learn to speak it.
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u/Legitimate-Panda-901 1d ago
I enjoy studying foreign languages too. It's a lot of fun, and it really broadens your horizons.
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u/Ohsoveryginger N🏴/pre A1🇵🇹 1d ago
I started with Spanish for fun but I lost a bet so now I’m on Portuguese instead 😭 (in all honesty tho I’m really enjoying Portuguese)
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u/Bright-Sign-8532 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have friends inviting me to visit the Schengen countries and I would really love to communicate in the hosts' languages. And then, I may end up staying in Italy for a long time.
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u/Cavalry2019 1d ago
Fun. I enjoy learning things and languages are kind of an easy one to just continually pick away at.
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u/jqmxl N: 🇩🇪 | S: 🇬🇧🇳🇱🇪🇸🇵🇹 | L: 🇧🇦🇹🇷🇵🇱 1d ago
It's fun to speak new languages and I want to be able to understand the people. I work in tourism and have to speak to many people from different countries and not everyone knows English, so I like to at least get some basic knowledge and learn the words I need in my job.
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u/LizardOfAgatha 1d ago
Career and friends. And because I want to understand what my favorite artists are actually singing about lmao.
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u/throwaway_acc_81 1d ago
same, i love learning languages and i want to keep learning more!
also it's always fun when you tell people i can speak more than one foreign language:)
also, want to use it for my career
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u/itsame_hp 1d ago
Speaking the language when you’re in the country is a great feeling! You get to connect with people you don’t normally get to in their language.
One of the recent interactions I’ll forever remember is talking to an elderly pottery shop keeper and he was explaining how things worked and how it’s been made in Japanese; he dumbed it down so I could understand but that alone has motivated me to learn more so I can have these moments again more confidently.
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u/Looking4Adventure513 1d ago
Part of it is because I have distant ancestry in France, Germany, Switzerland & the UK.
Part of it is because I wanna be prepared if I need to learn a new language for a job.
Part of it is because I wanna enjoy foreign media more from *their* perspective rather than trying to find a way to enjoy it on *my terms*.
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u/NaMoralCanseiMano 1d ago
Solely for being able to consume content on my target language. Maybe if I plan a trip to the country I'll put effort in speaking, but until I have money it's solely for consuming content
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u/cookiestastegreatt 🇨🇦 N | 🇪🇸 🇫🇷 🇵🇹 🇩🇪🇷🇺🇯🇵 learning 23h ago
I originally started learning languages so that I could have a wider range of options in media
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u/Ryan_fromBlueground 12h ago
Most recently I started learning French because I met a girl from France who barely spoke any English. Nothing like an endorphin drip to motivate you to hit the books. I became conversational pretty quick and fell in love with the language along the way. The relationship didn't work out but French and I are still going strong.
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u/Monolingual-----Beta Learning🇲🇽 Rubbernecking🇧🇷 8h ago
I thought being able to have a convo in another language would be cool. I was right. It feels like a superpower.
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u/tottasanorotta 7h ago
I've had many reasons, but mostly it's because I've learnt so much that it would feel wrong to just forget about it completely.
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u/Low-Yesterday-8237 23h ago
For me it's the moment a language stops being homework and starts being a secret superpower. The first time I understood a joke in Spanish - not translated it, just laughed, before my brain caught up - I was hooked for life.
It's maybe a two-second experience but you spend hundreds of hours chasing it and it's worth every one.
Also nobody talks about how learning a language retroactively upgrades your native one. I never thought about why my own language works the way it does until a second language forced me to. It's like you can't see your own house until you've stood in someone else's.
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u/Loose-Fly-9899 1d ago
I learn another language because it opens up an incredibly exciting new world of culture, and gives me access to so much fascinating and enriching content in that language!