I cannot imagine living my life without ever having learned a language. Have you ever realized there’s something you just absolutely have to do? What would it take to get you to do that thing?
Yesterday was when I came to the conclusion that learning a language is less of a choice and more of a personal necessity for me. I’ve played with this idea for years, and never came close to seriously considering it. I’ve always doubted my ability to take on such a task.
I’m no longer doubting my abilities and I’m now excited by the idea of this. For as long as I’ve wanted to travel to new places, in the back of my mind, I’ve always pictured myself being able to speak with many different people. In addition to that, learning a new language could also teach me new concepts and words that don’t even exist in English.
What Language?
Now, it’s just a matter of figuring on which direction to go from here. The truth is, I don’t even know what language it’d be worth dedicating the next few years to learn. What factors do I consider? Should I learn a language for practical reasons or just out of sheer interest?
While I don’t know the answers to these questions, here’s a couple languages that interest me!
- Spanish
This would a very practical language to learn because of how many Spanish speakers live in the United States. I already know bits and pieces having interacted with friends. - French
I’m interested in learning French because of my close vicinity to Montreal. 65% of the population there speaks French and it’s a really interesting city. I’d love to learn the language once spoken by famous artists such as Monet. - Japanese
I love comparing the cultural differences between the USA and Japan. I’m interested in all aspects of Japanese culture ranging from architecture to visual arts and history. The Japanese language is ancient and consists of three main alphabets which would make if very difficult to learn. This is because learning the written language involves a lot of memorization. I want love to go to many places in Tokyo such as Nakameguro and Harajuku.
What would it take?
To learn a language, I’d imagine it takes dedication and persistence. Breaking my learning up onto a weekly schedule and really trying to absorb and retain information through practice.
My biggest challenge would be a matter of sitting down and actually doing it on a daily basis. Once I’d be able to get in a learning routine, I’d be on the right path.
I’m not sure when I’m going to get started, but ideally as soon as possible. The more time I have for a task like this, the better.
– Crew
