Learning a language can be extremely rewarding, but it is no easy feat. It takes aptitude, time and motivation to make progress. In fact, lack of motivation was cited as the number one reason learners give up on learning a language according to research carried out by the knowledge academy. But how do you choose which language to learn so that you have the motivation to see through your language learning experience to fluency? Equally important, what are some bad reasons to choose a particular language? Learning a language is a significant time commitment, so it’s important to choose a language that truly interests you. Whether it’s your interests, your family’s heritage, how accessible the language is or the demand associated with a language, having a personal reason to learn a language can keep you motivated and engaged throughout the learning process.
Interests
Take stock of your interests that aren’t directly related to language. Maybe there is a part of the world that fascinates you. Maybe you’re really into anime and want to experience it like a Japanese speaker would. You might already have an interest in renssance literature and want to be able to access what you’ve read in the language it was originally written in. In that case, Italian or Spanish might be a good choice for very different reasons than someone who will be doing some volunteer work in Panama over the summer. If you choose a language where your interests overlap, you’ll probably find that you’re pretty motivated to continue learning because you’ll be engaging in your hobbies and interests while improving your skills.
Heritage
Often people choose to learn the language of their ancestors in order to connect with their past and perhaps even family members who still speak the language. There’s nothing quite like speaking the same words that your great grandparents would have spoken and perhaps even visiting the town where they lived if you’re lucky. If you identify with the language and culture that you’re learning about, you might find that you’re more willing to stick with the language in the long term. Granted heritage alone probably isn’t going to motivate you to learn the language. I can tell you first hand that most of the students in my Arabic class who had family that spoke the language were not the most dedicated students. Perhaps the sample size that I saw was too small, but other things like aptitude and a natural love for languages also play a role.
Accessibility
Another factor that you might want to consider is accessibility. Let’s face it. Even if you are highly motivated to learn a language, it won’t be easy to pick it up if you aren’t in contact with anyone who speaks the language. Learning Spanish will be easier if you live in a part of the city with a lot of immigrants than if you live out in the country with only English speakers. Think about the communities around you, places you are planning on traveling to and your interest in connecting with native speakers.
Granted, there are always apps like HelloTalk that allow you to connect with real speakers from around the world, but it’s an extra degree of separation. You’ll have to go out of your way to make communicating with native speakers a part of your every day life. Negotiating helping making a meal in a second language is experience that can’t easily be replaced by online learning and will give you an additional feel for the pragmatic elements of a language that might get you hooked on learning it.
Demand
There are also political and market factors that might influence your decision as well. Conflicts in far off lands or a refugee crisis can create a need for certain languages. It isn’t the only factor that you want to consider, but it can be a good career move to learn an in-demand language and that might keep you motivated.
The only downside to choosing a language based on demand is that demand is subject to change. As someone who learned Arabic, I can say that it is not as in demand for military and government purposes as it was a decade ago. I would say Russian and Ukranian have replaced it as the languages in the highest demand.
Now that we’ve covered what to consider when choosing which language to learn, let’s look at some factors not to consider. If you have these motivations as your primary reason for learning a language, It might be better to choose one that you want to learn more organically.
Clout
Learning a language to impress others might gain you some superficial progress at first, but it’s not enough to motivate you to attain high proficiency in a given language. Enter fake polyglots.
Impressing locals with some stock phrases is really something special, especially if they aren’t used to foreigners learning their languages, but you’ll really only get that reaction at a high beginner proficiency. Learners who are all about chasing reactions tend to bounce around because once you reach high proficiency, native speakers don’t react with the same shock and awe.
At a high proficiency, Native speakers are more likely to concentrate on what you’re saying then the fact that you’re speaking their language. They’ll assume that you’ve been working or studying for some time in the country. At this point, you’re becoming more like an insider. Sure people will ask you how you know the language, but they’ll be less excited in my experience because they see you as less of a foreigner, though certainly still a foreigner.
In my experience observing language learners at the college level and in teaching English as a second language, the students that stuck with learning the longest also had intrinsic and intangible reasons for learning that propelled them to invest the time and effort and overcome the frustration that goes part and parcel with learning a new language. You can have all the reasons in the world to learn a new language, but if you don’t love doing it, you will only get so far.
Career
I know I just wrote that demand is a reason to learn a language, but hear me out on this one. There are two sides to the coin. I’m not saying learning a language to boost your career is necessarily bad. I’m just saying that unless you’re being trained by the military with tons of support and external motivators, if it’s the only reason you’re learning the language, it’s probably not going to be enough to motivate you to achieve fluency, particularly if it’s a very difficult language. If you don’t really like the language or the culture and people around it, you won’t enjoy the work it takes to get really good at it, and eventually you’ll quit.
As a caveat, this doesn’t really apply to people learning English. Because it’s a language that’s tied to international business and politics, I don’t believe that it’s tied to one culture. Plus, it’s getting to the point where it would really take an effort to not learn it for many people in the world.
Plateau Avoidance
The last reason to not choose a language is because you are avoiding a plateau in another language you’re learning. It isn’t bad to try a language out before committing to learning it, but jumping ship when the going gets tough can create a cycle where you never go beyond intermediate proficiency in a language because when it gets difficult, you switch to another language where the early gains are much more noticeable. You would be better off changing your study approach and learning techniques that will help catapult you into advanced proficiency.
Note that there isn’t a fool proof way to choose which language to learn. But there are some factors you can consider in evaluating whether you’re going to want to stick with it or not. Everyone is different, and the most important thing is to choose a language that aligns best with you and your goals. Embrace the journey of learning a new language and enjoy the process of expanding your linguistic and cultural horizons. Happy learning!