So, I posted this on another avatar site. I know that there are a lot of people on here who are language learners who do not go on said site. So, I figured I would duplicate the thread on here. Why? Because I'm nosey curious.

If you learn a foreign language, what is the reason you chose that specific language? Was it school, a friend, a significant other, tv, video games, religion or music? Or was it just random? I'm a Linguaphile, so it doesn't take a whole lot to spark my interest in a foreign language.

For me, I usually get interested in languages and cultures if I know someone who speaks said language. I want to learn Icelandic because of my late wife, I am learning Spanish because my fiancée, I am learning Vietnamese because of a friend, Czech because of some kids I have, Irish because I was born in Ireland, Manx because I have family from Isle of Man, Thai because of a close friend, Tibetan because I believe in Buddhist teaching and Romanian from an friend I used to have but continue because of a new friend. However, I have a few languages I am interested in just because it sounded like fun to learn, such as Chinese (which I ended up minoring in and becoming a Chinese teacher for 10 years), Korean and Swahili.

I find language learning fun and relaxing because I'm obviously weird like that , so I find all of this really enjoyable. : )

So, I am curious, why did you chose to learn the language you are?

I learnt Italian because I was living in Italy lmao but the language interested me in general since I'm quite interested in linguistics and etymology. I really like the way Italian sounds, and since I'll probably go back and visit Italy on holiday and stuff it will still come in useful :)

Most of the languages I chose due to becoming fixated on their respective culture for a time. I started learning Japanese because I was a weeb xD started learning Italian partially because of Assassin's Creed II. German was more of just an opportunity I took, and French as well, though I also love the sound of it. Really, I always wanted to travel, and I'd like to be able to converse with the locals wherever I go instead of relying on a translator or a phrasebook (god forbid).

I also aim to eventually watch foreign movies /anime without needing subtitles. q-q

@Kaderin Triste: The best way to essentially try and tutor yourself is to start practical. I would search the Internet for "beginner lessons", "free online courses", "beginner vocabulary" and etc for the language you're looking to learn. There are lots of resources out there for the core languages (Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, etc) which can be easy enough to find, but other languages like Icelandic or Indonesian can be harder to find resources for.

If you have access to a printer, try printing out simple vocabulary sheets, and teach yourself a number of words at a time (say, 20 new words per week). If you don't have a printer, copying things from websites on your phone into a notebook can actually help too, as a lot of people find that writing things down helps them to remember those things better.

Writing out flashcards / post-it notes / other kids of labels and labeling things in your target language can be useful, and help you recognise the new sounds as the idea for a thing they represent rather than just a word. Also, really important: make sure you tackle things like articles, grammar, and syntax early on, as it'll make your subsequent learning smoother and so much easier. When I say articles I mean things like "le chat" or "der Bus", things you'll encounter in gendered languages; and the gender of a noun will effect the grammar of sentences it's used in as much as its tense.

Also, if there's a library in your area, definitely visit and browse their resource section. They always have language resources, usually things like phrasebooks and dictionaries which can be really helpful when you're just starting out. If you're really lucky, you'll find Rosetta Stone in your target language. I was only so lucky once c':

TL;DR Start by learning simple sentences, basic words and phrases, etc., then study your grammar and learn how and why sentences work; then, expand your vocabulary, start learning more complex sentences, so on and so forth. Practise whenever you can. It can be as simple as writing nonsense sentences to yourself in a notebook that nobody will ever see, but building and speaking coherent sentences will help strengthen your skills later on.

In the end, you may also find that learning a second language strengthens your English (or other native language) skills. c:

I've been out of college and have forgotten much of what I learned....but I chose Japanese because I love Japanese music, and video games...and anime

-crawls back under weeaboo rock-

Language is actually an iffy thing for me, like I grew up hearing three languages but I never mastered the other two, only English. I did try to pick up Japanese (because weeb childhood) and I actually got to practice it while I was in Japan as a tourist. I do want to pick it up again when I have the time but I learned at first with a game (My Japanese Coach lol) and then took a Foreign Language Class in my college. That one helped me more to an extent, but nothing beats practicing it with others and actually speaking it aloud in conversations.

Bilingual here. Bilinguist? Anyway I speak three languages and want to learn a few more.

It's really fun to see people learning new languages, and that's one of the things that is driving me to learn French and Spanish. Besides helping with work and travel, knowing how to speak more than English helps me express myself more. There are certain words, phrases, and just overall vibe in some languages that you can't get in others. It confused some when I start speaking Russian half way through a clearly English conversation, but it just works. Especially when you're trying to explain a certain noise.

@Kaderin Triste: Oooh, cool! Both are really beautiful languages, and Japanese is easier than many would have you think, but some things like counting objects or general formal speak and the writing systems can be more challenging / time consuming. French is way harder to enunciate properly x-x

Also, totally can relate about the shame of grammatical mistakes. c': Though when I'm writing on casual forums (like this one) or in Discord a lot of it goes out the window.