What do you think would be the best motivator for learning a language?

[Trellum]

I think the best motivator for learning a new language is the monetary kind, I know over here call centers pay much more for accounts that speak Mandarin, Spanish, etc. Apart from that, the interest should also be primarily there, because without it, you really won't be motivated to do or learn anything.

Oh yeah!  If I had a really good monetary motivator... I'm sure I'd be learning the language I'm supposed to learn faster, lol.  I'm still stuck, but if there was the chance I knew for sure that after mastering or learning x language I'd have a nice job, then I'd surely do it!  Huge motivator!

[Trellum]

Personally, I believe that the best motive for learning a language is to live in a country where everyone speaks that language, make making some friends who were born there. Then, you'll probably be motivated to learn the language as well.

You mean when you live in a foreign country?  Because moving to a country where they speak the language you want to learn is more like a really good way to learn a language, but not a motivator, but if you move to a country you weren't even planing to and you find yourself having a hard time because you can't speak the language, then that's what i call a hell of a great motivator to learn!

[deathbyprayer]

I don't think there is a single solid motivator because it varies from person to person. I think the best would be the knowledge that you're probably going to be using that langue someday. And besides, it's some sort of a plus factor when you can speak more than two language.

[raytalks]

I think for me it has been in a foreign country and I am with friends and I can't speak their language. My friends always did speak English with me, but there is always some conversation that goes on in their language. And some times it provides a laugh or a secret, I don't know. That is motivation enough for me to find out.

[chigreyofthenorns]

For me, the best motivator would be the desire to travel some day to the country whose dialect is the one you are learning. For instance, I am currently studying Korean because I want to visit Korea someday. I am very much motivated to learn how to speak the language fluently because I want to be able to experience the culture there fully. I want to be able to converse with the people in their own language.

[CeejayMode]

~delete~

[beccagreen]

It depends a lot on the person's personal preference but I think the best motivator to learn any language is the fact that you can basically use it for your own benefit someday. Now if you're teaching language in a school where nobody willingly enrolled in your class to study language and it's just mandatory for them, it's hard to motivate them to start learning since it's not their will. But if you willingly study a language then the motivation comes naturally.

You can also reason out the learning new languages is a real plus factor specially when you're traveling a lot or if you're planning to go and venture on other countries for business and career. Also it adds a certain charm to the person specially if he/she knows more than one language. 

[Trellum]

You are right, that's a great motivator.  I used to want to learn as many languages as possible when I was younger. I did think about the benefit learning all those languages would bring into my life, but  that wasn't my main motivator.

To be honest I'm not even sure what my main motivator was back then.

[Trellum]

For me, the best motivator would be the desire to travel some day to the country whose dialect is the one you are learning. For instance, I am currently studying Korean because I want to visit Korea someday. I am very much motivated to learn how to speak the language fluently because I want to be able to experience the culture there fully. I want to be able to converse with the people in their own language.

This is my main motivator right now as well. I might be traveling someday soon to the place where the language I'm currently speaking is spoken. So yeah, huge motivator for me!

Nothing can motivate you more than knowing you are learning a language you will be using soon.

[Trellum]

I don't think there is a single solid motivator because it varies from person to person. I think the best would be the knowledge that you're probably going to be using that langue someday. And besides, it's some sort of a plus factor when you can speak more than two language.

Yup, that's why I formulated my question the way I did it, because this is a very subjective topic. Everyone has their own motivator,  some do it because they have a bf or a girlfriend who speaks a different language, while others do it because they want to move to other country to get a better job. And so on...

[Trellum]

I think for me it has been in a foreign country and I am with friends and I can't speak their language. My friends always did speak English with me, but there is always some conversation that goes on in their language. And some times it provides a laugh or a secret, I don't know. That is motivation enough for me to find out.

Oh yeah, been there! It's awful to be left out! Hearing your friends or your gf/bf's parents saying something  and laugh makes you wonder what they just said! Grrrrrr!

[doodoofan]

I have different motivators for different languages. For example, I studied English because I wanted to watch US movies and TV series without subtitles. I learned Japanese so that I could read manga (Japanese comic books) in its original language. I learned Chinese because I love Chinese dramas. Just find a simple motivation, not a huge one like I need to get a good job, and you'll learn a language much more effective.

[kilat]

For me the best motivator for learning a language was when I moved to a country where very few people, apart from the very highly educated elite, spoke English. To communicate in any meaningful way with 99% of the people around me I had to learn the language (Indonesian). I had a private teacher 5 days a week, and was quickly able to start interacting with people around me.

[BillyIdol]

For me, a great motivator is wanting to learn a language so that I can visit the country. I don't want to walk around like a bumbling tourist who needs to make noises with his mouth, and motions with his hands, I want to be able to communicate with people.

[Muthoni]

I would like to learn a new language for all the reasons you have listed above. It would also be a great honor to learn a new language to add another achievement on my portfolio. Even if I do not get to use the language every day, it would be an honor to stumble upon someone who speaks that language. Maybe I would help them by being their translator if they need one.

[GreenTea]

From personal experience, the biggest motivator for me was without a doubt having a friend that spoke another language. Especially when I would go to their home and hear them chatting with their non-English speaking relatives. It always made me feel left out! I never actually considered studying Spanish until this happened to me.

It has gotten me interested in Chinese as well, whereas I never really thought about learning it before. I think if you had to live in a foreign country where the majority of people spoke a different language from you, that'd obviously be a huge motivator.

Another big motivator (not for me personally, but I have friends that have experienced it) is wanting to know your lover's native language. If you have someone that you're interested in who can speak another language, it's only natural you'd want to learn it too, right? : )

[Trellum]

I have different motivators for different languages. For example, I studied English because I wanted to watch US movies and TV series without subtitles. I learned Japanese so that I could read manga (Japanese comic books) in its original language. I learned Chinese because I love Chinese dramas. Just find a simple motivation, not a huge one like I need to get a good job, and you'll learn a language much more effective.

I had the same motivators to learn language when  was younger, well, back then I thought I just wanted to learn languages just for the fun of it, but in retrospective I really wanted to know other languages so I could watch movies and series in their native language, plus my main interest was being able to communicate with people who spoke other languages.

Sadly life got in the way, I grew up and woke up to smell the coffee and see my life was a really busy one, there was no time to spend it on learning a bunch of languages just because; I had to keep myself focused on my career and social life.  Now I'm trying to learn a language which isn't easy because I got no time and motivation to do it, but I know I really have to try.

[Traveler]

I just think of it this way: learning a language means you are able to communicate with millions of more people. I don't have a huge economic reason to learn a language. It is just more of a personal dream for me.  And with Spanish, it is very useful for me without ever leaving home.

[Saholy]

We might all have 'reasons' for wanting to learn a new language such as employment, volunteer work, relationships, etc. However, I have found those reasons are not always the thing that motivates me to enjoy language learning to the point where I want to do it. I think what motivates me to keep learning a language is to find a native speaker of that language whom I really want to be close friends with. When you are with a person whom you want to get to know desperately and cannot it drives you crazy and this is the best motivation. You are in a humbled state, not a proud one (often a case in an environment where you might be with a group of like-minded peers). So you do not care by what means you learn the language as long as you get the result you need. When you are walking with this friend you are gesturing and pointing to things and maybe even drawing pictures to try to figure it out. By using all these means to communicate I think your brain does not easily forget what you have learned. And the entire process becomes an enriching experience. So, my best motivation is having a good friend who speaks that language.

[TheJamal]

I think a few for me revolve around being a more viable employee on the job market by being bilingual. Pretty much any company has use for bilingual employees, so that keeps me going and motivated to learn as much Spanish as I possibly can.

Another big motivator is I'd like to be able to travel one day and not just be a lost American tourist when I travel. While I wouldn't know all of the language, I think the travel experience would be so much more enjoyable if I had at least a simple understanding of the language in the country.

[dear sister]

In my experience having a lover that spoke a foreign language was the best motivator for me. I had considered and even taken a couple of foreign courses before; but not until I had a Romanian boyfriend was I more earnestly motivated to learn. It was odd when I heard him speak on the phone with his native language and I didn't understand at all what he was saying. On the other hand, when I spoke with my mother on the phone in Spanish, he would often tell me he understood bits and pieces; he claimed Romanian and Spanish were somewhat related and understood a couple of words. And I guess, I felt motivated to learn, I didn't want to be left out of jokes when he hanged out with his friends and one could only hope to meet his parents one day.  :love:

[maryannballeras]

I think the best motivator will be your interest in the language itself.  Because if you are genuinely interested in something, you will never get tired of it and you will always work on getting better.  You do not have to force yourself into learning or find something to get you going -- your genuine interest will be the key to motivate yourself.

[gmckee1985]

Really I think the desire to learn is the most important motivator, for me personally. Obviously you want to learn a language for a reason, whether it's for travel purposes, or giving you a leg up on finding a new job. But at the end of the day you have to motivate yourself to learn it.

[Determined2014]

I have heard almost everything already!  I've heard of people learning a language because they think that will open a lot doors, like for example finding a better paying job or because they want to move abroad and start working there. 

Others have or are learning a new language for love (me included), others do it because they love the culture of the country where said language is spoken.  Others just enjoy learning new languages and think of it as a really entertaining hobby!

If I was asked this very same question I'd say the biggest motivator (at least for me) is to know that I'm learning a language I'll be using on a daily basis very soon.  A language that will actually be useful for me and really necessary to learn   That makes me feel good about investing my time in learning said language.

What about you?

I think for me, the best motivatoe for learning a new language would be movies, I find it much easier with movies , because I get to see the expression and the words in action at the same time which makes it much easier to remember.

[DancingLady]

Missionary work would be the biggest motivator for me.  If I was going on the mission field in another country I would work as hard as I could to learn the language and master it so I could tell the people there about Jesus and be clearly understood.  I wouldn't want the language barrier to hinder me.