Have you ever given up?

[Rosyrain]

Are there any languages that you set out to learn, but just ended up giving up on in the end? I did this with American Sign Language years ago because there were just not enough practical applications for me to keep going with it.

[sillylucy]

I also gave up on learning more ASL. I was into it for a while when I wanted to teach, but once I had a career shift then I stopped learning it. I don't use it that much anymore too. I do miss it though.  :shy:

[lushlala]

No luckily for me, my two favourite languages of choice (Italian and French) came easily to me. There was never a point where I wanted to throw the towel in. I mean, I currently don't speak either, but I can understand a little bit. I know that If I were to go back and learn them, I'd be able to pick them up very easily

[Kaynil]

I have never really given up, but that is because in a  way I have given up before trying by never committing myself to make a serious effort to learn a different language. :<

I've been curious on signal and braille, but the first one turns me off that there is not an unified code and if you travel you might be saying something offensive without realising. That is not counting that I have no friends I could benefit for practice and pointers how well or bad am I doing it.

[AExAVF]

I have already given up learning Arabic.  I studied this language back in elementary and first year high school and we were required to learn how to speak Arabic.  I still remember some Arabic words and terms, but subconsciously I'm being reminded of how we were always required to greet our Arabic teacher in class.  I also learned some basic Korean from my taekwondo classes, but right now I'm learning and studying Nihongo.

[Mekare00]

Have not given up yet. I am currently trying to understand Mandarin and is really dreaming to do formal study on the language in the future when I have the money for it already. Furthermore, yes I agree that having practical application for the language you are learning (example: living or having a vacation in that country) can really help motivate you to learn fast. 

[Rosa]

No, i've never given up but I did think about it at one time. When you are studying a languauge and you just do it for fun or because you like it you may think that it is not really worth it, and I was at that point once. I guess my love for it is stronger though because here I am still determined to go all the way.

[Rosyrain]

I do not like giving up on things in life, but this was a small thing to give up on because I will probably not use it in the future anyway. I would not give up because I was having a hard time learning. If it was something I really wanted to learn I would just try harder.

[Mark Skype Teacher]

I didn't give up Norwegian per se. Just chose to go down the Spanish route instead. I guess I stopped it temporarily. Learning 2 languages at the same time is quite a task.

[lushlala]

I think when you are passionate about a language(s) you aren't likely to give up, no matter how hard. The only reason I've had to park my Italian and French is mainly due financial constraints. Once my finances pick up again, I'll be going to my lessons.

[XiaoXing]

I have and I haven't.  I like learning languages and how words and the use of words help form a culture, but I don't travel and don't hae any plans to travel in teh forseeable future. The lack of an actual need to learn a language causes me to dift in and out of studying.  I'e been learning Chinese for close to 9 years, but because I only use it read cute children's books I haven't progressed much verbally.  Sometimes I even go months to year without studying.  But I haven't given up.  I never gave myself a time frame or a use for this knowlegde, so I practice when I want to, and stop when I don't. 

I find that I retain more everytime I start up again and I learn more quicker.  I guess the foundation is becoming strong in this one!

I also study Spanish and French this way.  However, living in America those 2 are more relivent to me, so I ever become fully bilingual or multi-lingual I think I will know either French or Spanish.

[Baburra]

I'm having a bit do a hard time picking up some of my new languages and I've taken a break but I wouldn't necessarily say I've given up on them. I still plan on picking it up back again in the future when I have a bit more time and luxury to focus on it more. I think putting it on break and just being realistic is okay and even if you give up it's alright as well since you could just spend your time on something that you really like.

[lushlala]

I actually think taking a little break can be beneficial, because when you pick it up again you don't feel like you're useless LOL It kind of gives you a little boost as you keep remembering things you learnt before. The brain is a very powerful instrument!

[spanglish1205]

I think it goes into the initial selection of a language and what level of proficiency you set out to achieve. This is important to give yourself a realistic view on how much time you'll actually put in. The initial selection is going to include its suitability and usefulness to you and how interested you are in communicating with the people of that language, rather than just "collecting languages".

The level of proficiency you want is also going to affect your motivation. If you start from zero and say, "ok I wanna get to C2 right now", it may be a little too aggressive and feel like an insurmountable obstacle and affect your motivation. Instead if you say "ok I want enough to get around the country" or "i want to be able to carry a basic conversation" and readjust your goals from there.

That's just my opinion but I hope it helps.

[lushlala]

Are there any languages that you set out to learn, but just ended up giving up on in the end? I did this with American Sign Language years ago because there were just not enough practical applications for me to keep going with it.

You know it's so weird, but I've never really considered learning sign language, but it would be so useful! It seems to have become a lot more widely used in recent years. When you say "practical applications", what do you mean (excuse my ignorance!)? In terms of complexity, how would you rate learning sign language?

[Saholy]

I gave up on Spanish because we moved locations and I didn't think I would use it. This was a huge mistake! I run into people all the time and wish I would have spent just a little more time getting the basics down so that when I do talk to Spanish speakers I could say more than, 'me name is...live there...you from?' I"m sure that's what I sound like; a relative of Jar Jar binks from Star Wars. Not my finest hour.

[Filipe]

Dear god, this is a horrible topic! Everyone probably experienced something like this :-)

I started and never finished Hebrew and standard Arabic. I regret not finishing both because both are extremely interesting.

[violetcities]

I dropped a Spanish class at school after a year. It didn't work out, for reasons that didn't have that much to do with the language. I was struggling with all sorts of things and the class wasn't mandatory, so I got rid of it to reduce my stress levels a bit. I still like it though, and I might pick it up again someday, who knows? So it's not so much "giving up" as simply a very, very long study break...

[anna3101]

I actually think taking a little break can be beneficial, because when you pick it up again you don't feel like you're useless LOL It kind of gives you a little boost as you keep remembering things you learnt before. The brain is a very powerful instrument!

I have to agree. I take breaks all the time, ever since I started to learn as a child. I used to feel bad about it but I don't do anymore. I come back again with fresh energy and I actually learn quicker afterwards. Breaks are not as scary as my teachers told me

[Wanda Kaishin]

I gave up in 2 languages (Swedish and German) when I was much younger. I've quit 2 languages (French and Japanese) only to pick them up again in the future. I'm also a believer in Spurt Learning.

[lushlala]

I have to agree. I take breaks all the time, ever since I started to learn as a child. I used to feel bad about it but I don't do anymore. I come back again with fresh energy and I actually learn quicker afterwards. Breaks are not as scary as my teachers told me

Sometimes you just have to do what feels right to you, as opposed to the prescribed or even popular method. I'm of the same opinion as you @anna3101, taking breaks can actually reenergise you and spur you on. I always feel like I'm raring to go when I've taken a break. -and coming across something I learnt in the past and still remember, boosts my confidence no end

[hungary93]

Yes! After high school graduation I learned Russian for a few months, but sadly the technique of the teacher and books from the 70's did not help at all. I am sad that I stopped, but maybe some other time in my life I will continue.

[lushlala]

23 hours ago, hungary93 said:

Yes! After high school graduation I learned Russian for a few months, but sadly the technique of the teacher and books from the 70's did not help at all. I am sad that I stopped, but maybe some other time in my life I will continue.

I feel for you, @hungary93....Clearly, the teaching style was just too dated for you! It must also have been quite cumbersome because as effective as it may have been back then, teaching styles have since been refined and improved to make the learning process easier. It's never too late, though; maybe you could try again on your own? I'm going to be doing the same with my French and Italian, taking full advantage of the free online resources. Such is the beauty of modern day technology these days

[Verba]

I also learned to sign but stopped for lack of practice. I was actually getting better at it. However, when I left that work place where there was a need for it, I also stopped which I regret now because I could be of help to the deaf-mute community. 

I am also trying to learn French. The first time, I attended classes. Now, I am doing it on my own, at my own pace. But my schedule is really hectic. I cannot just keep still to focus on learning it. I just keep going back to the basics since I am able to return to my lessons after several weeks have gone by. 

[rcdpink]

On 23 March 2015 03:33:42, Rosyrain said:

Are there any languages that you set out to learn, but just ended up giving up on in the end? I did this with American Sign Language years ago because there were just not enough practical applications for me to keep going with it.

My native language is English and even that language has quite a lot about it that you have to learn. I'm very passionate about English language and I want to be able to express myself in any situation to any specific group of people. You have to appeal both to the intellectual as well as to the naive. In Spanish I was doing the best in my classes from seventh grade to when I left high school. I remember getting a lot of 100%s my exams. I never gave up ever.