What Makes Learning a Language Fun

[tulosai]

For those of you who enjoy learning a new language, what makes it enjoyable to you? To me, it is the possibilities that it opens for communication.  I love speaking in foreign languages and seek out opportunities to do so whenever I can.

[kitkat0124]

Learning new language brings different feelings. In my case, at first my goal is to seek better opportunities for my career. Then as I travel, I realized that it's helpful. There is a big difference if you have the knowledge to different languages. You always have an edge in everything. That makes it more fun.

[btatro]

What makes it enjoyable to me is being able to use it in 'real life'. My last significant other was also partially fluent in French, and it was fun to converse back and forth in the foreign-to us- language. I have also used Spanish in my current job which definitely makes it worth while.

[SarahRTW]

I find the challenge of 'figuring it out' fun, and it's rewarding when I really begin to understand and be understood.  I also enjoy the way you can learn about a culture by studying it's language and linguistic profile.  Mostly though, I just love to learn anything, and that includes different languages.

[LauraM]

I enjoy being able to read books in a different language -- Spanish, in my case, and to a lesser extent German.  It's especially gratifying to read literature, even if I need to use the dictionary a lot to do so.  It may take a while, but it's worth it to me to be able to read a work in the original language well enough to appreciate the beauty of that language.   

Being able to converse with others has also been enjoyable.  It can feel a bit intimidating, but getting over the initial fears is rewarding and gives me a sense of accomplishment.

I also enjoy listening to the radio, watching television programs and seeing movies that are of interest to me that I would not otherwise have had the chance to experience.  I think back also to seeing movies in Spanish and not having to read the subtitles and being able to focus completely on the cinematography and the sound .  That was gratifying as well. 

[apple1989]

Whenever I try to learn new words, I engage myself in a conversation with the mirror. There was one time when my nephew saw me conversing with myself in the mirror. The look on his face was epic. For once, he thought I lost my sanity (sometimes, I think he's right). My mom talked about it during dinner and she was obviously bothered as well. I explained that I am just learning a new language and that talking to myself in the mirror is one the best way to learn. We had a good laugh over dinner that time.

[GetFresh]

I mainly have the mentality that learning this new language is going to help me out one day even though I don't realize it. I kept this mentality when learning Spanish and now i'm fluent.  Learning Spanish did indeed help me out one day.  I was walking around in an area where Spanish is spoken more than English.  I saw an old lady who needed medical attention and she only spoke Spanish.  I was able to help her and call an ambulance.

[mareebaybay]

I think learning a language with someone makes it fun. I also think learning a language that will actually benefit you, makes it enjoyable. There are people who learn languages and wonder why they are learning it in the first place.

[SayItAll]

I can't really say what makes the learning fun as I go along because I tend to get frustrated a lot. It's nothing like working hard and just when you think you're not getting anywhere, you hear a word you recognize or read something you weren't able to before. I think the rewards and benefits from learning a new language is where the real fun is! 

[Dame6089]

Honestly the most fun is when you start to get good at the new language. It isn't as fun when you are just memorizing words and rules. When those words and rules start to become second nature, it becomes fun to learn because you don't feel like it is work anymore.

[LauraM]

Honestly the most fun is when you start to get good at the new language. It isn't as fun when you are just memorizing words and rules. When those words and rules start to become second nature, it becomes fun to learn because you don't feel like it is work anymore.

I agree wholeheartedly.  It can be difficult in the beginning as there is much work involved, and initially, you are learning and studying, and you don't yet have enough proficiency to enjoy reading, writing or speaking; it is still work at that stage. 

But once you get through those early, rudimentary days then it's a real pleasure to be able to speak and to understand, or to read the literature you've had your heart set on. 

It's similar to learning any kind of skill or technique.  Kind of like learning a new team sport and then being able to enjoy it as a leisure activity.  Or, if you are more ambitious, to become better and better and to compete in that sport, while enjoying the challenge of competing. 

Same with language.  It depends upon your ultimate goals.  Whatever they are, as they are within grasp, it's quite rewarding. 

[marmunmrhundun]

Making learning a language fun, is when you have good reason to be learning a new language. It is always fun when you have a reason to do anything. Another thing that makes learning a new language fun is when you are learning that language with someone. When you have someone helping you, it adds that much more entertainment to the equation.

[Denis Hard]

For me the fun of it comes from earning making money from being a translator. It can pay quite well. I remember earning $45 in an hour in 2008 for a small translation job. So well. . .since $$$ can buy you fun, heck. . .I might as well learn with the intention of making money from translations.

[Daimashin]

What makes learning a new language fun for me is knowing about the possibilities of knowing one language that will open to me. Knowing the language means I can learn more about their culture and literature. I enjoy studying about these things so knowing the language makes it more accurate.

[fredkawig]

Knowing how to speak the language and understanding people who you didn't understand before makes learning a language fun for me. The language itself can be interesting for me so that could be another reason.

[jfab]

Inspiration. I mean if you're inspired to learn it, then it's going to be more fun. Especially if you get to talk to someone you love who speaks the language that is not your native tongue.

[Baburra]

I think what really makes learning fun is the application you get to do once you have some sort of a grasp on your newly learned language. I always found it very exciting and fun that I get to read both English and Chinese comic books as well as ones that are in my own native language. Furthermore, it's also fun communicating with a local countryman of that language and seeing the surprise and joy in their eyes when they come across a foreigner who took initiative to learn their language and culture.

[Hedonologist]

I'm not sure fun is the right word for what I'm about to talk about, but certainly satisfying or enjoyable. I find when you first look at a piece of text or hear a conversation outsides of an artifical setting and understand it, there is an overwhelming sense of achievement.

When I first went to Germany and started recognizing what was being said on signs in shops, that was the first stage for me.

[sillylucy]

The best part of learning a language is being able to connect with other people. Once I get to put my new language skills to test and other people understand me then I know I have succeeded. It makes me feel great.

[Bonyi]

What makes learning a language fun for me is the fact that I can relate with people of the language I'm learning. This is very interesting because when people know you understand their language they tend to be freer with you.

[g2narat]

It's fun when you can find practical applications to it. That part where you start being confident enough to speak a language is the best part for me. Before that part I find learning a language tedious. But once I start using it, even in broken sentences and wrong grammar, it starts becoming fun for me. Maybe it's the idea of being able to communicate in more than one way.

[Timeisrelative]

At first it may seem boring trying to learn the grammar and pronunciations an so on. But when you actually get good enough to speak complete sentences with decent pronunciations, that's when it gets fun for me. Especially if you sit in a bar and someone talks loudly in a foreign language thinking you can't understand what they are saying. And you are just sitting there mildly amused, that sums it up for me at least.

[diprod]

I think it's more fun when you get to meet more people with it. At the same time learn their culture. This is why I continue learning new languages. It's my love for adventure.

[Trellum]

Back when I liked to learn languages for fun... what I liked more about the idea of learning a language was thinking I would be able to communicate with a wider range of people   That thought made me feel so happy, plus I truly enjoyed creating my own language learning material.  That's the part I enjoyed the most.

I used to search for images I could use to create my vocabulary cards,  back when Microsoft had a clip art gallery. I just picked the ones I thought that would be perfect to be used to create my vocabulary cards.