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Is learning a new language a hobby for you?


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Learning a new language  used to be a hobby for me, at least that's how I liked to see it :)  I was planning to learn a lot languages when I was a teen, but in the end I fell really short :(  Nowadays I'm a more realistic person,  and I no longer see language learning as a hobby anymore, maybe because I no longer have as much time as I used to. 

Right now I'm trying to learn Dutch because I might be moving to the Netherlands in the future, and I will really need it, specially if I want to speed things up (finding job, socializing, etc.).

Learning a new language is one of the nicest hobbies a young/adult person can come across :)  But I think most adult people nowadays are learning a language out of necessity rather than just learning it because that's their hobby. 

So, what about you?  Are you learning a new language because you really need to (for whatever reason) or you're learning it because you just like to learn new languages?

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It's definitely a hobby for me, but i've been so strapped for time lately i've definitely been putting it on the back burner. I feel like if i had a job in language arts, or some type of translation job, i would make more of an effort to learn more languages. The nice part is that French, Italian, and Spanish are so similar, so picking them up is just moving a few words around.

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It probably is. You get to have a lot of fun and develops your determination to perfect your speaking, writing and reading skills.

Its more fun when you do it with your friends because you can use it without other people knowing what you guys are talking about.

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I never thought of learning a new language for fun, you'd need to have a set of really special friends for that to be considered to be really fun :P  I actually met a 19 years old guy a while ago, he could speak 4 languages already!  I was just 18 back then, so I felt quite jealous!  I decided I'd try to learn a new language as well, but I lacked the motivation and stopped :P

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Very good question!

I have started to learn Swedish because it sounds really interesting and unique when spoken. I am doing this in spare time after work and on weekends; so I would regard it as a hobby.

OMG Rosson!!  I also wanted to learn Swedish when I was younger! I actually wanted to learn swedish, norwegian and finnish! I was so in love with the nordic mythology back then, I still like it a lot and love reading about vikings and things like that, but my priorities have changed :(  I no longer have time for this kind of things anymore, you're so lucky you still find time to learn a new language.

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It's definitely a hobby for me, but i've been so strapped for time lately i've definitely been putting it on the back burner. I feel like if i had a job in language arts, or some type of translation job, i would make more of an effort to learn more languages. The nice part is that French, Italian, and Spanish are so similar, so picking them up is just moving a few words around.

It's nice you still find time for this amazing hobby, if you do it right... it can really enrich your life.  Take me as an example, if I had never learnt english, I'd not have been able to take the amazing chances as they came .  I mean, maybe they'd have presented themselves (I doubt it), but I'd not have been able to take said chances if I had never learnt english.  So you never know what kind of doors that new language you are learning could open to you in the future :) 

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Learning languages is definitely a hobby for me. In fact I used to have very high goals for myself when it came to learning so many languages in a certain amount of time. In the end I fell short of all of the goals.

I decided to look at it more as a hobby and it has been a lot more enjoyable since then. I don't have much spare time these days but when I do, learning other languages is a great way to entertain and educate myself.

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Learning languages is definitely a hobby for me. In fact I used to have very high goals for myself when it came to learning so many languages in a certain amount of time. In the end I fell short of all of the goals.

I decided to look at it more as a hobby and it has been a lot more enjoyable since then. I don't have much spare time these days but when I do, learning other languages is a great way to entertain and educate myself.

Same here, I was planning to learn so many languages, but in the end I fell short and now I only speak two languages fluently... I can read hebrew as well, but that's it!  I'm trying to learn dutch because I might be moving there, but to be honest dutch is one of my least favorite languages to learn.  I never thought of learning it... not even when I was planning to learn several languages! 

It's nice you're trying to take it wasy now :)  Learning languages is a really enriching hobby that can open a lot doors for you :)

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Yeah for me it is a hobby but I eventually would love to work doing something with languages but I think the prospects of that isn't very good. :(

I used to think that as well, but actually I was capable to get several good jobs thanks to my english.  If I hadn't learnt english some years ago, I'd not have been able to get the jobs I got.  So don't think learning a language is useless, it can actually help you in the future :)  It can open a lot doors, and in the right timing... you might actually be offered a really unique and special chance thanks to the languages you have learnt. 

I'm 100% sure I'd not be where I am now if I hadn't learnt english when I was 16 years old.

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Yeah for me it is a hobby but I eventually would love to work doing something with languages but I think the prospects of that isn't very good. :(

It really depends on where you are and what languages you know.

One of my old Spanish teachers also spoke Russian. Not many people living around here speak Russian. So, during summers, he would get a job as a translator for any Russian tourists or whatever; I think he actually worked for an embassy? I don't remember. There was just enough work that he made pretty good money with it. I THINK he could've lived off just that, but he liked teaching, but it's been years so I don't remember exactly.

There are plenty of online translation jobs, if you're fluent. Again, it depends on what languages you speak.

And I think you'll find that if you look around... there are a lot more jobs requiring bi/tri/etc-lingualism than you might believe.

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It really depends on where you are and what languages you know.

One of my old Spanish teachers also spoke Russian. Not many people living around here speak Russian. So, during summers, he would get a job as a translator for any Russian tourists or whatever; I think he actually worked for an embassy? I don't remember. There was just enough work that he made pretty good money with it. I THINK he could've lived off just that, but he liked teaching, but it's been years so I don't remember exactly.

There are plenty of online translation jobs, if you're fluent. Again, it depends on what languages you speak.

And I think you'll find that if you look around... there are a lot more jobs requiring bi/tri/etc-lingualism than you might believe.

Yeah, it really depends in the language and the place where you live.  I was actually capable to land a good job some years ago because I could speak and write english well.  That's how I started working online :)  I had to quit that job quite recently tho, because my then boss was trying to make my life and work impossible, so I had no choice but quitting.  It was good money, but peace of mind is more important, plus I got really angry because he kept making up silly rules so he always had an excuse to send my work to the trash bin :(  There were months he'd not pay me all my salary... I had to correct the mistakes he found first.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Yes, I consider it a hobby, but of course I'd love to just earn from travelling the world and speaking different languages. For now, it remains a form of self-enrichment for me. I think it helps that I think about it this way, because it affords me less pressure and therefore makes me calmer which in turn makes it easier for me to learn.

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Learing Spanish is definitely a hobby for me :smile:.I learn it because I love the language. My daughter studies it too and encourages me to study with her. Apart from that I have no real reason to learn it.

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Learning a new language is not a hobbie of mine, but it is something I enjoy doing. The only reason it is not a hobbie for me, is because I don't do it as often as I should, or as often as I could.

Erm, but if it's something you enjoy... how come you don't do it as often as you can?  For me a hobby is something you enjoy doing :P  Sometimes you might not have enough time for it, and you might not do it as often as you can, but you have a very sincere interest in it :)

For me learning a language is a hobby, but sadly I'm stuck learning a language I don't even like, lol.  But in general I enjoy learning languages :)

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When I first started learning Spanish I thought it was a hobby, but now it is a life enhancer. First off, it helped me get the jobs I have had because I was bilingual and helped me earn more money. It also helped keep my mind sharp and helps me make new friends. It has opened up my world and I love it.

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Learning a new language is more than a hobby for me but a necessity and as one way to improve on myself and open doors to lots of opportunities out there. :) Especially learning my second language English which is the universal language, it is but essential to be fluent since my 2 professions entail me to utilize it daily.:)

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No, learning a new language is not a hobby for me because I usually learn a new language if I think it is important to me and helps me to communicate with others. I think two languages is enough, which I still focus on my native language because I have forgotten a lot of it already. Plus, I don't learn a new language for fun anymore, which I did to my second language though.

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Learning a new language is definitely a hobby for me. When I just started out in high school I was so motivated to learn, I thought I would be a translator by now. However, as time went by I struggled to find time to study. I have taken it up back again but only after getting jealous seeing my daughter doing much better at it than I am. Now a days we both work together at mastering it and I have a lot of  fun doing it.

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  • 7 years later...

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