Learning a second language comes with many benefits. It challenges your brain on a daily basis, it can make you more attractive to potential employers, and it can allow you to travel the world without the inconvenience of a language barrier.
Many people want to learn a second language, but often fail to do so because they find it difficult to determine which language they want to learn. There are many languages to choose from, and if you want to learn a language, you too may have difficulty choosing the language you want to learn. Learning a second language can take a great deal of time and effort, and if you make the wrong choice, you may not want to do it over again.
There are certain ways that choosing your second language can be an easier choice—you just need to use the right tips.
Know why you want to learn a new language.
Do you want to travel? Do you want to impress potential employees? Do you want to be able to converse with people in your neighborhood? Sometimes knowing which language we want to learn can be decided by answering this one question: why? If you want to learn a new language because you want to travel, determine if there is a certain place you’ve always wanted to go. If so, maybe the native language of this location is the right choice for you.
Know how much time you can invest.
If you don’t have a great deal of time to invest in learning a new language, you may want to choose something that has plenty of learning materials readily available, whether through books, websites, classes or even apps. Lesser-known languages may not have the same readily available resources, so you may be better off choosing to learn a language that is more common. On the other hand, if you have all the time in the world to dedicate to learning a new language, you can opt for a more difficult language.
Choose a language you can use.
Some people just want to prove to themselves that they can learn a difficult language, so they choose a language that they’ll never use. They end up spending a great deal of time learning, and when they never practice it, they start to lose it.
If you’re going to take the time to learn a new language, you should choose a language that you will use. Find others in your area that speak the language and have a conversation, watch movies or read books in the language, or start to travel. The more you can practice the language, the more you’ll learn and the more beneficial the language will be.
When you know why you want to learn a language and how you plan on using it, you can make a wiser decision as to which language is the best option for you. No matter if you choose something common or difficult, the language should be something that interests you and something that you plan on using on a consistent basis. When you have a true passion for learning the language and when you can practice it regularly, you will continue to improve your comprehension and speech.
About The Author
This article prepared for you by Garrett Payne – a language expert and writer for Accent Pros.