if you were going to learn a new language...

I took German in college, but I didn't get it and still can't communicate even the simplest things in German.

 

Maybe Latin, the root of Romance languages; also the language of science.

Scientia Potentia Est.

 

Sign language

 

To me it's less a matter of usefulness. I just don't find it beautiful anymore, at all.
In a way I think it's overrated, but that's just me.

Also, I connect languages to cultures a lot. For example, there is very little about France that interests me. So learning the language would be a terrible hassle.
With Turkish there's TV, music, cuisine, history, literature... I find all that helps tremendously when learning a new language....and the grammar is very interesting!
I could also easily get into Italian for example (learned it already for two years in high school), but I don't know what would have to happen for me to get interested in learning Dutch or Norwegian for example.

However, if I had to live in France, French part of Switzerland or Belgium, I'd make an effort to learn French.
But atm I choose not based on usefulness, but based on personal preference.

Yeah, I know about the US and Spanish, it makes sense. But maybe people (as witnessed in this thread too) develop an interest in a language, depending on their ancestry.

I looked at alphabets and basic pronunciation...with Russian and Turkish I immediately wanted to know more. Didn't happen with French lol. Not because it's so difficult, there just wasn't any interest anymore.
And as I learn Turkish vocabulary more and more, I am constantly surprised how many similar words we have. Lots of Croatian/Bosnian words of Turkish origin.

I also think Arabic sounds beautiful, but realistically....ain't gonna happen.

 

A lot of people think that way. That reduces our interest in Spanish. We think Mexico; poverty and crime.

Well, tequila is nice. We wonder how they manage to make tequila without fucking it up.

 

Spanish. I do a lot of volunteer work with Spanish-speaking people and need to communicate better. Most know some English, but I'm helpless in Spanish.

 

I am learning Italian. It is terribly impractical but so so beautiful. I love everything about Italian culture, one day I will visit Italy and I would like to be able to speak the language when I go.

So far I really like it, the structure is simple and the pronounciation and cadence is beautiful.

I took 5 years of French in school. It was okay but I like Italian better as far as romance languages go.

It would be really practical to learn German or Spanish in my region, one day I'lll get around to tackling one or both of them.

 

Learning on your own or taking classes?
Learning a language on my own doesn't really work for me.

 

I'm doing an app on my phone currently, it is good for basic vocabulary but obviously is going to be very limiting once I reach a certain point. I have a friend who has a master copy of the Rosetta Stone so he is going to burn me a copy of that soon, I have heard really good things about the Rosetta Stone.

I don't think anyone offers Italian classes around here. Eventually I would like to find some sort of online resource where I can practice conversational Italian with someone.

 

Do you listen to Italian music? I find it helps. You listen to the lyrics, catch a word here and there, get the meaning, eventually sing along xD
I listen to Italian and Turkish songs a lot.

 

Spanish would be handy.

 

This !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RRv35Ig2mg&feature=youtu.be

 

Swedish. Cuz Sweden has the most cute boys than any other country has and if some day I decide to move to another country, it will be Sweden.

 

A very sensible reason indeed

 

I'd like to become fluent in German, Hungarian, and Russian. I'm decent with basic conversations in German and Hungarian, but only know a handful of words in Russian. None of them are practical for where I live, though, but I'd still love to learn them.

Truthfully, if I could, I'd be fluent in a dozen or so languages, but those are my top 3.

 

Great choice xD
Hungarian seems so interesting.

 

I'm content with perfecting my English and Spanish.

 

I wanna tell you about the Texas radio and the big beat. Soft driven slow and mad, like some new lanuage. With a precision hard to master.

 

I'm 69 Years Old,........I Was Born In This Country........And I'm Still Trying To Master "Horsetralian".......What Hope Have

I Of Learning Another Language........???.......



Cheers Glen.

 

German