Lisa wrote:Cavesa wrote:Are your four foreign languages more hobby or need languages? I need to read your log, it looks great!
They are all hobby languages... I'd prefer to have a need language, or a serious specific-goal language, actually; it's too easy to skip the hard parts, or change language direction, without that impetus. Which is hard to come by living in the middle of nowhere.
You can simulate the experience of having a need language to some extente. It is a game with one's own mind after all. You can up the stakes by signing up for a language exam, or planning another deadline, where you are investing some money and time and opportunities.
It's definitely a challenge, I see. But there are ways to get a similar kind of pressure these days, if you find it beneficial (as it can really be a strong motivator).
jimmy wrote:but, having a native English Tongue does not guarantee evertyhing in my opinion.
what is more, trying to defense or protect yourself quite wise thing to do.
I already have a permanent job these days, but none can guarantee tomorrow for me.
so,why not try to protect myself from potential risks/problems?
It is not a guarantee, but the pressure is still by several levels lower than for the rest of the world. I totally agree it is wise to have more options ans some English natives clearly think the same. But it is not the same as for the rest of us. Life is unstable, we can need to change the course various times, we never know.
Xenops wrote:As for "learning a language because it's useful": my advice would be unless you have very specific plan for an additional language other than your local one or English, don't bother. "It's useful" is such a vague, nebulous reason to learn a language, and there's nothing to keep you studying it. If you want to work in healthcare in Germany, then learn German. If you want to be a missionary to a tribe in South America, learn that tribe's language. If you want to be an animator in Japan, learn Japanese. Those are specific goals and reasons. Not a language, but I studied a STEM major in university "because it's useful"--but for what, though? I couldn't get a job with my microbiology degree, and went back to school for a specific job that allows me to work in the hospital. I have no problems getting a job with my second degree.
This is a very good point and something I hoped to make clear in my post on the need/utility vs pleasure/interest comment. I only consider the specific plans to really be the need/utility. Such as: you have at least a half made mind to move abroad. You can use the language at your current or seriously considered job. You are obligated by the school system to learn a particular language and otherwise will be punished in some form (such as bad grades closing some doors for you).
The general "it is useful" feeling, usually based on "everyone says" and "everyone knows" simply sucks. It doesn't fall into either category imho. If you decide based on that, without any clear plan, I think you are much closer to the "interest" kind of motivation. You are interested, because it might be useful.
I used to hear all the time "why are you wasting time on French, German is the useful second foreign language, French is worthless". So, I learnt it out of interest in spite of them, and later found very good practical uses for the language. Most people around me focusing on German "because it is useful" (and therefore not "wasting time" like me) ended up not really using/needing German that much anyways. Similar social pressure works in many places, you can just replace the languages in the phrases with others. It can lead to learning out of interest at best, and to being unhappy and hating a language at worst. This "it is useful" pressure is very far from a real need.