Would you learn an useless language?

General discussion about learning languages
Lorren
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Re: Would you learn an useless language?

Postby Lorren » Tue Mar 22, 2016 7:19 am

While I don't think that there are any useless languages, there are, of course, some languages that are more useful than others. That doesn't mean that I enjoy that language more though.

Spanish is a very useful language where I live. It's not my favorite though. I get a sense of accomplishment from being able to use the language, but I don't listen to it and think about how beautiful I think it is.

Russian and German might be less useful, but I enjoy them more. Danish is even less useless, but I love the way the language sounds. I probably will never have the need to know Irish (since most Irish speakers speak English as well) but it's a challenge and I like the language as well.

I think that there are cases where you need to learn a language because it's useful, but there's a lot to be said about learning a language just because you like the way it sounds or you are interested in the culture.
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Re: Would you learn an useless language?

Postby Iversen » Tue Mar 22, 2016 8:09 am

Most of my languages are useless - in the sense that I wouldn't ever need them at home if I hadn't learned them and I could easily stay as a tourist without them even in the countries where they are spoken. For me the important distinction is whether I can find enough grammars, dictionaries and interesting texts to learn them in the first place and then enough interesting texts and other resources for them later on to keep them alive.

The simple fact is that I have got 24 hours daily to spend on something, and I can just as well spend some of them on learning languages.
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Re: Would you learn an useless language?

Postby Crispin » Tue Mar 22, 2016 9:44 pm

As many people have said, it's difficult to say that any language is useless if it brings you satisfaction. However, I personally do not like studying dead languages. My only experience with this was two years studying Latin in school. I had a wonderful teacher whom I liked and admired, and I did well enough in the class, but I simply never loved the language. With every other language I've studied, I've been motivated by dreams of one day traveling to a foreign country and speaking with native speakers, but with Latin I never had that. So, I quit my Latin studies and never looked back.

A minority language is a different matter, though. I haven't learned one yet, but I may.
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Re: Would you learn an useless language?

Postby ilmari » Sun Apr 17, 2016 2:26 pm

Learning a dead language (although Latin is not really dead, as Sumerian or Demotic Egyptian are) allows you to do the most wonderful travel you could ever dream of, i.e. to travel in time, to penetrate inside the mind of people who lived thousands of years ago, and to get a feel of their world.
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Re: Would you learn an useless language?

Postby eido » Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:44 am

I'm doing it - I'm digging up this thread.

I'm learning a minority language because I love the way it looks, the way it sounds. Everything is so beautiful and mysterious. I want to visit the country where it is spoken and maybe move there. It surely has its chic factor, and I feel a little bit like a teenager trying to be different learning it. But something about it is important, and it makes me respect it. The bigger language I'm learning is something that I feel must be learnt, but I love it, so it's not so bad for me to work with it. I feel a different sort of reverence for each, because they are different. I'm not sure I fully appreciate the minority language, and that could because it is so small in its number of speakers, but I don't appreciate the larger language and its nuances fully either. It is my goal to give each the dignity they deserve by the way I speak it, and convey that feeling of love for it I have in me, which is a type of dignity in itself. I think that's what's important when you learn a language that gets less love. If you can't put yourself into it, then you shouldn't learn it. And yes, the minority language doesn't need you to validate its existence, especially if you're a native English speaker, but your love is what will make it grow, and it might just need that. So pour it in.
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Re: Would you learn an useless language?

Postby rdearman » Sun Aug 12, 2018 10:51 am

eido wrote:I'm doing it - I'm digging up this thread.

I'm learning a minority language because I love the way it looks, the way it sounds. Everything is so beautiful and mysterious. I want to visit the country where it is spoken and maybe move there. It surely has its chic factor, and I feel a little bit like a teenager trying to be different learning it. But something about it is important, and it makes me respect it. The bigger language I'm learning is something that I feel must be learnt, but I love it, so it's not so bad for me to work with it. I feel a different sort of reverence for each, because they are different. I'm not sure I fully appreciate the minority language, and that could because it is so small in its number of speakers, but I don't appreciate the larger language and its nuances fully either. It is my goal to give each the dignity they deserve by the way I speak it, and convey that feeling of love for it I have in me, which is a type of dignity in itself. I think that's what's important when you learn a language that gets less love. If you can't put yourself into it, then you shouldn't learn it. And yes, the minority language doesn't need you to validate its existence, especially if you're a native English speaker, but your love is what will make it grow, and it might just need that. So pour it in.

I don't think Spanish is considered a minority language. Or are you learning something not listed on your profile?
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Re: Would you learn an useless language?

Postby Xenops » Sun Aug 12, 2018 10:59 am

rdearman wrote:
eido wrote:I'm doing it - I'm digging up this thread.

I'm learning a minority language because I love the way it looks, the way it sounds. And yes, the minority language doesn't need you to validate its existence, especially if you're a native English speaker, but your love is what will make it grow, and it might just need that. So pour it in.

I don't think Spanish is considered a minority language. Or are you learning something not listed on your profile?


I believe she is referring to Icelandic.
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Re: Would you learn an useless language?

Postby rdearman » Sun Aug 12, 2018 11:00 am

Xenops wrote:
rdearman wrote:
eido wrote:I'm doing it - I'm digging up this thread.

I'm learning a minority language because I love the way it looks, the way it sounds. And yes, the minority language doesn't need you to validate its existence, especially if you're a native English speaker, but your love is what will make it grow, and it might just need that. So pour it in.

I don't think Spanish is considered a minority language. Or are you learning something not listed on your profile?


I believe she is referring to Icelandic.

OK, cause Spanish is about as far from minority as you can get! :lol:
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Re: Would you learn an useless language?

Postby Iversen » Sun Aug 12, 2018 11:42 am

If learning a language can entertain me for hours on end then it isn't useless.
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Re: Would you learn an useless language?

Postby nooj » Sun Aug 12, 2018 11:49 am

Icelandic is a minority language? It is the overwhelming majority language of Iceland demographically speaking AND it has official status in a nation-state, no? How can it be a minority language?
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