Dilemma! Learn a "Useful" Language, or the Language that GRABS You?

[@thethrashyone]

As my former Russian teacher told my class: "If you don't like the language, the language won't like you." And while that may sound like a typical 'in Soviet Russia...' joke, it's very much true.

[@Farsmezan]

I speak Arabic, and I have been learning English for a year and a half, I don't really like English and I don't like to speak in general. I have to learn English, but I am not sure that I could. I think the English language don't like me. I fed up learning English, I think to learn Japanese, because I love Japan, and Japanese food and Japanese people. it's a cute country which kidnapped my heart.

[@kaelanmcalpine2011]

TheThrashyOne English has way too many words that exceptions to a grammar rule too.

[@cyndie26]

As a native English speaker, I didn't speak until the age of three, but neither did Einstein. Is it possible that this is why?

[@lossantoscast]

@Skrub Boy: You have realized something I've yet to do. As a second language it has never bugged me with its grammar.

[@bramantiwgm2146]

agree!

[@DanielleFerreira-kt7ix]

The problem with learning less spoken languages is that it's very hard to find good materials and get significant exposure.

[@jaydevelops9941]

Yeah I'd have to agree with that. There's two languages I'd like to learn Croatian because of my wife and Japanese (just because). There's so much more available for Japanese all the Croatian material available is either old or just at the beginner level.

[@ivansusanj2706]

Jay Okey I am a native Croatian speaker.

[@cyndie26]

According to the guy who made this video, Urdu is the same exact language in spoken form, so you could also try to find Urdu language audiobooks.

[@thejunecooperative]

Not with Esperanto it's not. Esperanto has AMPLE resources.

[@cyndie26]

It is almost impossible to immerse yourself in Esperanto culture because almost none exists, although there are Esperanto clubs.

[@Weeraphat13]

My problem is I can't stick with a language because I want to learn them all Update: 2 years later and I'm currently sticking with Spanish and German. I will try to reach at least C1 before moving on to Norwegian or Icelandic.

[@Weeraphat13]

I've been saying the same thing for years but nobody believe me

[@almor2445]

I always go back to Spanish as my primary second language but sometimes I get bored, learn some French, Italian, Portuguese or Dutch and remember how much I prefer Spanish. TBH I like Italian just as much but can't see as much use for it.

[@lladoandy]

Alex Morgan qué bueno que te encanta el español! es un idioma muy hermoso, ahora yo estoy adicto al francés y estoy aprendiéndolo a través de duolingo y clases en la escuela

[@shadycharlotte9144]

Weeraphat Chomprasert Then do what I did when faced with this dilemma and slowly go through learning them all knowing that the more you learned the faster you'd learn more and more. I started with Dutch, then Hungarian, then Indonesian, then Russian, then Spanish. I know. The order in which I learned was weird. But that's not the point.

[@Justme-ip3wc]

I have the same problem dude! I'm Polish, I know English and I study German at school. I really like these languages but I get bored of learning the same stuff easily. I've tried to learn Korean but then I realised that I actually prefer French. It was quite hard so I tried to learn Spanish. It was much easier but then I fell in love with the North culture (I love their metal bands) and I couldn't choose what nordic language is the best, I picked Finnish because of Korpiklaani but it's like the hardest language ever! I believe that I could learn it but I can't focus on just one language.

[@sobakakustovsky3909]

"You don't choose your interests, your interests choose you" Thank you for your wisdom!

[@TheMrQuepe]

"Maybe you want to speak Esperanto which is spoken... Nowhere!" xD my parents said the same thing to me when I started learning it.

[@AnaPaula-sc7xy]

something like that happened to me haha "its a dead language" "ok, so i want to learn a dead language"

[@thomasw6968]

Oh Latin :D Salve amica!

[@GuyNamedSean]

I really like Interlingua, but people tend to choose Esperanto over it. I never understood why. I can read Interlingua but not Esperanto even though I've not made effort really to learn either. What made you pick Esperanto instead of other auxiliaries like Ido or Interlingua?

[@TheMrQuepe]

GuyNamedSean Knew about Esperanto first and also since it's a bit more popular.

[@Prilavolus]

Interlingua is too much like Latin to be truly global. Esperanto has only a slight advantage with its incorporation of random Slavic and Hebraic elements, and its largely agglutinative syntax that makes it attractive to speakers of Eastern languages from Turkish to Thai. I think Esperanto could stand a complete overhaul to make it less European, but it was the right wildflower at the right moment to take root and crack the wall of Eurocentric language hegemony.

[@ilan9588]

people: how i learned chinese in 2 months me: how i learned how to introduce myself in swedish in only 15 years

[@vinisuichi1243]

Me with english, but im still learning it lmao

[@hjdbr1094]

Hej, jag heter Hjtunfgb och min svenska är jättedålig :D

[@kimaya.3563]

then u haven't applied yourself

[@climatechangeisrealyoubast3231]

Hej jag heter Paul och min Svenska är inte så bra än ;(

[@ilan9588]

@@kimaya.3563 Yeah dude it's a joke

[@jeanenviedapprendre]

Even if you never have a single practical use for a language it will enrich your life and sharpen your mind. These two benefits will have an unseen effect on other things in your life. I will never ever see the world the same way I used to as a monolingual American. You might not make a dime off of it, but it's still worth the time.

[@Sebastian-xy3xk]

I think it is a (quite literally) priceless experience. ;3

[@essennagerry]

Monolingual Americans who started learning a second language in adulthood and aquired a few are SO, just SO inspiring. Living in America, I feel, you really don't need to know much about outside of America, you can live so nicely just by knowing your way around your own country, perhaps even just your own state. And knowing English you really don't need nor are you in an enviroment that's stimulating for you to learn another language. So the majority of Americans who learn a second language do it a 100% on their own accord. There are some pluses of learning a second language as an English native though: 1. You have a much larger variety of study materials compared to if you're say a native in German 2. If you happen to live in populous, global city like New York you can more easily find language partners to meet with in real life and 3. generally English is a sought after language so you can easily find language partners online.

[@akizaizayoi4763]

This. How I wish that people emphasizing "usefulness" would eventually realize that productivity alone is useful because it sharpens one's mind. There are even so many people doubting the usefulness of art to society which I cringe so much. Art like drawing hones creativity and it'll eventually apply in our daily lives.

[@peterconway6584]

That's so true! The way Esperanto constructed words certainly did that. Getting familiar with Loglan did a lot more!

[@damp8277]

I speak portuguese and I am loving to learn swedish, but when I say I am learning swedish people always ask Why? Because I want and I can. That is why.

[@AWSMcube]

Arthur Vicentini Falo inglês. A gente me pergunta "por que você está aprendendo português?" e eu simplesmente digo "porque eu quero e eu posso"

[@benfarmer-webb1016]

Yes. I'm English studying French and Spanish, and a but of Swedish too. It's so random but I love it

[@erictrester2883]

I'm an English speaking American and I've recently started studying Portuguese. My wife is half Brazilian and speaks Portuguese, but aside from her, it is not nearly as useful as Spanish. I'm hoping the similarities will help me with that later as well.

[@076657]

Hahaha yess. That's the attitude. Because I can. I love this guy.

[@TisDansk]

ibesweetp2 same lol

[@joeymurphy53]

Its amazing to see the look on someones face when you speak there language i was on holiday in Spain and there was a German guy working in the Hotel and i simply said Guten Tag to him and he was so happy and surprised

[@laxxius]

Good Afternoon!

[@kaelanmcalpine2011]

Joey Murphy Good afternoon to you guys too. Spanish: Buenas Tarde. I forgot Swedish.

[@gamaliel5584]

same thing happened to my school there were japanese guests coming and of course some students had to say what japanese usually say so they were surprised, really surprised. its just an unexpected feeling you get when youre far away from your homeland and people still somewhat speak your tongue.

[@girllittlemorbid]

I think it kinda shows respect and that you value their language too. My students get so excited when I speak Spanish with them- even when they realize that I really only know enough to say "Good morning! "Have a good day" "How are you?" "Good job" etc lol

[@kitvos2615]

Kaelan McAlpine, Swedish is ”God Eftermiddag.”

[@harrisondouglass2309]

This is one of my absolute favorite channels. I've never found any other channel like it. Thanks so much for the awesome content!

[@Langfocus]

It's my pleasure!

[@99mysmile99]

I always wanted to learn Hebrew, but I got discouraged because people told me it's not "useful" :( thank you for this video, I got my motivation back !

[@linatchaika223]

99mysmile99 tell them it's cool cuz its a zombie language

[@0terrors1]

how much hebrew do you speak now?

[@itsokay6684]

אתה מדבר עברית עכשיו ?

[@thewhovianhippo7103]

I kinda want to I'm not Jewish but there is this bit of Hebrew on our door one day I copied it on a pice of paper so I could translate it and I impressed myself it's similar to japanese one of my native language

[@אלון-ת2ל]

@@thewhovianhippo7103 i never heard that before. In what meaning are Hebrew and Japanese similar ?

[@AstonCulf]

"Irrational cultural interest". That describes my experience with Korean perfectly

[@langshack4552]

That was me in Cape Verdean Creole, found a teacher after like six months of searching and had to search in Portuguese to find them, they ended up knowing perfect English. I learned the language and traveled there last year and talked to all the locals in it, it was so amazing. I'm gonna upload me speaking the language with them when I leave to go back there next week for the second time.

[@1997saltydog]

Same with me but with Russian.

[@gamermapper]

Japanese

[@gamermapper]

@@1997saltydog you like Russian? 😍 Cool! 😎 What do you like about it?

[@1997saltydog]

@@gamermapper I like the accent and the alphabet

[@timothydouglas9474]

"You don't choose your interests, your interests choose you" WELL SAID!

[@Hilja1suus]

I now learn Mongolian because reasons

[@youngarchivest9092]

Your name says it all

[@qutaibaabumatar6015]

name matches

[@SocialistFinn1]

well Finnish is a beautiful language

[@bestrafung2754]

@@SocialistFinn1 it's very complicated and confusing though.

[@SocialistFinn1]

@@bestrafung2754 yeah but I think if you start by learning the suffixes you will see that it's actually pretty logical. Just different.

[@glowy303]

Highly accurate and no-nonsense advice.

[@MrMsMisterT]

Remember that somewhere there is a person that translates Gaelic into Czech for a living and another person that is an interpreter and helps speakers of Hausa get by in Spanish lawsuits. Oh, and don't forget that, if you want another language on your resume, any language is impressive.

[@Langfocus]

Tanaqet Good points! It`s possible to find a niche in a less widely spoken language. Especially if you love the culture and country its spoken in want to live there.

[@MrMsMisterT]

Langfocus Now that you've already answered me(thanks, by the way :D), it strikes me: my favorite language is Latin because of "personal development". I've read a whole lot of interesting books and letters in Latin that all help me in my daily life - especially philosophy is awesome, I can relate to Cicero, Seneca and all the lesser known authors so well that I sometimes think I'm with the wrong people.^^ The same goes for French authors like Descartes, Le Clézio (though not a philosopher) and Sartre, German authors of whom I know too many to just name an example (having had German literature classes), and of course Asian literature that is often religiously motivated. You've got Chinese and Japanese Buddhist texts and ancient Islamic texts. I like Latin poems and I look forward to being able to read Japanese ones (Right now a rather long and/or difficult Japanese song text takes me an hour of listening to the song and another hour of looking up words until I can start singing along to eventually learn a few new words - still worth it.). You casually implied that people might learn Hebrew for religious reasons. I think that goes under the name of "personal development other than just the improvement of one's learning skill". I'm not even spiritual or anything but the effort I have to put into comprehending plus understanding foreign texts really dazzles me at times; in a good way. What a wall of text, excuse me. I like your videos so far and I look forward to hearing more from you. :)

[@Langfocus]

Tanaqet That`s great, some people really get into a language because it gives them insight into a specific culture or body of literature or art. You gain insight into the perspective of the writer that don`t get when reading it in translation. I don`t know Latin but I studied Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic (I`m not religious either), and that was probably similar in a lot of ways.

[@NetAndyCz]

"Remember that somewhere there is a person that translates Gaelic into Czech for a living" would be nice, but sometimes even French is not translated into Czech directly but it is translated via English first. That is especially an issue for Japanese and Chinese, so many manuals are obviously translated via different language first (presumably by google translate as well) and a lot of meaning is lost that way. And often there seems to be no one who would read the translation and check if it makes any sense. Some words are translated by computer or even by translator who obviously does not understand what they are translating... wish people cared about translations more, there would be so much work for translators between "exotic" languages. Everyone (sort of) knows English, as they should, but there is so much stuff lost when stuff is translated through English especially from unrelated languages.

[@adr77510]

I agree that any language is impressive, yet some are definitely more so than others.

[@jacksonbiscuit]

In the world of guitars, there's a lot of advice about which of the thousands you should buy to learn on: whether your guitar is made of maple, is a Fender or a Gretsch, whether it should have 24 frets or not and so-on. The best advice I heard (and I wish I could credit it, it might be from Richard Hawley) was pick an instrument you like the look of, because that's the one you will always look at and want to pick up and play. I imagine for whatever reason you like a language, it'll have the same effect - you'll want to put on the radio to hear it without it being a chore.

[@thegoomy42]

that's actually a really good way of looking at it ^.^

[@UNGETABLE7]

As a fellow guitarist and foreign language lover, that was a great advice! 👍

[@MrFuckhead99]

Very good analogy. I'm a guitarist myself, so I always look for the tone that calls my attention. I think languages are the same way.

[@guilhermeteixeira7095]

Since I was a child I had a dream to go to Japan someday, stablish myself there and live there for a long period of my life. So when I was 16 years old I started trying to learn japanese by myself, and I didn't get it, so I got stressed and frustrated... but I saw the english language as some kind of a tool to help me to learn Japanese in a near future. I only started to learn english for the purpose of using it as a shortcut to learn my beloved language Japanese, but what I didn't expect happened, I began to love english as well. Now 3 years later I'm here, I'm bilingual, and finally starting to learn Japanese once and for all! I love languages! And I will achieve my child dreams for sure !

[@Langfocus]

Sounds great! Good luck with Japanese!

[@thewhovianhippo7103]

Nice japanese is my mothertongue but you have inspired to to learn my dream languages Kazakh one day after I learn the language I can do for school.

[@05_joyah.17]

@@thewhovianhippo7103 I'm currently studying in Japan for my bachelor's degree! Where are you from?

[@thewhovianhippo7103]

@@05_joyah.17 well my mum is from Tokyo I wasn't born in Japan sadly

[@AlexAlex-lj9er]

that is the worst you could do. If you want japanese, go for japanese. Don't let english or other languages get in the way

[@haydenfredrickson386]

As a person who started with Klingon and whose second language is Esperanto I can definitely say that it’s more fulfilling to learn a language that you’re passionate about

[@ropehitch]

Your comment made me think about the ratio of time I spend speaking Spanish to the time I spend studying Spanish - I might as well be studying Klingon or Esperanto. I really have no reason to be fluent in Spanish but my determination is impressive...and inexplicable. Fun hobby.

[@corinneagopian]

I am an Icelandic language learner and I often wonder why I do that to myself. It is a difficult language, BUT I fell in love with this language. I cannot explain that. It is not something explainable. obviously a lot of people around me do not understand...

[@ethanchang7802]

Corinne Agopian I want to learn Icelandic but it is so hard to find materials

[@1983SpringBonnie]

I've been wanting to learn Icelandic -- would you suggest it?

[@johnnypetronel]

I have the same problem with Slovene and Catalan. Just hearing Catalan, and seeing it and Slovene in written form I could feel my love for these languages blooming!😁 I really hope to learn them later down the line.

[@tuckercoffin2164]

That's why I have given up on Spanish and started focusing on Swedish instead.

[@Langfocus]

+Tucker Coffin If that`s where your interest is, then go for it! :)

[@tuckercoffin2164]

+Langfocus totally!

[@tuckercoffin2164]

Johannes Rehnberg Tack så mycket!

[@tuckercoffin2164]

Kian H Because Swedish sounds beautiful.

[@tuckercoffin2164]

Kian H Sure... I'll just listen to some random youtube commentator.

[@emivesprini4655]

Another point of view. If you want to improve your resume, learning a language is by leaps and bounds one of the least efficient ways to do it

[@Langfocus]

Very true!

[@ghenulo]

I tried to create a CV once. I had no idea what to put on it. No previous jobs, no skills, no one likes me, etc.

[@hepthegreat4005]

Emi Vesprini i would argue a degree in basket weaving is less effective, but whatever. if you want to work abroad or translate, then its very useful on your resume.

[@pchelamaja88]

not if you work in hospitality

[@nickp3949]

Literally all you have to do is go abroad and work in your field over there. Like, how many English/Italian speaking psychotherapists do they have in Italy lol? Or better yet, become an English teacher in the country of the language you learned.

[@alexmoss5879]

I first learned Spanish in middle and high school. I chose Spanish because it was "the most practical" language offered at my school. Learning a language in school is a horrible way to learn a language, and I was bored with Spanish and sick of it by the end of my second year. Then I decided to start studying a language outside of school, and picked Italian, because I had always had an admiration for and fascination with the language and culture (as well as the coffee :). I found Italian much easier and more enjoyable to learn, and it also opened up the door for other languages. I am currently learning Russian and Hebrew. These are both languages that many here in the States would consider impractical, but they are actually quite useful. Russian comes in handy for an interpreter in Eastern Europe or central Asia, as many people there have been heavily influenced by the Soviet Union or the Russian Empire before it. As for Hebrew, it is in the same language family as Arabic, which is unquestionably a useful language to know. Just as learning Spanish made learning Italian easy, Hebrew opens the door to learning Arabic. In conclusion, these "useless" or "impractical" languages, or all languages, for that matter, can be quite valuable and practical.

I totally agree with everything you wrote. I'm from South America and here we learn English in schools... And it freaking sucks! The lessons are disjointed, the vocabs is old, we learn the "British English" which has an accent different as the American English and almost no one who graduate school learns proper English! Is a waste of time. So, I learned it by myself and I fluent on it (almost), that opened the door to Russian (which I find it awesome!) and practical: How many people can say in South America that they can speak Russian? That right there is what separates you and the rest .

[@outspokenterms9240]

Same . I took Spanish in my junior year of highschool . I only applied for it because I wanted a easy vocational class on my schedule. Spanish was horrible : I didn't learn anything, the teacher taught more about phrases

[@outspokenterms9240]

Same . I took Spanish in my junior year of highschool . I only applied for it because I wanted a easy vocational class on my schedule. Spanish was horrible : I didn't learn anything, the teacher taught more about phrases and Hispanic culture than she did on grammar or vocabulary, the teacher always made us work in groups but barely gave us homework, and she made us use google translate if we wanted to check our classwork/homework. And last year is when I decided to learn Japanese .at that time, I had a realization that it was time to finally learn it since I had been watching animated and live action Japanese tv series for nearly 5 years and realized that it made since to actually learn that language.

[@cyndie26]

I agree with you in saying that learning a language in a classroom environment is unnatural. I have had two years of Spanish lessons in high school and to this day, my mind knows to treat Spanish as a non-native language.

[@rebbecarose3871]

Alex Moss . I am currently learning Spanish. My goal is to learn French, Portuguese and Dutch and Italian too. And Spanish will make easier to learn those languages

[@Norgos]

I just randomly started learning Russian and I got really interested in the country and culture and I am Norwegian

[@eggy5956]

I am currently studying Russian but lately, I found myself liking norway because of Aurora. 💙

[@Norgos]

eduard marzan i see them almost everyday on wintertime

[@eggy5956]

Really?! I am so jealous to you. I am now freaking out!!!!

[@estoniaman]

I had interest for Russian language when I was ~13. But then came the mandatory lessons and it killed the interest. Currently I barely understand conversations (I'm 21).

[@Bittzen]

Jeg er lærer norsk, hva skjer min bror

[@bencaves6767]

I'm lucky: Spanish is both a "useful" language to learn practically, but it is also one I'm fascinated with because of culture, sound, etc.

[@meropale]

You *are* very lucky. So many opportunities and possibilities.

[@Ισαβέλα-ψ7τ]

si español es muy hermosa

[@gengotaku]

I guess I have too many passions: Mandarin, Cantonese, Dutch, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Italian and have also learned Hebrew and Polish when I was in college...From these I´m specially passionate for Hebrew because I like to read the old testament and it´s cool to be able to read some parts in the original!!! שלום!!

[@HYassin18]

for someone who is learning all these languages I find it cool to see you made your username Japanese

[@gengotaku]

Your username is even cooler 天才！^_^

[@Gab8riel]

+gengotaku Wasn't the original in Aramaic?

[@gengotaku]

+Gabriel Rodriguez : Hi Gabriel and thanks for the question. I´d have to check but Aramaic was used in parts, if I´m not wrong, like in Psalms or Job. When I studied Hebrew I used a book for Biblical Hebrew and saw some references for Aramaic here and there but am not sure if the whole thing was written in Aramaic.

[@Gab8riel]

gengotaku I am not sure if Aramaic was the language the Jews used to speak or if it was one of them. Since you studied of Hebrew you probably know how old it is. If the answer is more or less 3000 years old, then the old testament was probably written in Hebrew.

[@bakeraves4952]

this is a really great channel. im very fascinated with languages but i love learning and hearing about language learning in general.

[@tashkagc6585]

Same with me, I'm glad I found this channel

[@Qossackulu]

I had the bad luck to fall in love with Breton. It isn't spoken anywhere outside of Brittany, it doesn't have its own country and government to work with, and it doesn't have a healthy amount of speakers anymore. But I love it, and must learn it.

[@bastettew3432]

Brittany has some wonderful folk music. That might help you learn.

[@Nan0guy]

I also fell in love with a Celtic language: Welsh. I live in Western Canada....

[@elinxxxx]

​@@Nan0guy Wow really? I am Welsh but don't speak it - I wish I had your motivation to learn my own language but annoyingly French has captured my attention! hahaha. Pob lwc!

[@Nan0guy]

Elin May Does is matter that I'm English originally (dwi'n dod o Lloegr yn wreiddiol)? I've often wondered if the Welsh have strong feelings on English learning their language.

[@joangg]

@@Nan0guy I don't know... but I'm a Spaniard learning Basque, and I can assure you Basques were surprised, intrigued, kind of thankful too. And delighted., of course.

[@funpheonix9752]

I keep saying that I want to be fluent in and learn both German and Japanese and so many people are saying "Why don't you learn Spanish? We live in America and it's a useful second language." Yeah... I am from the U.S. but Spanish doesn't interest me as much as German or Japanese.

[@Earbly]

Go for it, those aren't even minor languages. Plenty of amazing benefits from learning those two! I'm learning Hungarian right now. Much more of a minor language but it's so beautiful.

[@youngarchivest9092]

Same here, but German and Hungarian (to a lesser extent) are languages I want to learn because they interest me.

[@tabijozwick]

German and Japanese are useful in the business world since there are German and Japanese companies that do business in the US.

[@91010186]

.....you want to start world war 3?

[@mj4ever1332]

Preach

[@selah2367]

« If you want to learn Esperanto, sucks to be you, but you will enjoy it » LMAO IM DYING

[@somekek6734]

hahaha right? Btw he speaks esperanto xD

[@aturninthegameof...4584]

If you learn one that you love it will make it easier, for example how Russian is usually quite hard, it was easier for me because I loved learning it. Employers will like you for learning any language because it shows you have motivation and perseverance. Sometimes it's good to mix up useful and non-useful language to get a mix.

[@DreadLordOfNaggaroth]

+A Turn In The Game Of... 9/10 you'll be stuck with your native "useless" language and will have to learn English ;-) Then you can start thinking of what to do next. The chances are, however, that it'll be already too late ;-)

[@thaddeustomczyk408]

This is very informative.:) I am learning polish right now, as I am very interested in Slavic languages. My family is from Poland and my dad speaks it so it is very easy to practice it!:) and it definitely grabs me! Thanks for the insight!

[@wanda6483]

+CriticalSkater My native language is polish! :) I hope you're doing well. I've heard it can be hard sometimes. I can help you out sometimes if you want. Good luck!

[@thaddeustomczyk408]

+Wanda Ricca thank you!

[@ricardogadelha5003]

+CriticalSkater I've been learning Russian for 5 years now and I love Slavic languages and culture too. I would love to start learning Serbian and Polish someday :D

[@markdc1145]

+CriticalSkater Polish is definitely not the easiest but stick with it and you will succeed! Krok po kroku.

[@thaddeustomczyk408]

***** wszystko w porzadku! Dziekuje! To bardzo uprzeme z pana stronie! jaja! A ty?

[@Naxafa]

This is so true. When I'm told "why are you good at Japanese?" or "why do you study Japanese?" I just don't know why. I just like it. And during frustrating times I've managed to not give it up because I like it. I'm starting to learn new languages because I just enjoy it. If I didn't enjoy this (languages are like a hobby now), I wouldn't be able to.

[@thewhovianhippo7103]

Nice so many people want to learn Japanese makes me feel bad since I'm a Native japanese speaker and forgetting bits of it.

[@olivermamani1179]

あなたがそれを残さないのは良いことです、私も楽しみのためにそれを学びました、特にアニメです、しかし今私は喜びのために北京語も学んでいます、今それは私にとってとても簡単に思えます

[@NiallMor]

Thanks for this. I'm an American of Scottish ancestry learning Scottish Gaelic, a language spoken by relatively few people, even in Scotland. The number of native speakers has dropped so precipitously in recent years that the language is in danger of dying out. I think that would be a terrible shame. I'm doing this to honor my Scottish ancestors and because I love the sound of the language, especially when it's sung. I started learning more or less as a lark, but now, more than a year later, I don't want to quit. The personal connection to the language, the beauty of the language, and the knowledge that I'm helping to keep the language alive help keep me motivated far more than learning a strictly "useful" or "practical" language would. Tha a' Gàidhlig beò! Tha dòchas ann fhathast! (Gaelic is alive! There is still hope!)

[@profortnitestreamer8894]

My native language is called Sugondese, it's a rare language that not many people know about. But when I read about people on the Internet who take their time to learn it, it makes me happy ❤️

[@thewhovianhippo7103]

My grandfather Native language is Lombard we speak it near Milan it died out there

[@AIMalek]

I really like the "nuts" dialect of that language

[@blessparco]

I have really noticed that I kept on focusing on studying the language that I really love versus the language that is considered to be "in demand". In my case, it's French not just because my boyfriend is a French but because I like the French culture very much as well. It's really hard to learn and to master a language (regardless whether it's a major or a minor one) if the learner not interested at it at all.

[@soumadip_banerjee]

Bless Parco Bonjour!

[@adr77510]

French also happens to be one of the most in-demand languages luckily too. It's very widely spoken in Africa and Europe, and also has significant presence in North America, South America and Oceania

[@cupcakkeisaslayqueen]

I am learning an endangered language, Cherokee, and as far i can tell it's the most beautiful language I've ever heard, but it's only spoken by something like 20k people in USA, while i live in Poland. My whole family says it's a complete waste of time, but im not gonna stop.

[@sweetlolitaChii]

I say keep it up, because there's a fatal flaw in the thinking that it's only worth learning languages you can see yourself directly using in your daily life. If everyone only learned the most spoken languages, they're only learning the languages of colonizers, imperialism, and the languages that, while through no fault of their own, replaced and endangered many other local languages. Languages tie deeply into culture, and some widely spoken ones today were once used as weapons to erase the cultural identity of natives and tribal peoples. So keep studying Cherokee because the process opens you up to a new way to seeing the world

[@nikocat2008]

Keep IT up!!!!!

[@lolal2502]

Wow!!!

[@CookieFonster]

i think native speakers of cherokee, or any other endangered language, would be absolutely thrilled that someone from another continent is learning their language. i wonder if you have ever gotten to speak with them?

[@nikocat2008]

@@CookieFonster maybe via Messenger they could.

[@riveromontara1242]

Learning a "useless" language can be vere useful.

[@LuisVargas-bq3bp]

how

[@zaujimaveinformacie4008]

@@LuisVargas-bq3bp To be more intelligent, to improve your memory and concentration skills, to surprise your family, etc

[@lenav.5851]

@@LuisVargas-bq3bp You may get to know amazing people you wouldn't have met if you didn't spoke their language, that's how.

[@LuisVargas-bq3bp]

@@zaujimaveinformacie4008 ikr. but isn't the whole point of a "useful" language being able to do exactly the same as well?

[@jgxrt988]

All languages are useful

[@ShoulderMonster]

I started learning Japanese when I was 12 going on 13 (23 now) because I had just learned all my favorite things happened to come from Japan (Sonic, Pokemon, Naruto, Nintendo, etc.). I always wanted to learn Spanish, but could never quite get my foot in the door with it. Senior year highschool I took a class in it and learned a bit, but didn't really pursue self-study much. Then again in college I took another class and learned a whole lot, especially how to read and write it efficiently. However, my passion was still centered on Japanese, so I didn't study Spanish much but just occasionally every blue moon. Meanwhile in Japanese I was A'cing all the classes I took in freshman year highschool and twice again in college because I already learned all the material beforehand... Now I sometimes read comics in Spanish when I want a break from Japanese, Spanish is so much easier overall! Many words I can just guess, even if I've never seen their Spanish equivalent before. Sometimes I even watch Japanese anime or movies with Spanish subtitles! Haha What I don't understand in one language the other can fill in. X'D Besides all that, being bored one day I dabbled a bit into Chinese with an app I downloaded. I really like the grammar system! It's pretty similar to English, but simpler in a way. The characters are simplified, so it's a bit different than Japanese... Maybe one day I'll learn more it. I also took a peak at the Korean alphabet, but haven't dove into it yet. I considered learning French because my boyfriend seems so gung-ho about it, but agghh I'm not sure I like French! It's spelling logic looks even worse than English! But maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's at least consistent? Spanish is so beautifully consistent... I recently got my boyfriend to agree to learn Japanese since he's also such a weeb, so I'm super excited to have a language partner finally! :D My brother took the same Japanese classes I did in college, but he doesn't seem too interested in continuing self-study...

[@irreadings]

I started studying Hebrew because I was interested in Jewish mysticism. That interest in mysticism sort of died out, but the interest for the language stayed. I love how everything fits together so logically, how words are so easily recognizable by their roots, how there's a pattern for almost everything and how the entire language mostly adheres to that pattern. I'm an ESL teacher in my country, and these qualities are really a breath of fresh air. Many times students have asked me why English behaved in such and such manner in such and such occasions and I had no answer but... "English is weird". That sincerely hasn't happened to me with Hebrew, at least until now. I don't even plan to go to Israel. I just like the language. What is my problem.

[@azuregriffin1116]

That's awesome, and so true. This channel does explain why it's so weird with spelling, if you haven't seen it already.

[@sh6361]

בהצלחה!

[@seungminhong6054]

A great video! I agree with your view that you should learn a language that appeals to you in some way. But English has become a compulsory language for people around the world... After reaching a certain level in English, I'm free to learn another language! Yay! I am thinking about learning Russian next year. I was torn between Spanish and Russian but I chose the latter haha

[@Langfocus]

+Seungmin Hong Yeah, English is a globally important language so for a lot of people it`s important to learn that for practical reasons before choosing a language out of interest. When I made the video I was thinking of English speakers learning foreign languages, but for non-native English speakers there are strong reasons to learn English first.

[@TheSassi14]

Did it work? Can you speak Russian now?

[@TheSassi14]

Mouse LPS Interesting assumption. Can you tell me a channel that makes this content (like in this video) in Russian? (My question is serious, because I am learning Russian.)

[@TheSassi14]

Mouse LPS Мой уровень - не очинь хорош. Или я бы написал на Руссом. Мне нужeн перевотчик Google для етого. xD You recommended so much at once. What should I start with, as a beginner?

[@miqueiaspissinin6527]

Langfocus I'm trying to learn English and German simultaneously because I really wanna live in Switzerland. Do you think Italki would be recommendable for me?

[@Woolookologie]

Japanese definitely "grabbed" me. It deeply fascinates me.

[@Langfocus]

+Woolookologie It`s a great language to learn. It`s definitely a gateway into a very unique culture.

[@samdev7702]

+Woolookologie Thats a hard one, good luck.

[@XxAngelWinsxX]

+Woolookologie Me as well... nihongo I choose you! :P

[@dust7962]

Woolookologie Its a year later... So how is the kanji?

[@youkai888]

it grabbed me to. so i learned it. ほら、話せるよ。

[@Nosjjddjjd]

This is spot on! As a native burmese speaker, I used to go ‘Why would you do this to yourself’ when I see someone seriously learning my language. But now that I’m trying to learn Tagalog, Italian & Japanese I’m like I see you, pal. I appreciate your curiosity and dedication to our language even though we make zero sense most of the time :))

[@Boccaccio1811]

I guess I got lucky because I happen to be passionate about a useful language (Spanish)... mostly because I love the culture of Latin America and want to travel to some of the countries there. On the other hand I want to learn Russian but I don't have much use for it because I really have no desire to go to Russia... I just think it's cool to write in cyrillic lol

[@lladoandy]

Boccaccio1811 cuanto español has aprendido?

[@bratzlover501]

Learning Cyrillic is easy so that’s not much of a problem when reading online it’s just Russian handwriting is so difficult to read 😫😫

[@anidinamita7256]

Boccaccio1812 ¿Puedes defenderte en español ahora?

[@newagehero9605]

Boccaccio1812 me too I find Spanish fascinating I guess because the speed it's spoken I don't find Arabic interesting at all the writing system makes my head spin ill just stick to Spanish Korean, Japanese, Chinese mainly Spanish and Korean because I really love these two

[@soumadip_banerjee]

Boccaccio1812 I find Cyrillic cool too man!.. Haha

[@maciejsyrokomla-syrokomski838]

And you don't even touch upon a great motivator: love and romance.

[@Langfocus]

That’s definitely a motivator! And I think it’s a type of irrational motivation. We can’t control who we fall in love with or who we’re attracted to.

[@TheSpecialJ11]

Because Esperanto is spoken nowhere, it is spoken everywhere. Esperanto is more of a community because Esperantistoj had and have to overcome the lack of a place to speak it, so they built that place on the Internet (and events like the World Esperanto Congress). Pretty cool if you ask me.

[@vmbc]

tute prave😃

[@bloubear2557]

jes, saluton kaj Dankon por tiun

[@ShineVendor]

tion* ?

[@RaD0xIfY]

mi amas vin

[@ghenulo]

Mi eklernis ĝin, ĉar mi scivolis pri kiel planlingvo funkcius. Mi ellernis ĝin pro ĝia facileco.

[@rumrunner8019]

I'm studying Tibetan because the culture is beautiful, and to help me study and practice Tibetan Buddhism.

[@riothetrashbin]

0:00 *And that's how a legend was born.*

[@genegreen9613]

I enjoy all your videos but apparently have not yet seen all of them. I keep finding new ones. Great! Keep 'em comin'! I began learning German while stationed in Germany. Now fluent enough to occasionally be mistaken for German. The US Army sent me to school to learn Vietnamese and near the end of my year in Viet Nam I was getting pretty good. I have lived in the US southwest for the last 37 years so am learning Spanish. I spent 10 weeks in Siberia a couple of years ago to learn Russian. That is a tough nut to crack. Whenever I lose motivation to study my Russian I watch some of your videos and get motivated again. Большое спасибо. Großes Dankeschön. Cảm ơn nhiều. Muchísimas gracias. Thank you so much.

[@iadoreapplehead]

Learning a language is indeed mostly motivation even though you also need to love the culture of the natives. As a native Dutch speaker I was always really interested in the French language/culture, but when they started teaching me German at high school, I could barely memorize it! Just because languages are similar to each other doesn't mean you can learn them apparently

[@spoe_]

Hetzelfde, die naamvallen slaan nergens op, totaal onnodig, en Frans is nog een beetje logisch. Maar dat neemt niet weg dat ik liever Zweeds of Hebreeuws doe lol

[@iadoreapplehead]

EmilianSpo haha wat ik wel altijd heb met Frans is dat ik denk "oké, dit is best makkelijk", en dan kom je bij de uitzonderingen... :') Die talen trekken mij niet echt, maar ik heb wel echt respect voor mensen die talen zoals Hebreeuws leren. Dat lijkt me duizend keer moeilijker dan Frans!

[@laxxius]

what the heck Dutch looks do weird

[@iadoreapplehead]

+Laxxius I know, the structure is very different from well... most languages and the grammar can be pretty random at times haha

[@kaelanmcalpine2011]

Elise Tanis It looks like a combination of German and Finnish to be honest. WTF!

[@ajsarabia]

Thank you for this video. I grew up in a Spanish speaking house in the USA and I was trying to decide which language I wanted to study after being bilingual English/Spanish for so long. I was thinking French or Portuguese but Catalan keeps drawing me in. I am going to give Catalan a try.

[@PikaOMiau]

+AJ Sarabia Catalan is just a mix of French and Spanish, so i would study French first and then Catalan, it will be much easier.

[@irvinargon]

+PikaOMiau No. It is more like 65% Occitan and the rest Spanish. French speakers do not understand Catalan, because it is too distant. It is only related to Occitan.

[@PikaOMiau]

Irvin Argon I'm catalan and I can understand a lot of words thanks to it. It's not the same, but it is near. So, since he will learn the two languages, I think it would be easier for him to learn French first, then Catalan. I'm not literally saying that Catalan is just french and spanish words scrambled and put in a sentence, i'm just saying it will be easier for him to learn it since it has many words in common and many words that resemble each other.

[@RailGunViolin]

מסכים איתך לגמריי. גם אני עכשיו לומד מספר שפות ואין מה לעשות אתה תמיד תשקיע יותר בשפה שמעניית אותך יותר. I totally agree!

[@gavrifalcao]

מסכים איתך מאה אחוז, אחי

[@devinc.r.4903]

My current dilemma is that I'm very interested in Danish, which is not only the most difficult Scandinavian language -- not to learn, but to actually speak (curse those soft d's!) -- but also it's likely I'll never be able to travel to Denmark, and even if I did, most Danes speak English...and the impression I get is that unless you speak Danish reasonably well, they would rather just speak English with you anyway for efficiency. I started German instead because of my interest in German soccer, and I'm fascinated with that language as well and how similar it can be to English, but I still feel drawn to Danish at the same time and often find myself going back to it after a German lesson. As the wand chooses the wizard, so too does the language choose the student...no matter how arbitrary.

[@thewhovianhippo7103]

My dilemma Swahili Hawaiian native American language Turkish or revising on my native language which I don't uses as much only at home

[@DTjoshtruction]

rewatch this video everytime I get indecisive which happens very often so it helps a lot thanks Paul

[@vivibangtan0613]

I'm a native Hebrew speaker, so, first of all, I'm also very impressed and surprised that you chose to study it. second, you probably won't see this but I just wanted to thank you for making this video. I'm very interested in languages in general and I'm currently studying Korean by myself. my friends laugh at me and say that it's not useful and that I should learn Chinese. but I'm passioned about Korean. so it's nice to hear someone who says that it's okay and nice to learn a smaller language. But after Korean, I want to study More common languages like Chinese/Arabic and also Portuguese. I Just love the proses of studying a language even if it's hard. I'm so happy I found your channel because languages are one of the things that interest me the most.

[@Pakanahymni]

I never could bring myself to studying a useful language, other than Russian, which I really enjoy. My other interests are Northern Sámi (native to Lapland), Estonian, Icelandic, Serbian... not exactly major languages, but I don't care.

[@Wasp239]

+Pakanahymni I learn Finnish and I'm interested in Northern Sámi too. Icelandic is very beautiful too. And I too really don't care about that fact that Northern Sámi is spoken only by 21, 000 :)

[@Y_Surniaiev]

+beatthisroot I agree. And it seems to me that Russian won't be useful within next 10-20 years.

[@stefanalecu9532]

+Pakanahymni wow, someone else is interested in Estonian ;-; how fluent you are in it?

[@Pakanahymni]

Stefan Alecu I can have a comfortable conversation over a beer. I intend to study it more though.

[@stefanalecu9532]

well, is that level A2 or B1?

[@RagtopRoads]

When I was in the Air Force a linguist told me that speaking Spanish gets you a job at McDonald's speaking Persain gets you a job at exon.

[@magdabera5378]

😂

[@ClassyCharity]

🤣🤣🤣

[@RagtopRoads]

@@elijahpeloquin4725 The website for the defense language institute would have a list for you.

[@hoagiesupreme]

That is the greatest pay-off of bilingualism in my opinion. I'm white, obviously American, blond hair and blue eyes. When I speak Spanish with Latinos who didn't know I could, their eyes pop out of their head. It's awesome.

[@keegster7167]

but... there are many white people in South America. There are even those with blue eyes and blond hair like yourself, at least, I know there are in Brazil, and some in Argentina.

[@pablodelatorregalvez4260]

In Spain we are white and many are blonde with blue eyes.

[@keegster7167]

+Pablo de la Torre Gálvez Okay, cool. I didn't know that there were people like that in Spain too.

[@hectordanielsanchezcobo6457]

King Keegster well spain is an european "white" country afterall

[@DevilleQueen]

I live in Texas so most of our Spanish speakers are from Mexico. To see a white person speak Spanish out here is like seeing a black man speak Chinese.

[@elaiej]

I learnt Auslan (Australian Sign Language) as an international student while in australia, out of curiousity. I knew before going into it that it only had a few thousand signers, and would not be very useful if I returned to Malaysia. After some tossing around, I decided to go for it. Attended two community classes, then went for meet ups at cafes on weekends. I have left australia now, but I don't regret the experience one bit. Even if I don't use the language anymore, it opened me up to a different world and culture.

[@carmitfederman4631]

שלום פול, אני מנוייה על הערוץ שלך ומאד מאד נהנית לצפות בסרטונים שאתה מעלה. שמחתי לשמוע שאתה יודע עברית. העברית שלך ממש ממש טובה!! כל הכבוד!! אני מסכימה עם כל מה שאמרת בסרטון הזה. אני ישראלית ולמדתי אנגלית וערבית בבית הספר. יש לי אנגלית טובה וערבית גרועה. במשך שנים לא למדתי שפה נוספת אבל, לפני 4 שנים, בגיל 49, נסעתי עם בעלי לקובה והתלהבתי מאד מהתרבות הלטינית. מאז אני לומדת ספרדית וכבר ביקרתי בספרד ובפורטו ריקו. נהנית מאד לדבר את השפה ולשמוע מוסיקה ולקרוא בספרדית. אני הגעתי לזה בגלל האהבה לשפה ולא בגלל שאני "צריכה" את זה ואני נהנית מכל רגע. ודבר אחרון, ביקרנו בונקובר בקיץ שעבר. עיר מקסימה!! תודה ו Keep up the good work ! 😊

[@0terrors1]

whenever stuck in a dilemma, flip a coin. But instead of looking at which side it's on, close your eyes and think which one you hope it to land on, and the one you hoped for is the one you're gonna do, even if the coin says otherwise.

[@MetalBansheeX]

Genius :3

[@ZacharyZee]

I gravitated towards Russian. I tried studying other languages, but I always lost interest in them quickly, and always went back to Russian. It's been a difficult language to study, and after 2 years, I still consider myself a beginner, but I know one day, I'll be able to speak Russian with the best of them, :D !

[@erturtemirbaev5207]

Вы молодец

[@TheDustyForest]

I feel like I have the absolute worst motivation for learning a language in the world... I'm learning Japanese so I can import and play dating sims .____.

[@therustler30]

+TheDustyForest Ahahahaha, that's great, whatever it takes man. I'm beginning on russian so I can understand my russian team-mates in videogames :P

[@enzolumare5680]

*THE GIBBONS* by じん you mean 人, right?

[@therealmaskriz5716]

TheRustler nice

[@thenewcaliph766]

I'm learning German so I can understand what Hitler is actually saying in the movies XD.

[@1983SpringBonnie]

Any reason is a good reason, so long as you have one.

[@VicenteChenHolaatodos]

Thank you Paul, this helps me to clear my mind. I used to be attracted by French, but as I learned more, I found out that this was not the language I dreamed to speak. I turned to Spanish right after a few months and maintain studying Spanish for more than three years(but still had class of French in the same time); I love(d) to speak espanol, but I discovered that I wasn't that interested into their culture. I discovered myself more interested and actually a little bit dreamed for speaking Italian fluently, for understanding their amazing Italian pop songs and be able to travel in their beautiful landscape with meeting people living there. I think the Italian movies influenced me a lot when I was young, for instance"Under the Tuscan Sun" and "Nuovo Cinema Paradiso". Their pop songs also play an important role in my heart, as I'm always eager to watch Festival di Sanremo every year. I thought I would be studying Italian in a few years later, but seeing this video has made my mind more steady to lean Italiano ASAP or as much as I can do. Again, thank you :)))

[@outspokenterms9240]

So happy to see a video like this . The past 2 weeks have been the beginning of my 2nd attempt at learning Japanese . I rarely hear this type of advice from anyone : everyone's like "only learn the language if you plan on living in the country where it's the prime focus of communication " . And You're the only one to tell people that they need to be motivated by something they like about that language in order to keep going. So far I'm learning JP grammar and I'm loving it. Japanese is so fascinating while being simultaneously difficult and easy. I never knew linguistic learning was that fun.

[@meropale]

Most languages I want to learn are "major" world languages, like Russian and Japanese, but I also am interested in different writing systems and that makes me want to learn languages like Hebrew and Georgian.

[@erturtemirbaev5207]

Ok

[@d.undeadredpanda]

Exactly. It's so cool learning and seeing all the different writing systems. Not that the Latin writing system is bad, it's just that it's nice getting to know new ones and how they work :)

[@d.undeadredpanda]

Which languages are you currently learning?

[@SalchichaStudios]

I honestly believe that my passion is animals and Im willing to learn any language that could help me get a job involving species preservation

[@jocilenelima1485]

"You can't control where your interest lands in" Fascinating! I am in Japan fighting hard to learn Japanese and I keep seeing myself willing to learn Swedish!

[@haroldquesnel8275]

Hi Paul! Your video on Japanese helped me to finally decide on getting to work. Even though my longer-term goal was to learn Mandarin (currently at HSK-3 level), Spanish, Russian and Arabic (all of which I am also passionate about!), right now I am obsessed with Japanese (multiple reasons: Bujutsu, History, Culture, Manufacturing- I'm a Machinist, Health & Nutrition). Thanks for creating this channel.

[@rebeckaroy6790]

Excellent advice and it's a pleasure to find your channel. Language is so wrapped up in every part of culture and identity that I would also advise people to think about what they like to do with language, what culture or travel they want to focus on. The language is so much more fun when it is connected to actual people or books or something very human like food or art. If you like a certain literature, time period or media perhaps that will help you choose the language you want to study. It is such a wonderful avenue to understanding a culture and group of people. I learned French because I was living in France for awhile and loved living there. I studied Hebrew at university because I was studying history and religion and that area of the world fascinates me. I learned a little Welsh after moving to the UK. I study Hindi because I enjoy the music and cinema and food and because I had friends at University who introduced me to their native culture. In every case, something about the people and culture that is tied up with that language called to me and understanding the words they use to express themselves helped me to understand the humans even better. Our language forms us and our thoughts just as we form our language and it is endlessly fascinating. Thanks for all your work!

[@J523-j8m]

6:36 agreed! I agree that it's worth learning a language that is not exactly a 'big language'. I worked at a European market Call Center in the USA and the people who spoke the 'smaller languages' were more valuable. Iconically @Langfocus Hebrew was the hardest language for the call center to find (Israel was in the market too). Speaking a 'smaller language' makes you rarer and therefore more valuable in some cases.

[@Langfocus]

Good example! As for Hebrew speakers, it’s quite possible that no Hebrew speaker would agree to cold call Israelis because they’d all just hang up immediately. lol

[@AntonioBarba_TheKaneB]

I'd like to learn Portuguese because Samba and Brazilian jazz music

[@brazilsempire4571]

eae eu sou um brasileiro nativo

[@brazilsempire4571]

Oh nice my whatsapp [phone]

[@mannydib]

...and Brazilian women

[@brazilsempire4571]

+Namekusei ジン legal cara mas você nunca vai ser um Hu3Hu3 BR kkk

[@Awakeningspirit20]

Oh please do! I got Duolingo for Spanish but eventually found my way to Portuguese (and several others). For some reason, Portuguese grabbed me and I was hooked, it's so much like Spanish but so much better. It's harder in some ways but is more rewarding. I like them both equally now, mas eu espero que voce aprende portugues! (sorry no accent marks, I'm on a computer).

[@Davysprocket213]

Yes, learning a language because it might be a marketable skill is like learning to play a musical instrument because you want to join a band or an orchestra. That's silly. You've got to really want it.

[@Langfocus]

Yes. I remember once during my first week as a teacher in Japan, the staff at my language school informed me that I had a new student coming for a private trial lesson, and that it was her dream to be a Japanese-English translator. So the student showed up, she was around 40 and couldn't speak *a word* of English. Like, nothing. So we started from "This is a pen". After the lesson, the staff asked me "So, do you think she can be a translator?" She didn't want to learn English, she just wanted to be a translator. If she had been interested in English she would have been studying it on her own already.

[@SakeNominai]

Just curious, what was your answer to the staff's question?

[@tabijozwick]

@@Langfocus , why did she thinks that she can be a Japanese-English translator without knowing both languages?

[@NetAndyCz]

I so wish someone explained that to me when I was a kid. Kind of worked with English because I wanted to understand what the computer games were about. The true secret of language learning is in the inner motivation, you need to figure out why to be passionate about learning the language. That being said, learning a language is possible even at advanced age, but the person needs to find the right motivation and treat it like a hobby rather than a job.

[@Jerimbo]

I see what point you're trying to make, but boi was that the worst analogy I've ever read/heard

[@layaa559]

You pointed out so many good and imp factors! I have watched many useless language related videos on youtube. your channel is basically the only one that makes sense and is informative and helpful.

[@pierrepinard1066]

I agree with you. In order to overcome the difficulties or learning a new language, you really need to be motivated and passionate.

[@qrsx66]

Learn a language that needs you, not the one with speakers in the hundreds of millions.

[@cheflos]

I'm learning Portuguese right now which people might consider impractical, but it's spoken all around the world like Brazil, Mozambique, cabo verde, Macao, São Tomé e Príncipe, etc. I already know Spanish and it's kinda easy to learn Portuguese but not that easy

[@bogdan4148]

I'm learning Faroese now

[@rodrigoadrianrodriguezaedo4477]

Did you want to travel to the Färoe islands?

[@Maggie-nt5nz]

How is that going for you 3 years later? I hope you reached your goals!!

[@Earbly]

Your point about your interests choosing you is so on point. I can't possibly explain why I'm so interested in Hungarian, it's just.... INTERESTING. Lol. I think the structure of the language is beautiful and so symmetric, so logical. It is very hard to get into the nitty-gritty of hungarian, but actually starting isn't so bad. Reading and pronouncing words isn't so bad. I had a far harder time simply starting Russian due to the Cyrillic alphabet, it being so counter-intuitive with P being an "R" and H is "N" and backwards R is "yah". Confusing. Anyway great video man!

[@mattrn58]

About twenty years ago I started taking Spanish classes to be able to talk to the patients in the clinic where I was working. It was very useful. For the past few years I have been taking irish language classes. I’m an Irish traditional musician. I don’t really expect to use it much for conversation but I really enjoy it. Learning a new language gives you a new mental map of the world and gives you insight into the way speakers of the language think.

[@topazbutterfly1853]

Last summer I started learning Mongolian. I get a lot of questions like "Why Mongolian?" Just because it's a beautifel language and I catch it fast. We should really think of languages as parts of cultures, not as a political or work related factor.

[@HamzaDudgeonthelinguist]

I go for the language that grabs me, the intrinsic motivation keeps me going and going for a much longer time.

[@szatanowska]

it happens that im passionate to learn all languages of world..................... pity live's toooooo short

[@reeyanadouglas7736]

Yup

[@joannahopkins785]

I’m currently learning Spanish in school right now, and it definitely “grabbed” me. I have began to just love the language, and I constantly surround myself with the language to help my growth.

[@bpavilion8994]

Thank You so much friend! I was soooo stuck! Because everyone is like, "You should learn Spanish." But like you, I'm interested in a language that's not widely spoken.

[@yoona7716]

When I started learning Korean and I told my dad and he said "well why don't learn Chinese it's Asian and way more useful" But I love Korean and I want to learn it no matter what. I could never learn a language just for the usefulness, In my opinion there needs to be that love and genuine intrigue about the language you learn or really anything you want learn in life. PS: I really love the channel thanks so much for everything you do here.

[@XFTFX]

Imo Korean, Japanese, and Chinese is as useful as each other. All of the 3 nations are major players in technology, each with their own advances.

[@thewhovianhippo7103]

Out of all of east Asia I would choose Mongolian because japanese is my native language and Chinese looks a bit completed and Korean it would be unconftable due to what Japan did to them

[@LiliRoseMcKayMusic]

As someone who really wants to improve my/learn Hebrew but also has a Spanish speaking best friend this thumbnail is RELATABLE

[@blankb.2277]

I'm learning Turkmen (almost the same as Turkish) right now. It's spoken nowhere in the U.S. and the only native speakers I've met are on iTalki, but I enjoy it nonetheless. I know it won't be marketable unless I move to Turkey, Turkmenistan, or Azerbaijan... but you know... when I tried to learn Spanish I gave up in like a week...

[@DilaVardarli]

hey! I'm a native Turkish speaker, I'd like to help you! is there somewhere that I can connect you?

[@blankb.2277]

ejj jj That would be awesome! My Instagram is brooklyn10222 if you want to DM me 🙌🏻

[@DilaVardarli]

@@blankb.2277 thank you so much, I'm texting you!

[@igrieger]

I was surprised by your opinion, in the beginning of the video I thought you would say something like: "Learn the most useful one". I totally agree with you and I have been neglecting the languages that attract my attention. Time to restart my efforts! Thanks! Success in your next "unuseful" plans.

[@Kocha04]

Man, this video is AMAZING! I am studying Czech so much and this really motivates me. Thank you for the video. Thank you very much!

[@aaliya2974]

I wanted to study Norwegian because I'm weird but at the same time I was like "Norwegian is so useless and Spanish is so widely spoken, maybe I should consider learning Spanish?" and now I'm like "I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU, SPANISH", thanks for that duh

[@Lycosa]

drowningunicorn that's good... Norwegian is great. Although you can try to learn 2-5 at a time or at least learn one by one and learn 2-6 during your lifetime.

[@toutmoncoeur]

I'm native spanish speaker and understand most romance languages after learning french. Also interested in norway just bc i love a singer. It makes no sense. I think i just want general access to some lenguas francas. And be fluent in a few select languages.

[@catalannationalist9847]

Widely spoken doesn't equal usefulness

[@mrappleseed2396]

I feel the same about learning a language every body told me that learning German a language that is never spoken in la I feel like people that are in denial about learning languages are really just a brick in the road

[@elizabeths50]

I learned Hebrew first. I am pretty passionate about it. But now I am learning a really useful language, Irish. LOL Definitely a challenging language. I have Irish in my ancestry.

[@paul_chandler3082]

Isn't Irish dead?

[@Tasgos]

+ShedGaming Nope. About 100,000 native speakers but a lot mors L2 speakers.

[@Tasgos]

+Dr Rockso more*

[@zorahanapolsky6503]

כל הכבוד! איך העברית שלך עכשיו? :)

[@piotrekn3127]

A native speaker of Polish here. That's a very interesting video. Thanks! Paul spoke about "a language that grabs you"/chooses you. I once said jokingly that German rejected me, because I had bad memories from school involving lots of grammar being shoved down my throat all at once. I've recently started to follow some basic-level German content and German-study channels and I have to say that when served bit by bit and with lots of examples it's not scary at all (I guess I may have seen too little, though, lol). Also, German is a practical language to know in Poland so that's another stimulus for me to start learning/revising. One dillema I have though, is that I'm really more interesting in reading and writing (also some listening) than talking. I'm definitely not a talkative guy. That makes the whole German-learning (or indeed language-learning) thing sound far less practical, doesn't it? Even provided that I learn a lot this way and get to have a decent knowledge of culture/reality of the second language countries, it won't count for much if I have problems speaking. Hmm...

[@luigisantoriello3289]

Since life is short,I prefer learning a language because you actually have a passion and are interested in it.That's why I carefully Iistened to every language in the world and after a while I decided that Persian and Bulgarian were the languages I wanted to learn,and I'm super happy with my choices.

[@julian_ossuna]

My motivation when learning a language generally is the interest in a country's culture

[@jaanmarekhnilaak]

Good work, Paul! Your videos are very wise and reasoned. I like English and I'm glad it's world language no.1. But I'm in love with PORTUGUESE and I'm learning it quite hard. :-)

[@Langfocus]

Thanks Uko! Yes, knowing English is very useful in today's world. But Portuguese is becoming more important too. So if you love it, you're lucky! :)

[@lorenavilla6703]

a gente me pergunta porque eu estudo Português, e acho um pouco difícil lhes explicar porque eu adoro a língua portuguesa. Me apaixonei pela música brasileira e portuguesa (Fado) faz alguns anos, então decidi que eu quero compreender o que os cantores diz sem ter que traduzir.

[@xixi9440]

Your video helped me a lot. I love Hebrew and started learning it 6 months ago. It's very hard to find Hebrew speakers to interact with. I tried switching to French but my state of mind is stuck at Hebrew for some reason. I take online lessons and they say I speak like an Israeli with 0 accent haha (my native language is Arabic though). It's such a dilemma to be honest.

[@peregrination3643]

"If you're chosen by Esperanto, then sucks to be you." lol. I never heard of it until I saw your video reviewing Duolingo and you tested it with Esperanto. I assumed it was a version of Spanish. Now I know better. Sounds awesome. Right now I'm brushing up on French. I figured since I knew some from school, I like some French-speaking singers, French authors, and I like the sound, I may as well stick with it. Japanese grabs at me the most and has been poking at me for over half my life, so that has to be next. I love the sound and the history of the country. I've also been wanting to be familiar enough with Latin to get good at deciphering etymology in English (and French) words. Heck, it might help me understand my Italian singers. Other than Japanese, I love Mongolian, Celtic, and Native American history and culture (I might even have some Cherokee), so I might look into Mongolian, Irish and Cherokee (though I did take some Choctaw in college). I don't like the sound of German, but I have Austrian family. You can see my problem: picking a language and sticking with it. I have too many interests. Right now I'm trying to stick with French and later Japanese, and maybe make the others things I know on a more general, basic level.

[@BrucexfromxCanada]

Further on, you mentioned the importance of having a passion for whatever language you plan to learn. Back in 1956, when coming to Quebec from Oakville Ontario, when all my parents told me was "There are a lot of people in Quebec who speak Frcnch" (FAR from adequate at the time!!!), I got a big surprise when I very soon discovered that most of them didn't speak English. GULP!! (to myself: If there are a lot pf people in Querec who speak French and most of them don't speak English, I think I need to learn French in a HURRY ofI am going to communicate": (Me, age 11,in 1956.) But In retrospect, now at age 74, it dod me far more good than just communicating would ever have done! As I had serious social difficulties, it ended up saving my career before it had even begun. (The rest of that is a detailed and very dramatic story!)