Why do you learn?

[MagitekElite]

So, why do you learn languages, or Linguistics? Is it for the greater span of communication, or the lovely sounds? Is it because you can't stand not knowing what others say, or do you truly enjoy learning languages and linguistics?

How did you start? What initially started your course? What do you suggest for others? For novices who have never tried learning a new language? Best resources for said languages? Stuff like that!

For me; I wanted to learn because I want to communicate with so many people (I have lots of non-English friends), I love the sounds, I love non-English songs and stories, and because I truly love learning.

I started almost two years ago, but I had a pretty bad resource to start with and then found an online site and fell in love with Linguistics, and then languages. Since I was a novice, I would suggest studying IPA, sounds and a bit about the language you want. Not learning the language, but get a feel for their culture. And definitely listen to songs in said lang, if possible. This will help you learn.

As for resources...not sure! I only have basic Russian and Lakota teaching books, so I suppose go with the BEST dictionaries/lesson books. And then find a place to talk and learn said lang, oh! And make flash cards and stickies to stick around on objects with the name of the object in said lang.

That's all I got. You?  

[Tc Frorleivus Almus Ph]

Oh, wow. Let's see.
First things first, I have to say I'm more into the language half of this; I don't actually know a whole lot about linguistics. I do learn a little here and there, but it's not the focus of my studies.
So anyway, I started way back in seventh grade. For a long time, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, a stage that everyone goes through. In school, I was almost bamboozled into joining the anime club. I admit, I'm not terribly into anime, but being in the club got me started on Japanese. For a long, long time, Japanese was the only language that I was interested in. I took French classes in high school, but didn't care much for them at the time. It wasn't until after I graduated that I got into another language; Latin. Naturally, being the predecessor to so many modern Romance languages, this language opened the door for many others. From there, I decided to delve into the ancient world and learn others like it. I learned the Hellenistic Greek language as well as Old Norse. That, naturally, opened the door to so many other languages.
Nowadays, my aim is to learn as many languages as I can. If you've ever seen the Disney movie Pocahontas, there's a particular song in it that I like called "Colors of the Wind." Well, one day I hope to be able to speak with all the colors of the world.
It's really corny, huash! I know. :}
What would I suggest for novices who have never learned another language? I would suggest learning a language that's similar to your own native language. You can get a feel for learning without it becoming too terribly difficult. Practice! And use it often, even if it's only with yourself. For English speakers, Swedish or Norwegian tends to be among the easier ones to learn.
As for resources, at least one good resource is a native speaker. They may not always know everything, but they will be among your most helpful friends in learning a language.  

[MagitekElite]

Corny, but a very good reason! And I loved that movie, as well as that song. heart

Oh wow, you know Old Norse? That's so awesome. cool

Very good suggestions, Shizuka Mizu! Being around a native speaker will definitely help. Even if they don't teach you, hearing them speak would help.

*I heard Swedish or Norwegian is a good first start for English natives too, alongside Spanish. smile  

[Glitoris]

I study languages because I see them as color. It's kinda funny that Mizu used the reference with colors. I see languages as having different colors.

I started in my freshman year of high school. Even though the French teacher wasn't particularly fond of me, I kept chugging along. It was a class I worked hard for. So, gradually, I began to respect and love it. And then I got another French teacher during the second semester. She also happened to teach another class as well. She opened my eyes to another Romance language: Spanish. I took Spanish when I was little, but I didn't remember a whole lot of it. When I started Spanish in my sophomore year, I could have pretty much slept in class and understand everything (even though I didn't). Because of all the French I had taken, the Spanish was a piece of cake. I was one of the best Spanish students. As for the French teacher that isn't too fond of me, I got her again in sophomore year.

I like the idea of being able to speak with someone in a whole different part of the world, to be able to learn about their culture in their native tongue. I like the colors that I make when I speak. I like the hard work and effort associated with it. I like everything about it.

As for anyone trying to learn, I think Mizu's advice is best. Stick with a language similar to your own, and find native speakers.

 

[Sakura Latte]

I learn languages because I love the sound of them especially when they're sung. In a way, I think being in choir was what made me interested in learning other languages in the first place, since sometimes we had pieces that were in foreign languages (and not just Latin, Italian, and Spanish). My favourite concert performance during my community college years was when we sang a repertoire that consisted of music around the world, including songs from Finland, Korea, China, parts of Africa, and so on. It was fun.

Also, I like learning languages because I think you can learn about a country's culture through that.  

[watchmaker_gallant]

I'd like to add more to the conversation but

is this guild active? question are the members active?