SOYOUWANNA LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE?

4. BUT MY BUSINESS IS PLEASURE

If you're learning a language for pleasure, the reasons are a bit more varied. Moving to another country and or taking a vacation abroad spurs many people to learn a foreign language. Other people learn for the sheer joy of the words. Some people get a thrill out of new words, a thrill that is compounded when those words are from a foreign language. Learning a new language is a journey in itself to the right kind of person, a mental trip. For these people, the words and rhythms of a foreign language seem to have a topography all their own. These are the kind of people that learn Italian to read Dante, or master German so they can get in Goethe's head.

Commit Your Time

You are not going to learn a language overnight. Find a block of time every day during which you can either attend classes or study on your own. Make a schedule, and clearly label these blocks of time Foreign Language Study. Post the schedule where you can see it every day.

Motivate Yourself

Since you're doing this for pleasure this should be fairly easy, right? Learning a foreign language is work, and that means that sometimes you are going to tempted to goof off. Make a list of the reasons that you are studying a foreign language and keep this near your schedule. If you are having problems sticking to your schedule, look at your list of reasons and remind yourself why you are putting in all of this work.

Pass Out Rewards

Treat your self to a favorite dessert or buy your self a present when you do well on your studies. This is a little easier to do if you are following a program of instruction, but if you are studying on your own, you can set your own goals.

Many of the things you want to find when you are learning a foreign language for business reasons will apply if you are learning for pleasure. However, since you are doing this strictly for your own reasons, you can explore a few other options.

Informal Lessons

Learning a foreign language for pleasure doesn't have to be done in a classroom. If you can find a tutor who is willing to meet with you over coffee for an hour a day, you can develop a decent amount of skill with a foreign language over time.

Educational Trips

What could be better real world practice than a trip to Tokyo to polish off your understanding of Japanese? When you learn a foreign language for pleasure you can top off your studies with a much needed vacation.