Which Language Should You Learn?

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  • Опубліковано 31 тра 2024
  • 🔥 Learn languages like I do with LingQ: bit.ly/3osildR
    CC subtitles available in multiple languages.
    People often ask me which language they should learn and my answer is always the same: learn the language you are keenest to learn. Even if you learn for a few months then move on to another language, you don’t lose what you gained. Enjoy the language buffet!
    0:00 Sometimes we have no choice but to study a certain language.
    1:09 If you do have a choice, this is the most important thing to consider.
    2:33 Some things that can motivate you to learn a language.
    3:49 One time I got language learning motivation wrong.
    5:12 It's okay to spend a short amount of time with a language; you won't lose what you learn.
    7:47 "Language is the one thing worth knowing even poorly." - Lomb Kato
    ___
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    #languagelearning #languages #polyglot

КОМЕНТАРІ • 233

  • @Thelinguist
    @Thelinguist  Рік тому +24

    The app I use to learn languages -> bit.ly/3osildR
    My 10 FREE secrets to language learning -> www.thelinguist.com
    How did you decide on your current target language?

  • @FearlessRefactoring
    @FearlessRefactoring Рік тому +168

    i'm 16 months into learning German, my first motivated attempt at learning a second language. I haven't missed a day. I've taken your approach and to say it feels like magic is an understatement. It is fun everyday to learn and it doesn't feel at all like a grind or work. My language tutors are amazed at the progress I've made in such a short time. Thanks for everything Steve!

    • @ernstaugustvonsachsen6925
      @ernstaugustvonsachsen6925 Рік тому +1

      Hi :) Could you please elucidate me on what Mr. Kaufman's approach to language learning is based on?

    • @azariacba
      @azariacba Рік тому +1

      Ausgezeichnet. Vor zwölf Jahren hatte ich eine ähnliche Erfahrung gehabt. Deutsch macht viel Spaß.

    • @ralfj.1740
      @ralfj.1740 10 місяців тому +1

      Ausgezeichnet! Dran bleiben 👍

    • @T1Pack
      @T1Pack 6 місяців тому

      Ich könnte deutsch seitdem ich vier war dann Englisch mit 10

  • @ahmedfadhil9682
    @ahmedfadhil9682 9 місяців тому +80

    Language is the only thing worth knowing even poorly. This quote really motivated me.
    I am going for French and Arabic.

  • @LanguageSimp
    @LanguageSimp Рік тому +39

    Toki Pona! or Arabic

  • @annafrancesfoz
    @annafrancesfoz Рік тому +12

    I’m learning now Swedich. It sounds so beautifuly! And it’s pretty easy if you already know English

  • @zachscully
    @zachscully Рік тому +50

    I’m finding motivation sags after a while on the most different languages for me (Korean, Mandarin, Japanese), but when I take a break and return, not only do I find fresh motivation - I also find I improved my comprehension!

    • @mxd-1990asn
      @mxd-1990asn 10 місяців тому +2

      Like most ppl… nothing new that ppl (when it comes to east/southeast asia) seem to be mainly only interested in chinese, japanese or korean, instead of vietnamese or burmese for example. But its not surprising , as a lot of times anime and kpop make ppl want to learn especially korean and japanese.

    • @JJ-bk3qo
      @JJ-bk3qo 9 місяців тому +2

      That’s why it’s good to take breaks in between learning. Like every 2-3 days you take that one day off then get back to it. Give your brain a rest and digest what it has learned.

  • @zahrababygarl1568
    @zahrababygarl1568 3 місяці тому +5

    Thank you for mentioning Swahili I’m from Tanzania I’m happy to see my language going to the world God bless you Steve ❤

    • @Thelinguist
      @Thelinguist  3 місяці тому +1

      We have Swahili on LingQ. One day perhaps..

  • @Daniel-wi6sk
    @Daniel-wi6sk 6 місяців тому +18

    I’m surprised not to see literature as a strong motivator to learn a language. I can read books in 4 languages (including my own - French), but even for languages I know without being able to read directly in them, I always try to have the original text with me when I read the French translations. Especially for poetry of course : I cannot really understand entire poems in German or Russian, but I can feel, I can taste Hölderlin or Rilke in German, and I can cry with Akhmatova : перед этим горем гнутся горы… For me, that’s worth a lot !

    • @RogerRamos1993
      @RogerRamos1993 Місяць тому

      Yes, huge motivator. Alexandre Arguelles focuses more on that. Being able to communicate well in a few languages is enough to me. But I want to understand well at least 10 languages. The languages I know the best are Portuguese (native), English, French, Italian, and Spanish. I can read and understand but not speak Catalan. I know German at A1 level approximately. Currently, I've been studying Romanian with lots of imput and some grammar study. In three months, I went from understanding 10-20% of Romanian to understanding 50-80%. While, it would be very cool to speak Romanian fluently, that's not in my plans. Understanding is great. If someday I visit Romania, I'll talk to them in English, French, Italian or simplified Romanian if they don't know other languages. The same goes for Dutch, Norwegian and Polish. I want to understand but not necessarily speak those. Then, there are a few other languages, but as I age I am learning to keep a foot on the real world and stop doing grand plans. So, now it's Romanian and soon a continuation on German. After that, it's Dutch or Norwegian and Polish or Russian, and so on.

  • @PolyglotSecrets
    @PolyglotSecrets Рік тому +7

    As always, a great video, Steve! I relate so much to what you are saying. Perhaps the biggest reason I study several languages at once is to keep the interest and motivation going. It's more exciting that way.

  • @mtmtmtmt
    @mtmtmtmt Рік тому +9

    If you like songs, lyrics, you will study Portuguese with great pleasure. Brazilian popular music has Bossa Nova and many other quality genres.

  • @tedc9682
    @tedc9682 Рік тому +15

    Thanks. I couldn't decide, so I started the LingQ mini-stories, one per day, in several languages. It really helped. Some languages I rejected after just a few days, and some others after 20 days. I still have Turkish and Japanese. I might add Persian (not Arabic, not Korean). Thanks for the "you can always switch later" idea. It helps remove any "must decide now" pressure.

    • @Inadace
      @Inadace 3 місяці тому

      Cool method! 😀

  • @polylangh2635
    @polylangh2635 11 місяців тому +2

    Very helpful! Thank you so much for the video, Steve! It's just what I needed

  • @JM_12_
    @JM_12_ Рік тому +21

    Muchas gracias por el video. Aun no lo veo completo pero se que será de gran ayuda como siempre!!

  • @ernestorevollar3632
    @ernestorevollar3632 Рік тому +2

    Hi Steve, how are you? It's a pleasure being here on your channel as always. I've been interested in learning French because it's a beautiful language but I'm not learning it properly due to several setbacks I had recently. The same thing goes for Russian which is a lovely language as well. Italian is also one of my target languages but guess what? I have no enough time to do so. Learning German is one of my goals too but I don't know how and where to start studying it. And the list goes on lol. I think I have to be more organized and patient to get into the language learning field confidently because it's such a long-term commitment which I gotta work little by little without being stressed out. Learning any language from scratch requires a huge motivation, mindfulness, dedication, planning, practice and an endless interest.

  • @Liz9521.
    @Liz9521. Рік тому +2

    I like your videos Steve, thanks. I'm learning English yet and sometimes is hard for me understand to the peoples talking, but I'm studying every day, I'm trying and I hope to win this hard fight one day. I know that I can do it!

  • @robertoliveira3291
    @robertoliveira3291 Рік тому +4

    i'm learning english alone sence last year but some days i don't study,see you're videos make me more motivated to learn leanguages, thank you 👍

  • @anonymoustaiwan5632
    @anonymoustaiwan5632 Рік тому +20

    I majored in English at the only one college of languages in Taiwan 🇹🇼. Back then, the college forced us to learn the second foreign language, I chose Japanese as my second major simply because I was the Top 10 student who pass the exam of higher education system in the nation. Only the best ones had the privilege to choose Japanese. Japanese was hot here.🔥 Now, after twenty years, I have to say I was wrong. I shouldn't choose Japanese instead of Spanish.😭I was not even had resources from families to gain master degree over there or immigrate to Japan. Now I just realise how much I love Spanish songs and cultures. And speaking Spanish would be an advantage to relocate in Spain or Latin America for a middle age female. Now I am on my way of pursuing my dream for the rest of my life.✍️

    • @91010186
      @91010186 Рік тому

      拜託,現在學習會遲嗎? 如果真的是優質生, 不能在1-2年內掌握西班牙語嗎? 講啥洨。

    • @anonymoustaiwan5632
      @anonymoustaiwan5632 Рік тому +1

      @@91010186 Off course it is never too old to learn any foreign language to anybody. And I don't know why you are using Taiwanese rude words here. 💁🙄

    • @anonymoustaiwan5632
      @anonymoustaiwan5632 Рік тому +4

      @@91010186 And why did you mention about one to two years with no reason?! I never set the time limit to myself to learn Spanish fluently. Hoping I can communicate with locals of South America while traveling within one year, that's my current goal. And that's it.😌

    • @carlossolis9824
      @carlossolis9824 6 місяців тому

      Síguele adelante! As a native Spanish speaker I would say it’s a pretty rewarding language, calm and emotionally expressive.

  • @passionlangues
    @passionlangues Рік тому +7

    Belgian Dutch is a nice one

  • @leonardodasilveiradesouza7757
    @leonardodasilveiradesouza7757 7 місяців тому +13

    I know English, Spanish and Portuguese (native) and I want to learn a new language from zero as a hobby. I started learning French and the lack of congruence between spelling and pronunciation undermined my motivation. Now I know that my fourth language has to be a phonetic one (that is, each sound is represented by one letter and each letter represents only that one sound) because knowing how to read any word even if I have never seen it before is very pleasurable to me. I am saying this because sometimes certain aspects of the language can serve as motivation, as it is this phonetic aspect to me. Another great video, Steve!

    • @KamuchiiPoeta
      @KamuchiiPoeta 6 місяців тому +1

      Tenta Russo... Apenas precisas de aprender o alfabeto cirílico, pois a pronúncia russa é bem parecida com a Portuguesa Europeia

    • @guilhermewxs1840
      @guilhermewxs1840 5 місяців тому

      ​​@@KamuchiiPoeta I started learning Russian just bcz it sounds cool. Absolutely no regret

    • @ron5978
      @ron5978 4 місяці тому

      Hey can u give some examples of the kind of phonetic languages u are talking about??

    • @Daniel-wi6sk
      @Daniel-wi6sk 3 місяці тому

      @@KamuchiiPoeta Russian is tricky, because it may seem at first more straightforward that English or French for spelling/pronunciation adequacy. However, big caveat, pronunciation of a vast number of words depends in some measure on where the stress falls, as Russian is a heavily stressed language. But there is no way to know which syllable carries the stress, there is no rule for that, the only solution is to learn the stress, hence the pronunciation, with the word itself…

  • @Nehauon
    @Nehauon 6 місяців тому +3

    So far I’ve been learning Spanish for a year, and I am pretty confident in it, but not fluent, so I feel like it’s time to study a language alongside it

  • @seykai
    @seykai 6 місяців тому +7

    Steve! Your videos and your passion for learning languages is fantastic!! Thank you for sharing with the world your love for languages. I myself love to study languages and have been learning Japanese since I was twelve years old. Eleven years later and I am now fluent in the lanugage (still learning of course!) and now, I have been interested in learning Russian for the past couple of years. I feel like I am now at the beginning stages (in Russian) I used to be at back when I was learning Japanese when I was around 14/15. Really cool to see so many lovers of languages!
    Good luck everyone!!!

  • @honey3762
    @honey3762 Рік тому +6

    I hope to learn more of the Hawaiian language in the future, the main one I mean from what I know there are a few, I think we should preserve all the languages and document them so they are not forgotten.

  • @reasonablyserious
    @reasonablyserious Рік тому +1

    It's times like this that make me really grateful for the ability to adjust the speed of youtube videos

  • @phoenixknight8837
    @phoenixknight8837 Рік тому +1

    Thank you for the advice.

  • @SassyStudies
    @SassyStudies Рік тому +1

    Great video - especially your point about just doing what motivates you at the moment, especially since it helps fight decision paralysis, but I disagree you can necessarily learn a language faster if you only study one. I can study 4-6 hours a day if I study multiple languages but there is no way with my ADHD that I could spend that much time with one without getting bored and quitting. So I study up to what I know my tolerance level for time daily is with each, filling the time I have in my day with the languages I most want to learn.

  • @AlexCod-po3yf
    @AlexCod-po3yf 10 місяців тому +1

    Very informative and helpful tips. Thanks so much sir.

  • @LanguageswithErman
    @LanguageswithErman Рік тому +57

    English and Spanish...

  • @SirJack-lr3vm
    @SirJack-lr3vm Рік тому +3

    I think that adding galician to lingq might be a good idea. You should try it someday it is like portuguese and spanish at the same time. I say this because i just met a spanish guy from Galicia he explained me about his language and i picked up most of what he was talking about, so i got interested on it.

  • @budekins542
    @budekins542 Рік тому +9

    I unashamedly confess I am learning South American Spanish in order to understand the Mexican UA-cam "ovni" channels(!)

    • @ADHDlanguages
      @ADHDlanguages Рік тому

      What is an ovni channel?

    • @budekins542
      @budekins542 Рік тому +1

      @@ADHDlanguages South American for Unidentified Flying Object. It has to be said that I don't believe we are being visited by extra-terrestrials from outer space. However, I do believe that real UFOs are of non-human origin - interdimensional rather than from outer space. Astronomer J Allen Hynek - who is considered the 'father' of ufology - abandoned the extra-terrestrial hypothesis and towards the end of his life he said "The answer lies closer to home".

    • @belstar1128
      @belstar1128 Рік тому

      In some language youtube is similar to how it was 10+ years ago if you know what i mean. less rules the people working for google don't know what they are saying .they think they can use google translate but that wont work.

    • @gringoenespanol
      @gringoenespanol Рік тому +6

      Mexico is in North America.

  • @michakoodziej5741
    @michakoodziej5741 Місяць тому

    Thank you ❤

  • @ayanokoji._.i
    @ayanokoji._.i 9 місяців тому +2

    i know arabic,,,korean,,,, English,,,urdu,,,,punjabi,,,,a little bit of chinese and japenese (hiragana,katakana)

  • @NaturalLanguageLearning
    @NaturalLanguageLearning Рік тому +5

    The ones you're interested in

  • @bga_29
    @bga_29 Рік тому +15

    I started learning Portuguese last November. I took private lessons 1-4 times a week on Italki or preply and I’ve used lingq, duolingo, babbel, and anki . I’m now at a C1 level for reading and listening comprehension but B2 for speaking (I’m a C1 level in Spanish so that helped). I have taken two breaks during this time studying Portuguese just to recharge my batteries and rest. And after those breaks I felt really motivated in interested in resuming my studies. I’ve been dabbling in Italian and I think that will be my next language. After Italian I hope to learn French. Thanks Steve for the advice

    • @TheSkum
      @TheSkum Рік тому +1

      Learn Arabic these languages are too easy

    • @olafharoldsonnii4713
      @olafharoldsonnii4713 Рік тому +2

      What was your best strategy for learning a language? I’m using duolingo, pimsleur, and Netflix (target language) and I am currently A2 level in a month 1/2.
      My speaking is A1 but my listening and reading is approaching B1

    • @qvp987
      @qvp987 8 місяців тому

      Fala lá português aqui!!

  • @user-go6il2tm4b
    @user-go6il2tm4b День тому

    I am studying listening skill with your videos~ this video is super easy. But many of your videos are still difficult for me. I will keep studying

  • @counterfeit1148
    @counterfeit1148 Рік тому +7

    I've put a bit of effort into learning Swedish and have a native speaker to practice with, but sometimes I kind of want to switch to Danish because my father learned it and my favourite film series is originally from Denmark, or I want to go with Norwegian because apparently they understand the other two the best. But I'm not sure if those reasons are going to motivate me enough or be worth it considering what I've spent on Swedish already.

    • @thea9153
      @thea9153 10 місяців тому +2

      Danish is the most difficult in terms of speaking, so if you were to learn danish you might not understand norwegian and Swedish as much.
      Norwegian and danish has the most similar vocabulary.
      But Swedish and norwegian are closer in terms of pronounciation. As a native norwegian speaker I understand Swedish the most (around 80% of what theyre saying)

    • @RogerRamos1993
      @RogerRamos1993 Місяць тому

      Go and learn some Danish. Do it for 3 months, 1 or 2 hours a day, if you have that time. And, the worst can happen it that you will have learned basic Danish and doesn't want to learn more. After this time, your Swedish will still be there waiting for you to continue your journey. Actually, in this case, as the languages are very similar, you will probably lose nothing of your Swedish. At worst, you mix a bit of Danish a few times in your Swedish.

  • @mxd-1990asn
    @mxd-1990asn 10 місяців тому +2

    Speaking of Asia (im asian myself, from a ethnic thai/chinese mixed family in thailand) , most ppl just want to learn japanese especially (bcs of kpop music ,korean) at least if we speak of the younger ppl between 15-30 y/o.
    In THAT case id find it nice if ppl wouldnt be only interested in east asias languages, like vietnamese or burmese (southeast asian) or even farsi (spoken in iran ,which is in west asia) or even mongolian , kazakh etc.
    Personally i wanted to learn masri years ago (the egyptian arabic language) or vietnamese, but never took the time to start really. I speak at least 4 languages since i was born bcs of my parents (which are zhuang, a south chinese dialect very different from mandarin chinese, then Lao, Thai and english). My husband is South Asian (from india) who speaks hindi, punjabi (north indian dialect) and english ,and since we live mainly in india i just try to learn hindi for now, as i live here… other than that i would only start with vietnamese (and able to speak at least on a basic level) the interested was mainly bcs most of my friends were vietnamese (and noticed some similarities between lao thai and viet language throughout the years.)
    There was also a time where i wanted to learn japanese, as i am a huge anime fan, but decided not to JUST bcs of some series that i like, as i otherwise dont have mich interests for japan or anything related to the country except anime.

  • @riccardoatwork5291
    @riccardoatwork5291 8 місяців тому +3

    The answer to "which language should I learn" is NONE.
    If you don' t already have a compelling reason to learn a language (be it practical like you need it for your job or cultural like you are curious and fascinated by that language/culture/nation or you are travelling there..) then you don' t have the motivation to go through with such a challenge.
    Re-think it... and find out if you have a true passion or that was just a whim.

  • @StillAliveAndKicking_
    @StillAliveAndKicking_ Рік тому +3

    One year ago I decide to move my French from B2 to C1 with daily listening and work. I started German five months ago, only 30 minutes a day. I wanted to try a second language, but French would be my main focus. I hope to get the basics of German, and build up a framework. In a year or two I hope to take it more seriously and get to a good B2 level. It’s fun, but one needs a lot of time devoted to language learning if one wants to progress. I can see why children succeed whereas most adults either fail, or develop poor pronunciation and grammar.

    • @peter9162
      @peter9162 4 місяці тому

      How is learning German going? Do you recommend any resources or channels for beginners? I need to start learning German for future work opportunities, but I don't want to give up on Korean so I'm thinking about learning German 30 minutes a day

    • @StillAliveAndKicking_
      @StillAliveAndKicking_ 4 місяці тому

      @@peter9162 I recommend LingQ, although I don’t know if it is ideal for absolute beginners. It is rough at the edges, but I’ve not found better. I also use Anki, but only for words with well defined meanings, and for phrases which teach how to use a noun or a verb. I’ve found Anki very good for learning the case system. Just put simple phrases in such as “Ich habe ein grünes Auto” and “Ich fahre mit dem grünen Auto in die Stadt”.

  • @channeloffline3151
    @channeloffline3151 7 місяців тому +1

    What is the difference between the LingQ 42 Basic app and the language-specific versions?? In other words, should I choose the English version if I only want to learn English? If yes, why?

  • @patrickmcevoy3257
    @patrickmcevoy3257 Рік тому +2

    Hay Steve just saw ur channel on witch language should I learn to be honest i like Japanese I hope sometime to visit Japan in the near future like learning from manga I try and study when I have time injoy ur language learning also Domo arigato

  • @patchy642
    @patchy642 Рік тому +1

    I've pretty much just decided to go ahead and learn West Frisian.
    'Any advice on resources or strategies?

  • @sophiaentzminger5011
    @sophiaentzminger5011 Рік тому +1

    "Tasting different languages......" Great analogy :)

  • @user-wd8wx5md5z
    @user-wd8wx5md5z Рік тому +6

    Imagine if every canadian were forced to learn a native language like Inuktituk. As a canadian, I would love to watch it.🍿 Perhaps it could provide a motivation for native people to learn their own languages

  • @wasd_m-play5965
    @wasd_m-play5965 Рік тому +3

    I’m learning Arabic and english

  • @sharifkhan7976
    @sharifkhan7976 8 місяців тому +2

    Now I am learning three languages -german, french and Italian -- at the same time! All going ok so far now!

    • @natallyVB
      @natallyVB 7 місяців тому

      Beautiful languages

  • @lottoman1
    @lottoman1 10 місяців тому +1

    That's right Sir. I'm fluently able to speak French but I would like to have a better English. The reason why my English is weak, it's because I was forced to learn French, and the system in Quebec province didn't let me learn English at a young age. :/

  • @undeadblizzard
    @undeadblizzard Рік тому +30

    The answer is Latin, Greek, Arabic(Egyptian), Czech.

    • @Louisianish
      @Louisianish Рік тому +6

      Regardless of the situation, these are always the answers.

    • @omartharwat1864
      @omartharwat1864 Рік тому +1

      If you want help with arabic I am a native Egyptian maybe we can do a language exchange

    • @omartharwat1864
      @omartharwat1864 Рік тому

      @@undeadblizzard what languages do you speak? And what languages you're working on right now?

    • @undeadblizzard
      @undeadblizzard Рік тому

      @@omartharwat1864 American(English) Canadian(French) Spicy Spanish or Portuguese and survival German. Je parle tres bom.

    • @twopoles11
      @twopoles11 Рік тому

      Salve and salaam, fellow Latin and Arabic learner!

  • @honney_b
    @honney_b Місяць тому

    Thank you, mister Kauffman!

  • @phucnguyen6483
    @phucnguyen6483 10 місяців тому +1

    thank you

  • @luna00278
    @luna00278 Рік тому +4

    Right now i am learning Spanish. After it, i will learn French. I think learning Spanish would help to go with French later. What you think of friends?

  • @Free_Palestine323
    @Free_Palestine323 Рік тому +1

    Indeed, motivation is very important
    But sometimes you are forced to learn a language
    As is the cas the world with the English language
    I have to learn it even though it's boring

  • @1massboy
    @1massboy Рік тому +2

    Whatever you are interested in.

  • @natallyVB
    @natallyVB 7 місяців тому +2

    I learned english, so I speak spanish and english now.
    Trying to choose and add a third one, and is obvious which language it is gonna be: French.
    But for some reason german has always been so easy for me, and attractive the pronunciation, im so upset.
    And french pronunciation has always been difficult for me.
    But french is the one that has more points in which languages I should learn because of entertainment traveling, work, population, etc.
    Im sad to not learn german which seems to stick better with me in pronunciation, but it does not bring me as many things as french.
    Okay, i sounded so decisive, but it is because I really wanna get commited to learning one language like I did with english, and not jump from one language to another. I want to commit to only one

    • @leonardodasilveiradesouza7757
      @leonardodasilveiradesouza7757 7 місяців тому +1

      you should learn German because of your motivation. of course things can change, but it appears that studying French will not make you feel motivated in the long run

  • @deutschmitpurple2918
    @deutschmitpurple2918 Рік тому +2

    You are my idol, Steve 🤩🤩🤩

    • @Anubis-EN
      @Anubis-EN Рік тому +1

      I see You EveryWhere About Languages How many language you know?

  • @ariohandoyo5973
    @ariohandoyo5973 Рік тому +1

    Someone here who love japan as me also love japanese culture i guess, he/she learning English as me. However, i should focus on my English learning because English is the most used, that's why, i know japanese a little bit too, i'm learning English not because of a force, i'm motivated to learning English.😊

  • @Pappy_1775
    @Pappy_1775 Рік тому +4

    I am studying German now for one of the weirdest reasons you may have ever heard of. It is because I feel like I understand it? I have tried to learn many languages (and I mean, "many"). I have tried, over the years, to learn Japanese, Indonesian, Tagalog, Russian, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Welsh, Hebrew, Spanish, and even Jamaican. All with varying degrees of excitement and motivation, some with formal classes, some on my own. But I have failed in all of them for one reason or another. With German it feels different. I have no German ancestry to speak of (actually a very tiny little bit that I only discovered recently through DNA). I was not raised around anyone German, Yet I remember from childhood that German was the first foreign language I could count in. When I hear it spoken I can pick out words here and there that I know. One of my favorite movies is "The Longest Day", I'd say almost a quarter of the movie is in German, yet when I watch it I seem to understand every German word. Now, I don't believe in past lives or anything like that but it is really strange to me that of all the languages I have tried to learn, German seems to come easily and quickly to me. I am a religious man so the only thing I can think of is G-d wants me to learn it. Hehe, how's that for a reason?

    • @olafharoldsonnii4713
      @olafharoldsonnii4713 Рік тому +1

      It’s the same with me. I was never good with Spanish but German I became A2 in a month. Spanish took me six months to reach A2
      Reincarnation definitely exists. You probably lived in Germany before.

    • @killexpert5095
      @killexpert5095 Рік тому

      Prolly because you were exposed to it in your childhood?

    • @ralfj.1740
      @ralfj.1740 9 місяців тому

      Woher kommen Sie denn? Waren Sie schon in Deutschland oder Österreich?

  • @peterwosny1104
    @peterwosny1104 Рік тому +2

    I think you‘ re absolutly right with the time in another language to recharge motivation for your first. I‘ m somewhere in the long B in Spanish and lost my motivation to go on (approx 44.000 word in LingQ), so I switched to French (my 2nd school language) and neglected Spanish. I did about 18.000 words in French with LingQ, did the general Babbel Course and tried Assimil (quot disappointing). And now, I‘ m newly motivated to plunch in Spanish again and let French sleep again. 😊

  • @petercareer439
    @petercareer439 Рік тому +2

    I had to go to Iceland to learn my fathers, mother tongue. I returned to Canada some years ago and don’t know anyone else who speaks it here so it fades quickly. It comes back when I visit there fortunately

    • @michaelrespicio5683
      @michaelrespicio5683 Рік тому +3

      So you're half-Icelandic, I take it? In that case, sæll! Yeah, I'm learning it too here in Canada, although sadly I do so on and off because of time. Apparently, Manitoba has the largest Icelander community outside Iceland

    • @petercareer439
      @petercareer439 Рік тому

      @@michaelrespicio5683 Yes, I am. Tough language to learn alone but lots of audio material online

    • @user-mrfrog
      @user-mrfrog Рік тому

      ​@@petercareer439 Gott kvöld! Ég er að læra íslensku líka. Mér finnst þetta tungumál frábært! Gangi þér vel og bless bless!

  • @Languagebeta
    @Languagebeta 5 місяців тому +1

    Listening to music motivated me to learn Mandarin, and learning Mandarin motivated me to want to go to Taiwan

  • @itzjek7842
    @itzjek7842 8 місяців тому +2

    THANK YOU. The canadian foreign language curriculum SUCKS. I have learned the same thing in french for the past 8 years. I barely know how to introduce myself in french. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CHOOSE. I am from Manitoba

  • @MrHispanicpride
    @MrHispanicpride Рік тому +1

    Pues soy de Londres y por lo tanto hablo Ingles perfectamente, asi que he eligido aprender Italiano. Digas lo que digas, lo escribo muy bien.

  • @NoRygBu
    @NoRygBu 4 місяці тому +1

    Just learn everything.
    Every language. Simple. 😇 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

  • @Demonicbuilds8
    @Demonicbuilds8 4 місяці тому +1

    Keen about japanese
    Usefull is french and German
    Improving English is also an option

  • @assumptacs197
    @assumptacs197 Рік тому +2

    Catalan, please! Although.... it would be a challenge, because there are many spaniards who have lived in Catalonia for 50 years and there is no way for them to learn it. 😢

  • @minnorsk790
    @minnorsk790 Рік тому +3

    شكرا على الفيديو

  • @cozybozyzone
    @cozybozyzone 10 місяців тому

    7:38 it made me clearly to do decisions

  • @viewercjg
    @viewercjg Рік тому +3

    Thank you ... I learn languages for enjoyment, however I live in a city with a large Spanish speaking population and am often asked "si hablo espanol" for information or assistance. I majored in Spanish in high school and can get the drift of what I'm hearing, but have difficulty coming up with an adequate answer quickly. I WANT to connect with them and feel MOTIVATED to focus on Spanish now. (I grew up in a bilingual home and not buy into the notion of forcing "Official English" on newcomers to the US.

  • @xiaohuli27
    @xiaohuli27 Рік тому +2

    I find myself highly motivated to learn Uyghur, but unfortunately there are very little resources to learn it.

  • @Had_a_Bipolar_gf
    @Had_a_Bipolar_gf Рік тому +1

    Hi Steve, it’s my dream to travel around Russian and South America. Should I learn Russian and Spanish at the same time, or I should focus on one first. My native language is Chinese and I can also speak English.

    • @Thelinguist
      @Thelinguist  Рік тому +2

      Just follow your interests, your passion of the moment.

  • @eddiesantos4978
    @eddiesantos4978 Рік тому +5

    As I learned to read in English first, there are a lot of words I know the meaning, but I don't know the pronunciation when I need to talk. Not to sure about how can I fix it.

    • @tomasmills8258
      @tomasmills8258 Рік тому +5

      Read and listen at the same time, e.g watch English shows with subtitles or read a book with the audiobook at the same time

    • @petercareer439
      @petercareer439 Рік тому

      I have helped people before but pronouncing words for them and sending them the audio message.

    • @juand.sanz.
      @juand.sanz. Рік тому

      Elsa speak

    • @juand.sanz.
      @juand.sanz. Рік тому

      Elsa speak

  • @belmont6086
    @belmont6086 Рік тому +7

    Thanks for this great video, Steve Kaufmann. I am learning English, I don't like that language, but I love Japanese alot, and I know a little japanese, but I spend more time learning English than learning Japanese, only because English is universal and more used to make make money. But after see your video, I believe that I must focus much more in Japanese bc that is the language I love the most.

    • @culturalist
      @culturalist 8 місяців тому

      日本語を話す者として、i don't think that's worth it. japanese is INFINITELY harder than english, especially since you clearly have great english fundamentals, and will be much more useful in your real life. your future self will thank you.

    • @oliveoil5864
      @oliveoil5864 8 місяців тому

      ​​@@culturalist英語ネイティブじゃないとして、English has some wacky grammer to like "I say to them", "I teach them", why does one need "to" and the other not, Japanese particles are more consistent, it doesn't matter anyways you'll learn it anyways with more emmersion

    • @cheerful_crop_circle
      @cheerful_crop_circle 6 місяців тому

      The Japanese syntax is bad. The verb is always at the end of a sentence and on top of that it uses agglutinative conjugation

  • @TheFlyingMonkey200
    @TheFlyingMonkey200 Рік тому +1

    Sei tornato a Vancouver... benissimo! scambio linguistico per la comunità qui?

  • @J.S.3259
    @J.S.3259 Рік тому +2

    If you’re a native English speaker, for fuck’s sake, learn Dutch. It’s incredibly rewarding and not very difficult IMO. Go to Suriname!

  • @alanjyu
    @alanjyu 10 місяців тому +1

    I had lived in Singapore where there are four official languages. they have an interesting mother tongue policy. You're supposed to learn English plus the language of your racial group. Chinese are supposed to learn mandarin. Indians are supposed to learn Tamil. Malays learn Malay. There are non Tamil Indians that want to learn Chinese instead of Tamil. Mandarin is really a step mother tongue for Chinese that speak different dialects. One person I know was not allowed to study Japanese because she didn't know her mother tongue. It's hard to get around all of the social engineering whether it's the government making English speakers learn French or speak English plus their racial group language.

  • @sapaia007
    @sapaia007 День тому

    와 선생님 여러개의 언어를 하시니 대단하세요 and you're smart.
    私は日本語を勉強して現在N4자격증 취득했고 türkçe öğreniyorm. Şimdi A2-B1 kitaplarıyla çalışıyorum.
    일본과 터키여행 가기위해 퇴근후 태권도 ve 헬쓰운동과 함께 일본어 そして 터키어를 열심히 공부합니다.

  • @dworuch1
    @dworuch1 Рік тому +1

    Cześć Steve! Gdzie będziesz w Polsce? Można będzie Cię gdzieś zobaczyć? Pozdrawiam z Polski

  • @mired7602
    @mired7602 Рік тому +3

    the choice is simple, Japanese, people who can speak Japanese generally has the longest life span on the earth.

  • @MrBulatovich
    @MrBulatovich Рік тому +5

    Russian of course

    • @jamjunctionfm
      @jamjunctionfm Рік тому

      💯💥

    • @ADHDlanguages
      @ADHDlanguages Рік тому

      Sadly if things keep up the way they are, Russians and other Russian speakers being displaced to western countries in large numbers is likely. Not a bad move to start learning now.

    • @chikincinema2243
      @chikincinema2243 Рік тому

      Я согласую

  • @user-yn2nn1sw9b
    @user-yn2nn1sw9b Рік тому +1

    I learn English and Spanish simultaneously

  • @shqip_sumejja
    @shqip_sumejja 5 місяців тому +1

    I've been learning English and Russian

  • @ZensanFGC
    @ZensanFGC Рік тому +1

    As a hobbyist I view language learning like layering a cake.

  • @dancastro78
    @dancastro78 Рік тому +3

    I'm learning English Espanol, french, Italian.then I want to learn Korean, Japanese, Chinese, German, Cantonese and little Hebrew

    • @hunji._
      @hunji._ Рік тому

      That’s awesome. How do you handle learning all these languages at the same time?

    • @user-kx6rp4nm2n
      @user-kx6rp4nm2n Рік тому

      I wish you the best of luck🙏 Currently I’m only learning Japanese atm and it’s already quite the challenge

  • @megadeath666666
    @megadeath666666 Рік тому

    Czy to jest podprogowa sugestia, że należy uczyć się duńskiego i polskiego ? 🤔😁

  • @thiagoxaviersoutricolor8260

    Hello stive good evening I want learn french and Italian it's very good, see you next.

  • @rafaelarrieche
    @rafaelarrieche Рік тому +1

    En mi opinión el idioma seleccionado puede ser por iniciativa propia, por deseo de evolucionar, por trabajo . Pero en todo caso, es imprescindible hacerlo con dedicación y cariño. Para que sea aún más provechoso 😊

  • @yuritarelko9916
    @yuritarelko9916 Рік тому

    The problem is - i would love to explore many languages at same time. Not to focus on one, then another one.

  • @californiaxfresh
    @californiaxfresh Рік тому

    Are Steve Kaufmann videos self-translated into several languages? lol would be the ultimate flex

  • @marcuscortes5754
    @marcuscortes5754 Рік тому +1

    Portuguese !

  • @vidar3241
    @vidar3241 Рік тому

    If you need any help with Polish let me know :)

  • @vikt28animallover
    @vikt28animallover Місяць тому

    My suggestion never say a language is easy before you know it from within learn a language with ease calmness act cool in tougher situations and circumstances be positive don’t watch things based on negative intentions do good karma when a person learns a language he does for the purpose of survival or for the purpose of helping someone. Take a bath shave clean your house listen to positive frequencies that prevent negative energies clean your house and everything will be fine I would just say be clean like the japanese.

  • @jacintatate
    @jacintatate Рік тому +1

    I really want to learn Latin, but no-one speaks it...

  • @jonasebuela8975
    @jonasebuela8975 6 місяців тому

    Kibembe,Swahili,French,English.

  • @squaretriangle9208
    @squaretriangle9208 Місяць тому

    I'm not with you on the Canadian example: if you are proud of being Canadian, learning French should be a strong motivation

  • @easyfundbles2608
    @easyfundbles2608 Рік тому +1

    Since i was an adolescent i have been learned the arabic either Moroccan or Egyptian dialects . And also now i try to learn the original of arabic .
    Now I have not the ability or the luxury for learn either spanish or Dutch we cant learn in our country. We are already so far from going to their countries and their culture so it's hard and more challenging for me . But i promise my self that i will use atomic habits rules to learn ones of the languages that i mentioned before ❤❤❤❤

  • @jd892
    @jd892 Рік тому +2

    Excuse me, but i have to sincerely disagree, i was FORCED to learn english from 4th Grade to Grade 11th and today i am grateful as i am fluent. The french language is a fundamental part of canadian culture just as english. I feel like french should remain mandated. A more billingual canada will help mix the two cultures. I think we should force to learn a third language and let them choose the third one. Nothing is better than being allophone canadian being able to experience the full spectrum of what it is to be canadian forced not.
    Bad example.

  • @ztchrist7276
    @ztchrist7276 3 місяці тому

    English is first ❤

  • @greil9945
    @greil9945 Рік тому +1

    I would like to learn Japanese but i'm not motivated at all😢

  • @matthieujoly
    @matthieujoly Рік тому +1

    What is taught in school is "mandatory", in france we're supposed to first learn... english.? And this is NOT at all the "second official language" here.
    This gives the exact same result as when you push someone to learn french in canada, at least in canada, there is quebec, and this is "a reason" that you have to learn to speak french. At school.
    In france ?? there is no peculiar reason to learn english (at school), more now than ever, as even the great britain as now left the european union.
    So.. yes, i do think people should be free to choose, and yes, even if my kids were "forced" to learn english, not per personal "love" of the language, they've also learn italian and spanish.
    Still, they don't really choose (there is 4/5 languages available in class), because when you're young and at school theses are not exactly the same reasons that are "pushed" to choose english first and.. some other languages from the european union.
    I've firstly choosed to learn german because i really do enjoy music/musician from germany since the seventies. You can find whatever is a good reason to you.. and practice, a bit, every day or more if you have more time, your way is what suits to you.
    Also, to use enlighten advises from M. Kaufmann too !

  • @francescadp
    @francescadp 10 місяців тому

    At school I had French as the mandatory second foreign language and I didn't like it at all. Obviously English should be mandatory for everyone, but the second foreign language should be one of choice. I studied Russian, German and Italian on my own and had a better time than with French at school.

  • @gogomaximoff4554
    @gogomaximoff4554 Рік тому +1

    About Canada statement, with all due respect, I disagree. What they should do, they should have two foreign languages. One that is French (for English natives) or English (for French natives) and one language of choice. Because it’s only fair. If we say the same statement for French natives, that they shouldn’t learn English, then most of the people would claim how they are ignorant for not wanting to learn English.