Who learns modern languages? And what is their motivation? There are a variety of people who go down the route of learning another language, and a variety of reasons as well.
Children in non-English speaking counties generally want to learn English because they need too so in order to pass their exams, as well as it being the cool language of Hollywood and pop songs. They have it drilled in them from an early age that they must learn English in order to get by in the world. There are other big world languages like Spanish and Mandarin, which may or may have this emphasis as well.
Then there are those who seek to learn a modern language purely for money! As in, they recognize the value of having a second language in the world of international business, so they pad out their business skills with a popular modern language of a fast growing economy. This looks great on their CV, even if they don't speak it fluently, but have studied it enough to get by and show cultural sensitivity.
Of course there will always be people who simply love languages. They may not have even had a chance to learn them when they were younger, but nevertheless, they grow up passionate about a certain culture or language and put a lot of time and energy into learning it for their own enjoyment. This applies to people who learn Irish Gaelic, or learn French just so they can go to Paris and experience it to the full.
Then there is the group of people who have to learn for practical reasons. Perhaps they have several new employees who are native Polish speakers, and it makes sense to learn the language to be able to understand them and communicate more effectively. Or they find themselves living in a neighbourhood with more and more foreigners and it makes sense to be able to chat to the neighbours.
Children in non-English speaking counties generally want to learn English because they need too so in order to pass their exams, as well as it being the cool language of Hollywood and pop songs. They have it drilled in them from an early age that they must learn English in order to get by in the world. There are other big world languages like Spanish and Mandarin, which may or may have this emphasis as well.
Then there are those who seek to learn a modern language purely for money! As in, they recognize the value of having a second language in the world of international business, so they pad out their business skills with a popular modern language of a fast growing economy. This looks great on their CV, even if they don't speak it fluently, but have studied it enough to get by and show cultural sensitivity.
Of course there will always be people who simply love languages. They may not have even had a chance to learn them when they were younger, but nevertheless, they grow up passionate about a certain culture or language and put a lot of time and energy into learning it for their own enjoyment. This applies to people who learn Irish Gaelic, or learn French just so they can go to Paris and experience it to the full.
Then there is the group of people who have to learn for practical reasons. Perhaps they have several new employees who are native Polish speakers, and it makes sense to learn the language to be able to understand them and communicate more effectively. Or they find themselves living in a neighbourhood with more and more foreigners and it makes sense to be able to chat to the neighbours.
About the Author:
Amy Jones is a widley respected writer who has been writing for 5 over years often writes on Translation Services UK and a wide range of other subjects.
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