Polyglots etc...

My question is, how do you keep focused on a language that you don't NEED and might never even use? As an American, the only foriegn language I'm exposed to is Spanish, and even that is just something I overhear on the street, not something I'm likely to use regularly.

Easterner,

Thanks for your long and thoughtful reply--yes, it's been helpful.

You mentioned a few languages that you've studied. If you don't mind, I'd be curious to know what your native language is, and your language-learning experience over the years.

Mitch,

Thanks, I've been glad to be of use. :)

To reply to your question, my native language is Hungarian, but I grew up speaking Serbian as a second language, having grown up in the bilingual city of Subotica, in Northern Serbia (Vojvodina province), where there is a Hungarian ethnic minority. From other languages, I'm most fluent in English, having started to learn it at eight. I learnt German on my own from the age of thirteen, and French from the first year of high school. I also learnt Italian and Russian on my own, but I have just a basic fluency in both which I would like to develop. Now I'm trying to learn Mandarin, and may want to learn Spanish as well, which I understand quite well on a passive level even now. That will most probably satisfy my "language learning spree" for a time. :)

By the way, my basic aim is to learn most languages that I have described in the "International language" thread as "inter-regional", that is, which can serve as a means of communication between major world regions (Italian is the only exception, it seems - I have definitely learnt this for pleasure, but the "pleasure factor" has also been important with most other languages as well, except perhaps for German, which I mostly learnt out of necessity).

Speak English as mother tongue, learned German traveling & doing missionary work in Germany and Austria; have taught myself bits of various German dialects out of my own interest and curiosity. Learned passable conversational Spanish in Mexico during several short-term mission project building homes for the poor. Travels in Europe led to learning a bit of Dutch and the Scandinavian languages and a few (very few) phrases in Finnish and Russian. Italian came partly through music classes in college, partly through love of cooking, and partly by travel in Italy one Summer. Small command of French learned out of necessity when traveling. Studied some Portuguese out of interest, but not very good with it--little opportunity to practice.

In my opinion, immersion (travel, preferably long-term to the 'source' country of the language) is the best bet for language learning. I've pretty much learned other languages as I learned English--by listening and observing. Helps if you just love language and expression and have a keen ear for subtle sound variations. When you're in Austria and you like to eat, it doesn't take long to learn how to ask for food!

Cro Magnon: >>My question is, how do you keep focused on a language that you don't NEED and might never even use? As an American, the only foriegn language I'm exposed to is Spanish, and even that is just something I overhear on the street, not something I'm likely to use regularly.<<

I would say, create a situation where you will need to use the language in question (if you enjoy learning and using it). For example, take a hobby or an engaging field of interest and read everything about that in the language you would like to focus on. Then look for ways to contact native speakers about it. This is just one way, of course...

Ruoda lingvistėniu žinklū (žėnklū, garsū, rašuomū simbuoliu) sistema, skėrta ožkuodoutė ė atkuodoutė infuormacėjė.

Žmuoniū kalbas. Ta tuokės kalbas, katruomis ruokoudamė vėinė kitīms nauduo žmuonės, pvz., žemaitiu, lietoviu, onglu, kenu kalbas. Tuos kalbas natūralės īr ė kūries ėlga čiesa. Žmuoniū kalbas kint ė nūdėinuo. Standartėnis žmuoniū kalbū sārašos pateikams kalbū klasėfėkatuoriuo.