# How can I make language-learning more fun?



## Scrooge

The complicated grammar rules, confusing exceptions to rules, and long lists of words to memorize start to ruin my fun. What can I do to make language learning more fun? (Note: Traveling overseas and importing any foreign movies/books/etc. are not options.)

Also, what languages are just plain fun to learn? (To me French is painful to learn...)


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## Outsider

Scrooge said:


> The complicated grammar rules, confusing exceptions to rules, and long lists of words to memorize start to ruin my fun. What can I do to make language learning more fun? (Note: Traveling overseas and importing any foreign movies/books/etc. are not options.)


If you do not practice, then a foreign language does degenerate into a stream of sterile rules and exceptions. I can think of three main ways for you to practice:

- Talk to native speakers. I know that traveling is not an option for you, but nowadays you can find pen pals and talk to them on the Internet.
- Listen to the language: watch foreign films, or listen to foreign radio stations, or buy foreign music.
- Read stuff in the language you're learning: newspapers, novels, magazines, comic books, whatever.



Scrooge said:


> Also, what languages are just plain fun to learn? (To me French is painful to learn...)


_Just_ plain fun? I'm not sure you will find one, though learning a language that interests you is generally quite fun.


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## Cracker Jack

Scrooge said:


> The complicated grammar rules, confusing exceptions to rules, and long lists of words to memorize start to ruin my fun. What can I do to make language learning more fun? (Note: Traveling overseas and importing any foreign movies/books/etc. are not options.)
> 
> Also, what languages are just plain fun to learn? (To me French is painful to learn...)


 
You must remember that learning a language is not achieved overnight.  It has something to do a lot with your attitude.  The way you put your statement, I can say that either you have not put your heart into it, or that you may have had an unpleasant experience after gaining momentum.  Just like a career, one acquires new things in language learning.  

If you are pressuring yourself too much, chances are you easily get frustrated.  Just like in any undertaking, if you easily give up, you easily lose.  The fact that it bores you, could be taken as a challenge, if you are a challenge taker.  Just familiarize yourself with all the rules and its exceptions and learn them by heart.

The fun part is not found in language.  It is inherent in you.  You take pleasure in learning new things.  It's like saying ''Lo and behold, is that what it means?  I never knew it before.''  Or upon learning how something is expressed in the language learned, you say ''I like this word.'' And then you keep on using and using it, to the point of ''abusing'' it.  But you get the full potential. No matter how difficult it may seem, if you are truly interested, you will find it fun.

As you go higher, you will realize that the difficulties that you had before were really not that difficult at all. Regarding travel and buying imported materials, it may not be an option right now.  But I tell you solemnly, it is worth it, especially travel and stay abroad where the language is spoken.  It really pays with patience and determination.

I agree with you, French is mighty painful to learn.  I started studying it summer last year.  How I struggled with the pronunciation, phonetics, orthography and grammar. I really had a hard time understanding dialogues.  Until now I do.  However, now, to me they make some sense to me, unlike before, I was almost groping.  But since I was interested in learning it, I can lay claim to the fact that I have made progress. 

I wish you all the luck.  And please be more tolerant.  It helps and it is rewarding.


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## Cracker Jack

One thing more that I would like to add.  The title of your thread has much to tell about your attitude.  You have a volatile attitude towards language learning.  If you maintain this, you may never be effective.  Be constant in your purpose.  Again good luck.

Moderator Note:  I changed the title of this thread before I got as far as this very acute observation.


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## Layzie

Haha, you sound like me a year ago. Very enthusiastic and drawn to the appeal and novelty about learning a new language, then after learning some generic phrases and wanting to understand more realizing the insane amount of work and dedication that it takes. This is the point where most people lose interest and/or altogether quit. Luckily I got over that. *Lazy people will never learn a language if they stay lazy*. As a lazy person, I think one of the most important things I got from learning French was learning how to put effort into and sticking to things. This leaked into other aspects of my life(schoolwork, working out, etc.) Language learning is a *discipline**, *the payoff is excellent though.


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## maxiogee

Scrooge said:


> Also, what languages are just plain fun to learn? (To me French is painful to learn...)



Isn't fun subjective? One person's idea of _fun_ is another person's "watching paint dry". There were guys I was in school with and, although I haven't seen them in over thirty years, I imagine I would still cringe were I to hear one of them say "Oh come on, it'll be fun!" - it never was.


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## macta123

Perhaps take away all the illogical aspects (if any) in the language!


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## pedro0001

Layzie said:


> H *Lazy people will never learn a language if they stay lazy*.... Language learning is a *discipline**, *the payoff is excellent though.



I totally agree with this. Learning a language is not about having fun. You can, thought, have fun sometimes. But shouldn't be a motivation per se since it can not last too much.


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## Frank06

Hi,


Scrooge said:


> The complicated grammar rules, confusing exceptions to rules, and long lists of words to memorize start to ruin my fun. What can I do to make language learning more fun? (Note: Traveling overseas and importing any foreign movies/books/etc. are not options.)


 Find yourself a girl/boy friend who speaks the language you want to learn...
Nah, seriously... If you live in a big city, you should be able to find either language courses or native speakers, or a private teacher annex foreign student who doesn't charge too much. 
Do something with the language you are learning as quickly as possible.Try to communicate asap, with natives or with other students, preferably face to face, though internet has some mighty interesting possibilities as pointed out already by other list members.  Be active, be communicative.



> Also, what languages are just plain fun to learn? (To me French is painful to learn...)


I find this a rather weird approach to studying languages. If you want to have plain fun, do something else you like. If you are bothered by studying, well, then I am afraid you'd better give up the idea of studying a language all together.
No pain no gain, Scrooch. Every single language requires learning a lot of things by heart. If you don't find fun in that challenge, then don't bother about it.
But I sincirely hope that you find the motivation to start with it. 
French is difficult? Of course, it is. But look at the bright side, depending on how you count them, there are +/- 6.398 other languages you can choose from.

Good luck!

Frank


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## karuna

Doing hard work without having fun and attraction to the language that one is learning is not a very good strategy. I know it from my own experience. When I was studying Russian at school, I wasn't lazy at all. I learned grammar and vocabulary and everythign else that my didactic teachers asked me perfectly but I failed all the time. My grades were the lowest in the class. I could learn a poem by heart but I couldn't say even one sentence in Russian in real life. I consider that most of the time I spent working hard was actually uselessly squandered. 

It all changed when the necessity to use the Russian language appeared in my professional studies. Then somehow I was able to remember new words and phrases ten times faster than before. Although it still took considerable time and effort to attain fluency it was all fun from this point.

Motivation is the key. I would recomment that if it is not much fun to learn the language then don't just substitute it with hard work. Instead, work hard to find motivation. Let's say, you are doing shopping, then try to say the things you are buying in another language. Or if you have a hobby, then imagine that you have to describe your hobby to a friend who only speaks the language you are learning.  

Work hard with your imagination, whatever it tells you. Imagine you want to say indecent things in public (not obscenities but maybe something sexual or whatever) but you are ashamed from the people who can understand you. Why not say it in foreign language then?


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## Alxmrphi

I find it very interesting, I am ALWAYS thinking I am closer to just speaking a foreign language fluently and it gives me shivers of excitement, I can't wait, that's what always spurs me on.


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## ireney

Well both questions are purely subjective. There are people out there that find learning Greek ancient or modern fun! There's one guy in particular I know of who enjoys the complex syntax and grammar of the Greek language!


I think first you have to find a language and then people maybe able to tell you how to make getting over the hurdles of the particular language less dreary to say the least. I know that there are sort of games on-line where you have to find i.e. the right grammatical type to proceed etc; cool graphics, humorous  one-liners and other "tricks" make them fun.

I personally always liked trying to glean some meaning out of a given text without the use of a translation or a dictionary  (sometimes it can be _really_ fun you know! When you get a completey different meaning for instance; other times it can give you a nice warm I'm-so-smart feeling when you actually get it).


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## Scrooge

If learning languages isn't much fun, then why do it if you don't have to? Sure, languages have their uses (mostly if you enjoy traveling), but for native English speakers like me, the effort put into learning languages far exceeds the benefits gained from them since English is quickly becoming the language of the Western world anyway.


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## Outsider

Scrooge said:


> If learning languages isn't much fun, then why do it if you don't have to?


And when did you stop beating your wife? 
No one said it wasn't _much_ fun, either. What people said was that it isn't _all_ fun. Like most worthwhile things in life, really.


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## Thomas1

Scrooge said:


> If learning languages isn't much fun, then why do it if you don't have to? [...]


You can't only want it you also have to wish it. Apart from what others have said here you can find some reasons.


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## Scrooge

Thanks for your comments. Maybe it's just a question of finding the right language to learn, or just finding the right way to do it. Nowadays on the Internet I can find material in any internationally known language, so maybe I should try that more often rather than just looking at boring textbook sentences.


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## cuchuflete

Scrooge said:


> If learning languages isn't much fun, then why do it if you don't have to? Sure, languages have their uses (mostly if you enjoy traveling), *but for native English speakers like me, the effort put into learning languages far exceeds the benefits gained* from them since English is quickly becoming the language of the Western world anyway.



And, if I may be so bold, how do you know anything about the benefits yet?   I learned a foreign-for me-language when I was in my teens.  I had to work hard at it.  Here are a few of the benefits it has given me:

--friends from all over the world
--the ability to read for pleasure in more languages than my own
--the travel you mentioned--I'm not limited to being a "tourist", as I can go anywhere I please, and get to know the people and cultures of other countries
--in my commercial life, I had assignments all over the world, because I had more than one language to work with
--I can appreciate music with lyrics other than those in English
--I can read and use cookbooks from many countries
--I can read news from other perspectives than those in my own country
--friends from all over the world!


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## Tresley

Now then, now then, now then!
If you want to learn a language - then follow my golden rules!
Let's pretend that you are learning French!

1. Make it fun! How do you do that?
2. Listen to how French people speak English and copy the accent. That way you will have a better accent when you speak French!
3. To learn the nouns, stick Post-it notes all over the place ('le frigo' on the fridge, 'le placard' on the cupboard, 'la poste de télévision' on the telly etc etc). You get my drift? That way you can't avoid the new language and it sinks in quick! Believe me - you see the words all the time and they sink in - big time! I did it that way.
4. Get some tapes! Listen and repeat! (écoutez et répétez! - as they say in France). Listen to them in the car, when you are in the bath, when you are washing up the dishes - whenever! Just do it!
5. Look around you and think "what don't I know how to say in French yet"? You see a 'lamp post' and you don't know how to say that in French? Look in the dictionary and find out! Make it fun! Develop a thirst for the language. Just do it!
6. Verbs! How on Earth can verbs be fun? Well, I made them fun by laughing at my mistakes! Look at the verb tables - try to learn them - cover them up - and then write them out! I did that and learnt by my mistakes! I got to know where I went wrong and laughed at my mistakes!
7. Read French newspapers and look up in a dictionary the words that you don't understand. Go on www.google.fr and look for things that you are interrested in (You'll have to look in the dictionary first though to find the words). Then read the French articles and look up the words. NOTE: Word Reference is great with verbs because you can type in a conjugated verb and it will give you the infinitive and its meaning!
8. If you are interested enough by now, then join a night class. You meet people with the same interest in language and you can follow a structured course. Make that fun too by trying to stay one step ahead! Be a SWOT! have fun outshining the others!
9. Once you have your confidence in reading, then try writing! Get a penfriend! There are penfriend sites on the web. It's fun learning that way because you are making a new friend!
10. It's not fun if you worry about your mistakes! You learn by your mistakes - so just laugh at them! The main thing is getting the message across - with mistakes or not!

I hope that I have helped you to understand that learning a language is fun...............so enjoy!

NOTE: There a four elements involved in learning a language - READING, WRITING, SPEAKING and LISTENING. Take each element at your own pace and above all - enjoy!


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## sébastien pinsonneault

Go out with somebody who speaks the language you want to learn, or try to make friends that speaks it. You can do that through language exchange, by putting an ad in a university or a language school, it's very easy and you gonna get results fast.


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## maxiogee

Scrooge said:


> If learning languages isn't much fun, then why do it if you don't have to?


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## Alxmrphi

Do you want to elaborate Tony?  I think it's a pretty sound comment.


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## maxiogee

Alex_Murphy said:


> Do you want to elaborate Tony?  I think it's a pretty sound comment.



There are many things we do in life which aren't fun, and yet we do them although we don't 'have to'.
Would 'fun' be your only criterion for non-compulsory activities?


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## Hakro

I'd suggest the good old mouth-to-mouth method: Find a French girlfriend/boyfriend (I don't know your sex), one who can't speak English and you'll learn French sooner than you could imagine.


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