Languages You Haven’t Thought of Learning
There are so many cultures surrounding languages in the world. Learning them is an experience and adds value to your profession. Why learn Dutch when you can learn English? Why learn Romanian when you can learn Spanish?
You’ll get various good reasons to learn a language with a high number of speakers, but this doesn’t mean that other languages should be neglected. With so many languages dying, surely there should be a lot of focus on learning less-spoken languages. Also, languages affect the way you think to a large extent.
Language learning is about more than just being able to speak to most people. It’s about culture, education, and enjoying yourself. Here are a few languages you might not have thought about learning.
Some Exceptional Languages
As we know, there is a huge number of people in the world who speak Mandarin, Spanish, Arabic, and other popular language. But there are also some not-so-common languages spoken by a limited population. They include the following:
Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish
Learning a new language couldn’t be easier in today’s world, too. With just some time, a Lenovo laptop, and the right website or app, you can learn any language you like. Many English speakers don’t consider learning a Scandinavian language due to the high number of English speakers in those countries. Over 80% of the population in Scandinavia speak English, so why learn their language?
Learning either Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish certainly has its benefits. Not only are they closer to English than many other languages, but they also allow you to access the history of this interesting part of the world.
These languages can be easy to pick up, and making a mistake is no issue when you and the natives can help you out thanks to their English abilities.
You also, sort of, get three for the price of one when it comes to these languages, as they are mutually intelligible in many ways.
Irish, Welsh, and Scottish Gaelic
While one language from the British Isles has boomed, the others have very much stayed put in most cases. English is now the most spoken language worldwide. However, if you are from the UK, have British heritage, or are just interested in countries, learning one of the other languages found there might be for you. Welsh, Irish, and Scottish Gaelic have a fascinating history and are unique. While they might not be the easiest to pick up, learning them can be very fun and rewarding.
Esperanto
If you haven’t heard of Esperanto before, you are certainly in the majority. While few have heard of it, it has a strong base of users at an estimated 2 million. Esperanto is a century-old constructed language and one of the most successful there has been. It’s even on Duolingo. When you think of constructed languages, you’d be forgiven if you thought about the languages spoken in sci-fi/fantasy novels and movies.
However, Esperanto is regularly used in day-to-day life by many people, and studies have found that learning it can even help you learn other languages. With no irregularities and a design that lets you speak from day one, Esperanto might be for you.
Language learning has so many benefits to it, but you shouldn’t limit yourself to learning the big dogs. If you want to pursue a lesser-spoken language, there should be nothing stopping you from doing so.
Obstacles While Learning a New Language
Some common roadblocks may affect your path to learning a new language. Let’s figure out:
- Fear of Communicating With Strangers
There is a higher possibility that you will not be surrounded by friends or family who are also learning the same language, in such a case, you’ll have to connect with strangers to continue your speaking practice. But if you have a fear of that, and you are unable to come out of your comfort zone, it will become difficult to learn the required language.
- Lack of Practice
Practice is the key to success, but if you are not working on it, due to limited opportunity or any other reason, it will be challenging to learn the new language. If you do not listen and speak in that language, you will not be able to understand the accent, and pronunciation, and remember the new words.
- Loss of Motivation
If you doubt your abilities, you will lose the mental game of learning the language. This will demotivate you and weaken the process of learning.
There will be many other hurdles that block your way of learning, but you have to stay motivated and focused to overcome them. For this, you can take help from the tips discussed further.
Tips to Learn Any Language
If you are dedicated to learning a new language and want to have great command over it, here are some tried and tested tips for you to make your work easier.
- Set Your Goals
Set some small goals to achieve the final result. Reaching these small targets will boost your motivation and self-confidence. Proper planning will keep you directed, structured, and positive throughout the learning process.
- Learn Common Vocabulary
Try to learn as many root words of the language so that you can also build a grasp of their variants. This will help you in learning the language effectively and quickly. A great collection of vocabulary will improve your basic conversation.
- Consume Media
Watching, reading, and listening are some of the best and most effective ways to learn a language with proper pronunciation. For this, you can consume media of that language. This global learning will also help you understand common words & phrases, expressions, gestures, and cultural references. You can also watch movies, listen to songs and radio, read newspapers, etc.
Apart from these ways, you should be focused on continuous practice, have conversations with native speakers of that language, work on the style, have mirror conversations, etc.
Closing Thoughts
Here, we got to know some rare languages that you hardly thought of learning. These languages will not only add a skill set but will also help you in understanding these regions, their culture & traditions, history, and other aspects of life better.
You can also opt for online learning for these languages if you are unable to find any classes in your locality.
Expertise
