to think learning a language

[Aribura]

is not "pointless" or a "waste of time" even though apparently, everyone in the universe speaks English? (!)

Since when did learning anything become a waste of time? Much less something that allows you to understand another world of literature, music, film, culture, people...even tiny languages have that. Can we not enjoy learning for fun anymore? We're so "busy" watching Eastenders and scratching our bums that anything we bother to learn has to be worldly "useful" by everyone's standards? It's just sad...

Note: Not suggesting everyone has to go and learn a language (although it is a brilliant thing to do) but if people could stop putting others down and saying what they are doing is pointless...

YANBU. I'm going to try to learn Mandarin because it's more widely spoken in the world than English is and learning it could open many doors.

Learning any language is never pointles.

Absolutely - learning/speaking different languages is a tremendous skill to have and opens many more doors.

YANBU

Learning anything is not a waste of time if you enjoy it. Even if what you are learning is how to fold napkins into the shape of swans.

YANBU at all. I am slowly slowly learning Italian and doing fairly well at it. Have also managed to convince DH that my learning will be hugely advanced by regular trips to Italy!

Nice one, Lentil.

YANBU. However I think it probably does matter (Lentilly ) if people can see some point to learning a language. DSis2 used to be an MLF teacher in a poor area of southern Yorks and tbh the children learning French in her class had no real conception of France, or thought of it as a place that they might go. I think it feels irrelevant to some children especially and that must be demotivating.

ffs MFL

That is a good point Pea. A lot more could be done to make it relevant and fun to people who have to learn it for school and so.

LentillyFart I'm learning Italian too. Same motive. More dolce vita.

OP totally agree, but why are you asking? Surely no one thinks it's really a waste of time, do they?

YANBU. Still on the topic of wasting time, would you be kind enough to complete the sentence in your thread title, so people don't waste their time reading the OP of a thread that doesn't interest them? Thank you.

It's not an easy language is it bowerbird - I've always been fairly good at picking up languages and the French I learnt from the age of 5 is mostly with me still. Italian grammar is a complete imponderable nightmare!

Yes, some people do think it's a waste of time because "everyone speaks English" or "kids should spend that time learning something useful"...unfortunately I've heard it quite a bit. It's not so bad when you talk of Spanish or Mandarin, but if you mention you have an interest in...(random example) Latvian or Welsh, even if you have good personal reasons, people will laugh and say how pointless is that! Only x million people speak that! Sad but true...

It's about the general topic of learning languages, I don't think anyone was clicking in hopes of seeing a post about how unreasonable MIL was for shopping in Waitrose. Hardly "AIBU to think this", was it?

To think learning a language... What?

Is it so hard to continue the sentence with "... isn't a waste of time"?

I don't think so. It is a cheap and very annoying tactic to get more responses to one's thread. Just don't do it. Please.

YANBU

Growing up in the Netherlands my education involved learning English, German and French as well as Latin and Greek (because I attended a grammar school)

It means I can understand new words easily as I can often see the root. I can understand bits and pieces of Italian and Spanish because of Latin and French and I can read immigration documents is most languages (handy in my branch of legal work!)

Apparently I cannot spell though

in most languages

Pretty ironic because I was bitching about that the other day ("or is she" type things). Didn't think it was a problem if it's clear of the general topic the thread is about? Personally I get pissy at "AIBU or is she" but not at "AIBU MIL problems" because at least I know vaguely what the topic is about. But I apologise if upset anyone who is interested in only particular subsets of learning a language.

YANBU to think that it's worthwhile to learn languages purely because of personal interest, and that you don't necessarily only need to learn languages (or anything) because they're 'useful'.

However, YABU if you're one of these people that thinks learning Mandarin or any other language apart from English will hugely boost your earning potential or employment opportunities, because trust me it won't. It might be slightly useful if you're already highly skilled, qualified and experienced in some other area, but really the benefits are negligable.

Oh please! Don't even go there! I spend five hours a day every day of my working life fighting complete Little Englander apathy as I struggle to teach languages in the UK borough with the second lowest take up of MFL in England. We have no hope of interesting them in it as a cultural exercise, an exercise in personal development or an exercise in anything other than raising their earning power so that's the tack we take but it doesn't really work :(

DrSeuss I find that very sad. How will your teaching change when MFL is made compulsory again? The schools just won't have the staff will they.

Aribura, apparently, learning a language may bring some other dividends, rather than just fun. Being bilingual may delay Alzheimer's and boost brain power.

I am attacking Polish at the moment. What a szatański bestia! :)

In two minds about making it compulsory. Can remember dragging bottom sets kicking and screaming through GCSE and don't fancy a repeat.