Nearly a month ago when I decided that I wanted to be a hyper polyglot, the first question which taunted me was which language to learn? I guess a lot of language lovers go through this phase as well…so here is what I did.
1. Firstly, understand whether you would like to learn an absolutely new language or improvise your language skills to which you are already exposed to.
I was absolutely confused as I wanted to learn a whole list of languages, it was important for me to categorise my languages with a self rough estimate point 5 scale of listening, reading speaking and writing.
(I was generous with my English grading…since there is always something more and something new and I finally want to constrain, until I get my other languages straight)
As you could see I was in different levels in different languages, mostly because I don’t practice it regularly; this part is really frustrating, I really wish I had super memory…and since that’s not the case….we need to practice our languages everyday (we will be talking more about it in the future).
2. If you would like to learn a new language, then check for a language that really inspires you, since learning a language is a whole package including their culture and heritage.
3. Learning a language which can aid in your professional development. It can open up new avenues and builds up your confidence.
If you are planning to study abroad then learning the language and custom hits top in the to-do list.
4. And finally, When you want to have a change of breeze and understand the evolution from different angles, then I would suggest learning an ancient language like Greek, Latin or other extinct languages. In my case I learnt sanskrit for 7 years and that has made all the difference in my journey learning Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. Though sanskrit isn’t a communicative friendly language, it is the mother language for many Indian languages i.e you could easily trace a word back to its origin and the modifications it has undergone for a wholesome understanding.
To summarise
1. Categorise the languages you know and languages you would like to know.
2. Further categorise languages you know in point 5 scale in the sections of listening, reading, speaking and writing.
3. Read a language that inspires you. You definitely don’t want to learn something that doesn’t interest you a year later.
4. Understand your professional requirements.
5. If you plan on going abroad (say a trip or for college) read the language spoken there with priority, as you get to actually communicate with the native speakers and makes life a lot easier.
5. If you are someone who enjoys to know the origin of words or would like to learn a similar set of languages then definitely read the prototype.
Hope these tips help, if you have any questions please comment below.
LIBRAHOLIC GIRL 