Giving up a language
This month’s translation industry updates article deals with what some people might see as being a slightly more taboo topic than some of the others that we have talked about in previous months: namely, giving up a language. Most online commentary tends to focus on acquiring and maintaining new languages, and there are fewer conversations around why we might sometimes decide to stop learning another language.
In our article we’ll be talking about some of the reasons why people stop learning another language and then sharing some ideas about what to do if that happens to you.
First of all, it is probably worth noting that people stop using other languages in a range of different circumstances. Sometimes we might actively choose to stop learning a particular language because there is something about either the learning process itself or the circumstances in which we use the language that has negative connotations in our minds. This goes some way towards explaining why people who learned particular languages at school are sometimes reluctant to pursue them again in adulthood.
If you associate a particular other language with any kind of adverse life experiences then you may also make a conscious choice to stop using it. For better or for worse, language has a particularly strong emotional component and many of life’s most formative events can often be linked to having to learn another language, whether this means emigrating for work reasons or falling in love with someone from a different cultural background. At its best, learning a language can bring us closer to other people and places, but if we’re suffered significant setbacks which are linked to that language in our minds, such as a failed relationship, estrangement from extended family members, or homesickness in another country, it can sometimes be hard to step back and see a language objectively.
Other times, life may place too many obstacles between ourselves and our good intentions. There are lots of reasons why it may become impractical to continue learning another language, whether this is due to time constraints, life changes such as starting a new job or having a child, or adverse circumstances such as money issues or needing to dedicate time to overcoming life challenges. In other cases, we may not necessarily intend to stop learning but we fall out of the habit, meaning that to some extent we give up by default.
Whether we choose to stop engaging with a language or whether circumstances force the break upon us, there is often an element of sadness or regret in putting a language on hold. In this month’s tips we’ll be talking about some things to consider if you find yourself in such a situation.
Don’t feel pressured to carry on with your other language just because you feel like you should
First of all, you’re allowed to give up. If a language begins to have negative connotations in your mind and you don’t actually have to use it on a daily basis then you might choose to stop making an active effort to study it. Equally well, you might make the pragmatic decision to leave your language studies on the back burner for a while because you have to focus your attention on more immediate challenges, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We only have twenty-four hours in the day and only you can decide how to use them most effectively.
Try not to compare yourself against other people, particularly online. Performative social media culture can make us believe that everyone else is crushing their language goals, but just because the topic of giving up a language isn’t widely talked about doesn’t mean it’s not real. It’s your decision whether to keep up with a language and nobody can make that decision for you.
Think about whether learning that particular language is still worthwhile
It’s great to study languages as a hobby or for the sheer joy of learning, but if you have limited time and resources then you might feel that the amount of effort you put into learning a language is disproportionate to the benefits you receive from it, or you might feel that learning the language is preventing you from having the time and capacity to do other things. If that’s the case then there’s no harm in sidelining your studies for a while in order to concentrate on other commitments. Alternatively, you could find lower-maintenance ways of staying in touch with your other language, such as by focusing on more passive learning methods such as listening to music.
Think about why you wanted to learn that particular language
A lot of people feel that they should learn languages with a high number of speakers or languages that are likely to have an obvious economic payoff in terms of employment or education opportunities. But if you struggle to maintain an interest in the language that you’re learning or you don’t necessarily feel passionate about the places in which it’s spoken, that particular language might not be for you.
For some reason, we all tend to gravitate towards certain languages that we love and absorb easily, whereas in the case of other languages studying may feel like more of a chore to us. If you don’t actually have to study a language and you feel it’s not taking you anywhere, it may be worth taking a break from it or studying something different. If on the other hand you still love the language but you’re struggling to stay motivated, try to remember what led you to start learning the language or try to find other aspects of the language that inspire you.
Don’t be too hard on yourself and be proud of what you have accomplished
Console yourself with the idea that at least you tried. Lots of people take up a language for a while and then stop learning it. Even if you’ve only got as far as learning the alphabet or a few rudimentary phrases, that’s still more than you would have accomplished if you hadn’t tried learning at all. Also remember that knowledge builds on itself and that learning any language will make it easier for you to learn another language in the future, even an unrelated one.
Keep in touch with any social contacts that you have made through your other language
Learning any language has a huge social component. Even if you don’t intend to pursue your other language long-term, always try to keep in touch with any acquaintances that you have made through that language, whether that means fellow students or local native-speaker friends. If physical distance is an issue then you might like to consider joining online communities, so long as the atmosphere is supportive.
Always keep the door open to returning
Regardless of how you feel about your other language now, you never know what could happen five, ten, or twenty years down the line. If possible try to hold on to at least some of your study materials, particularly resources which are hard to replace such as books bought in a country where your target language is spoken or anything which is not available in general circulation, such as study materials given to you by your school, university or workplace.
Also remember that no matter how much of a language you forget, it will always be easier to start back again with some prior experience as opposed to when you were totally new. Learning one language also makes it much easier to learn any other language because your mind is already adjusted to the process, so just because you feel dissuaded from pursuing one language doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t study others.
With that, we wrap up our discussion on what to do if you hit a roadblock when studying a language and are unsure whether to continue. But those are just our thoughts, and we’d like to hear from other people who have struggled to keep up with another language or even actively decided to stop using it. Feel free to write your ideas in the comments, and thanks for being a part of our discussion.
Happy learning if you are currently studying a language, and see you again for next month’s updates!
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