Which language should I study?

Deciding which language to study, if you're looking to start fresh, can be difficult. Maybe you're clear on your reason for choosing a language: to get the job promotion and work with new clients in China; to take a 3-week vacation in Italy; to develop a better relationship with a spouse/partner's Ukranian family. Then the choice has pretty much been made for you. But for others, there may be competing interests.

I often hear people say things like, "I would really love to learn Italian, but I feel like Spanish would be much more useful in my industry/neighborhood." To you I ask a few key questions, all of which lead back to the issue of motivation:

1. Regarding the language that seems more functionally useful, how tangible are the benefits? That is, can you imagine what you would do with it right now? If you want to know what the Latin American prep cooks are saying behind you in the restaurant kitchen on a daily basis, there is a near-immediate and perpetual benefit (and hence motivation) to learning Spanish. If you want a job/promotion that would require German, then the rewards are a bit farther off but the value is real and in your sights as long-term motivation. If you think it might be useful to learn Russian because you occasionally shop at the Russian markets on the other end of town and it's the biggest local 'foreign' language (though most people there speak English anyway and/or you don't need to converse much to buy fruit), the rewards might be a bit too abstract to be truly motivating. Try to quantify the benefits. The REAL benefits you see it likely to have in your life.

2. Regarding the language of greater interest, why do you want to learn it? Do you love the food and music from the culture associated with that language? Do you want to vacation somewhere? Do you have friends who speak it, or just love the sound? Try to articulate what it is that makes you happy about the idea of learning this language.

If the list of benefits from Question 1 is more compelling than the enthusiasm you feel at the thought of the points listed from Question 2, that would be a goood reason to start with the more "functionally useful" language. However, if you simply are happier at the thought of learning language #2, I honestly say: Go for it!

On the whole, the enthusiasm will help propel you through the lessons over time, and is also likely to promote your success. But also remember that there is nothing to stop you from picking up some of the other language at a later time. If the person above decides to learn Italian because of her love of Italian opera and food, a positive experience for 6 months of successfully studying Italian can later influence her decision to switch to Spanish with a more positive outlook.

If the two languages are related - as are Spanish and Italian - one can also facilitate the other. If you are going from Italian to Chinese, of course, there's virtually no transferable language there, but you CAN transfer the study habits, skills and strategies from your Italian experience to your new Chinese experience.

Whatever you do, make sure you are embarking on this journey full of enthusiasm, not with a sigh of resignation and trepidation. Enthusiasm sets goals, goals provide direction, and all of this together helps to breed success!