How to choose a language to learn

Summary

Dr. Taylor Jones, a linguist with a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the process of choosing a language to learn, addressing the challenges and motivations behind language acquisition. She categorizes language learners into three types: the therapy case, the scholar, and the anthropologist, each with unique considerations. Dr. Jones emphasizes the importance of enjoyment, practicality, and the potential for new experiences when selecting a language, and she shares her personal journey and expertise to guide viewers in making an informed decision. The video also features a sponsored segment on Lingoda, a language school offering courses in five languages, highlighting the value of high-quality teaching materials and native-level interaction.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker has a PhD in linguistics and has worked extensively in language learning and teaching.
• 🌐 Early exposure to languages and travel sparked the speaker's lifelong interest in linguistics.
• 💡 The speaker emphasizes that language learning should be enjoyable and not just a chore or requirement.
• 🤔 People often struggle with choosing a language to learn due to fear of commitment or lack of confidence in their abilities.
• 🗣️ The speaker categorizes language learners into 'therapy case', 'scholar', and 'anthropologist', each with different motivations and approaches.
• 👩‍💼 The 'therapy case' learners need reassurance and permission to pursue the languages that interest them rather than what they feel obligated to learn.
• 📚 'Scholar' learners often have language requirements for academic purposes and must consider what languages are available and practical for their success.
• 🌍 'Anthropologist' learners are motivated by the desire for new cultural experiences and may seek out less common or more challenging languages.
• 📈 The speaker suggests considering the availability and quality of learning materials when choosing a language to learn.
• 💼 For those with professional goals, the potential long-term payoff of learning a language should be weighed against the effort required.
• 🌟 The importance of personal enjoyment in language learning is highlighted, as it can lead to unexpected benefits and opportunities.

Q & A

What is the speaker's background in linguistics?

The speaker holds a PhD in linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania and has been interested in languages and linguistics for a long time. They have also worked for Rosetta Stone and have a background in retail sales.

Why did the speaker choose to study languages?

The speaker was fascinated by languages from a young age, inspired by their French family and the realization that knowing a language could help them communicate and get ice cream in France.

What is the purpose of the speaker's YouTube channel?

The speaker's YouTube channel, Language Jones, creates content about linguistics and language learning from an irreverent angle, aiming to help viewers decide on which language to learn and how to study it.

What is the significance of Lingoda in the speaker's video?

Lingoda is a language school that the speaker recommends for its high-quality teaching materials and hourlong classes with native-level speakers. It is featured in the video as a sponsor.

What are the three distinct groups of people who ask about language learning according to the speaker?

The three groups are the therapy case, the scholar, and the anthropologist. These groups represent different motivations and approaches to language learning.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of enjoying the language you choose to learn?

The speaker stresses that enjoying the language is crucial because it motivates learners to study and makes the process more enjoyable rather than a tedious obligation.

What is the speaker's advice for someone who has a language requirement for school?

The speaker advises considering what languages are available, personal enjoyment of the language, the likelihood of success, and the long-term payoff when choosing a language for a school requirement.

How does the speaker's experience as an expert witness relate to language learning?

The speaker's experience as an expert witness demonstrates that language learning can be useful in unexpected ways, such as in legal cases, and that the knowledge can have significant real-world applications.

What is the speaker's perspective on the practicality of language learning?

The speaker believes that language learning should be enjoyable and not just focused on productivity. They argue that one should pursue languages that bring joy and can be useful when needed.

What does the speaker suggest for someone who wants to learn a language for new experiences?

For those seeking new experiences, the speaker suggests choosing a language that is typologically distinct and challenging, which can provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of different cultures.

How does the availability and quality of learning materials factor into language learning decisions?

The availability and quality of learning materials are significant factors in language learning decisions. Learners are more likely to be successful and motivated with languages that have abundant and high-quality resources.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Journey of a Language Enthusiast

Dr. Taylor Jones, a linguistics PhD holder with a background in East Asian studies and experience working for Rosetta Stone, shares her lifelong passion for languages. She discusses her academic journey and how her childhood experiences as an 'Army brat' with French family roots instilled a fascination for languages in her. Dr. Jones emphasizes the importance of understanding the beginner's perspective and addresses common questions about language learning, including how to choose a language to study. She introduces Lingoda, a language school offering classes in five languages, and shares her personal endorsement based on the quality of their teaching materials and native-level speaker interactions.

05:00

🤔 The Therapeutic Dilemma of Language Choice

In this segment, Dr. Jones delves into the therapeutic aspect of language learning, where individuals often grapple with the decision of which language to learn. She recounts her retail experience at Rosetta Stone, where she observed customers struggling with the choice between pursuing a language they are passionate about or continuing with one they already started but do not enjoy. Dr. Jones encourages learners to follow their joy and not treat language learning like an obligatory task. She also shares a personal anecdote where her study of Persian, a language she enjoys for its phonetic features, unexpectedly became useful in a legal case as an expert witness, demonstrating the unpredictable utility of language skills.

10:02

🏫 Navigating Language Requirements and Practicality

Dr. Jones addresses the challenges faced by students with language requirements in their academic curriculum. She suggests considering the available options, personal motivation, and the likelihood of success when choosing a language. She distinguishes between practical choices for those who need to meet specific academic goals and those who are driven by personal interest. Dr. Jones also discusses the importance of considering long-term payoffs, such as career advantages, and the availability and quality of learning materials when making a language choice. She advises against committing to a language that one dislikes and suggests that learners should be aware of their study options and enjoy the process.

15:04

🌐 The Quest for New Experiences and Personal Fulfillment

In the final paragraph, Dr. Jones speaks to the anthropologist or adventurous learner who seeks new experiences and cultural insights through language learning. She differentiates between those who choose languages for travel and those who seek intellectual challenges by learning typologically distinct languages. Dr. Jones emphasizes the importance of aligning language choices with personal enjoyment and having a clear plan for achieving language learning goals. She concludes by encouraging learners to make choices that bring them happiness and not to let schooling interfere with their broader educational pursuits, highlighting the joy of learning as a fundamental aspect of the language acquisition journey.

Keywords

💡Linguistics

Linguistics is the scientific study of language and its structure, including the analysis of grammar, syntax, phonetics, semantics, and language development over time. In the video, the speaker has a PhD in linguistics, which informs their expertise in language learning and their ability to discuss various aspects of language study. The speaker's background in linguistics is relevant to the theme of the video as they provide insights into choosing and learning languages.

💡Polyglot

A polyglot is a person who can speak, read, and write in multiple languages. The term is used in the video to describe individuals who have a deep interest in and proficiency across several languages. The speaker expresses admiration for polyglots and is inspired by their language learning abilities, which ties into the video's theme of language learning and the joy of being multilingual.

💡Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is a company known for its language learning software. In the script, the speaker mentions working for Rosetta Stone, which allowed them to immerse themselves in language learning throughout the day. This keyword is relevant as it provides context for the speaker's professional experience and their passion for languages, which is central to the video's message about language learning.

💡Language Requirement

A language requirement refers to the necessity for students to study a certain language or achieve a level of proficiency in a language as part of their educational curriculum. The video discusses how to choose a language when faced with such a requirement, which is a common scenario for students. This concept is integral to the video's theme as it addresses a practical consideration for language learners.

💡Dialect

A dialect is a variation of a language spoken by a particular group of people, often characterized by specific vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. The speaker discusses dialects in the context of African-American English and the validity of recognizing different dialects. This keyword is important as it highlights the diversity within languages and the speaker's expertise in linguistic analysis.

💡Expert Witness

An expert witness is a person with specialized knowledge who testifies in a court of law. The speaker recounts an experience as an expert witness in a legal case involving language and dialect, demonstrating the practical application of linguistic knowledge. This keyword is relevant as it shows how the speaker's linguistic expertise can have real-world implications beyond academic discussions.

💡Anthropologist

An anthropologist is a scientist who studies human societies, cultures, and their development. In the video, the term is used to describe a type of language learner who is motivated by a desire to understand and experience different cultures through language. This keyword is significant as it represents one of the categories of language learners the speaker identifies and provides advice for.

💡Language Learning Materials

Language learning materials refer to the resources, such as textbooks, software, and courses, used to teach and learn a language. The video mentions the importance of the availability and quality of these materials when choosing a language to study. This keyword is central to the video's theme as it directly impacts the feasibility and enjoyment of learning a new language.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the internal drive or desire that encourages someone to take action or engage in a particular activity. In the context of the video, motivation is discussed as a key factor in choosing a language to learn and in maintaining the effort to become proficient. The speaker emphasizes the importance of choosing a language that one is genuinely interested in, as this will naturally enhance motivation.

💡Heritage Speaker

A heritage speaker is a person who has been exposed to a language from birth or early childhood, often within the home, but may not be fully proficient in all aspects of the language. The video touches on the idea that heritage speakers may have an advantage in learning certain languages due to their early exposure. This keyword is relevant as it introduces the concept of linguistic background and its influence on language learning.

Highlights

The speaker has a PhD in linguistics and has worked for Rosetta Stone, focusing on language learning.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of choosing a language to study based on personal interest and joy.

The video discusses three distinct groups of language learners: therapy case, scholar, and anthropologist.

The 'therapy case' refers to learners who need reassurance to pursue a language they are passionate about.

The speaker shares personal anecdotes about learning languages and the joy it brings.

The video mentions the practicality of choosing a language based on its utility and the learner's career goals.

The importance of selecting a language that aligns with one's academic requirements is discussed.

The speaker suggests that language learning should not be a tedious obligation but an enjoyable pursuit.

The video highlights the role of language learning in personal growth and new experiences.

The speaker provides advice for choosing a language based on the quality and availability of study materials.

The video touches on the idea that language learning can be a means to understand different cultures and worldviews.

The speaker encourages learners to consider the joy and satisfaction they get from studying a language.

The video discusses the practical aspects of language learning, such as the ease of learning and the potential for success.

The importance of considering long-term payoffs when choosing a language for study is highlighted.

The speaker shares a personal story where language learning played a crucial role in a legal case.

The video concludes with a reminder that language learning should be a source of happiness and not just a means to an end.

Transcripts

I've been interested in language

learning and Linguistics for a long time

I've had my PhD for 5 years already so

by academic standard it's going stale

and before starting the PHD in

linguistics I worked for Rosetta Stone

and retail sales mostly because it

allowed me to study languages all day

and try to be like the polyglots I was

inspired by this was 2008 and YouTube

was new before that I did an

undergraduate specialist degree in East

Asian studies and before all of that as

a child I was an Army brat and I have

French family so I grew up traveling and

I've been fascinated with languages

since I first learned at 6 years old

that Germans all speak German all the

time they even thinking it they're not

just putting on a show Oh and around

that time I learned that if you're in

France and you can ask for ice cream in

French you get ice cream there's

literally a corn de glass from my aunt

lady that changed the entire trajectory

of my life the reason I say all this is

that sometimes when you've been doing

something for a long time things that

might be confusing or challenging for

people who are new to to it just don't

even occur to you you forget what it's

like to be a beginner I get asked a lot

of questions about not just how to study

a language but even the step before that

how do I choose a language to learn and

it's not just people asking me

personally YouTube's algorithm even

suggested that this is a question a lot

of people are asking and with good

reason it's actually not as simple as it

may seem if you're already familiar with

my channel you're probably elbow deep

and study materials for a language or

two but I think that when answering this

question along the way there's some good

information for all of us even the

seasoned poly clots if you're new to the

channel I'm Dr Taylor Jones I have a PhD

in linguistics from the University of

Pennsylvania my non- YouTube work is all

about culture and language and I'm a

language lover who makes content about

Linguistics and language learning with a

decidedly irreverent angle so whether

you're about to enter a new semester and

need to meet a language requirement or

you're a recreational language learner

hyper polyglot gigachad deciding on your

311th language to study I've got just

what you need

to help decide I'm Dr Taylor Jones and

this is language

Jones today's video is brought to you by

lingoda they're a language school with

five languages so that narrows down your

choice and they are exceptional they

have all sorts of excellent glossy high

quality teaching materials but the real

magic is the hourlong classes with

Native level speakers that are a small

group sometimes oneon-one even after

your introductory classes they're all in

your target language so you get

comfortable listening and speaking from

day one they offer classes in French

Spanish German Italian and business

English and in some of those languages

you can work with them all the way up to

a C1 level you can fit their classes to

your schedule because they have teachers

around the world and it's remote and

online and they have different packages

including a Sprint package where you

challenge yourself to take an hour a day

for 30 or 60 days I was blown away by

their teachers and their lesson quality

and if I were starting any one of those

five languages I would absolutely choose

lingoda as my main course of study

although I'd probably do the flex

package myself if you'd like to try

lingoda click my link in the description

below now back to the video the people

who ask how to decide what language to

learn tend to fall into a few distinct

groups there's the therapy case there's

the scholar there's the Anthropologist

I'll Define them each leave me a comment

by the way and let me know which one you

are back when I worked in retail sales

for Rosetta Stone I found that like half

of the job was basically therapy by the

way you can also leave me a comment if

you want an unbiased expert review of

Rosetta Stone or other language learning

approaches I've got the definitive

account for dual lingo so why not anyway

I worked in Grand Central and sometimes

at Time Square or when I was lucky the

Time Warner Center where people would

just stroll in toss a black titanium AMX

card at me and say I'll take five you

choose which it's hard to be offended at

the level of rudeness from the hyper

when you work on commission and their

dismissiveness and disdain is paired

with basically P You're rent for the

month but in general I worked in Grand

Central among the people and in a more

than slightly radioactive hallway and

more than convincing people to buy

software they were interested in most of

my job was weirdly giving them

permission I still do a lot of this

here's what I mean I get asked some

variation of this about once a week they

start with I really want to learn let's

say Italian great why they interested in

Italian I always wanted to go to

Florence and sketch all of the statues

and I love the sound of Italian there's

just something about it I'm drawn to I

find learning anything about it just

deeply satisfying have you ever studied

any Italian no and that's the problem I

actually studied Spanish in high school

that's great they're related languages

so you'll have a leg up learning Italian

and this is where it always happens I

actually don't feel confident with my

Spanish so maybe I should just study

Spanish instead until I'm really good at

it and and then I can learn Italian do

you enjoy studying Spanish no do you

have a plan for assessing when your

Spanish is good enough for you to move

on to Italian no oh well surely you have

some pressing need to speak Spanish like

perhaps it's required for your job no so

freaking learn Italian I've had this

with basically every combination you can

imagine people seem to really insist on

completing a task they aren't required

to do and that they don't enjoy and they

have to do it before they can live laugh

love in Italian it's not homework it's

like a novel you don't have to finish it

if you aren't enjoying it I know this is

also news to some of you that's the

majority of people asking how to decide

which language to learn but there are a

few others so stick around but if that

is you you have permission to pursue

what brings you Joy and you don't need

it to be productive and what's more you

never know when it will come in handy in

fact one day studying a language just

for fun came in handy for me and I

helped save a man's livelihood keep his

home and defend his reputation it's

story time I like Persian I just like it

I like the little devoice trilled r like

I like the RO and fall of the voice I

can probably never ever go to Iran or

Afghan anistan or most of the places

it's spoken other than LA but I

sometimes make time to study it just

because I like it a few years ago I was

retained as an expert witness along with

a colleague of mine both based on our

expertise in African-American English

and taboo words I've got videos on both

so check them out not Persian though you

don't need to know the details but

basically this guy was fired for having

said the n-word the problem is not only

is he black Not only was he using it in

a context that was positive literally

I'm going to take all

my neighbors to the Super Bowl but he

also did so in a rap song that he had

written and performed years before he

even worked for the company so he filed

a lawsuit in the course of what ended up

being an almost 5H hour deposition my

knowledge of Persian in part is what

clinch things here's how the defense for

the company was iranian-american from

California they were dead set on proving

that African-American English isn't real

that it's Ghetto Slang and that the guy

who was fired was just using offensive

language and that he was the real racist

and my support of the validity of black

English is also racist if you want to

understand the Contours of that very

stupid argument read the comments on my

most recent video on black English at

some point we got into the weeds of how

I could even determine that he was

speaking a different dialect the lawyer

then demanded to know if as a linguist I

could recognize any language just by

hearing it I asked for them to clarify

if they were genuinely asking if people

could recognize languages which indeed

they were they then demanded that if

such a thing were possible surely I

could recognize any language in the

world I was like there's something like

7,000 languages obviously nobody can

recognize any language but within reason

and like large numbers of speakers yes

this is not like a strange or new claim

people can do this so then they said

okay I'll say a word and you tell me

what language it's from and I'm looking

at the judge like really and the judge

is like I'll allow it so the lawyer says

and I quote mercy and here's the thing

they wanted me to say French it's a

really well-known word from French it

just also happens to have been borrowed

into Persian and the lawyer said the

Persian version it's pretty Snappy

Persian version so I was like that's

Persian and the lawyer was like hey no

fair and then demanded to know how I

could know that it wasn't French so I

explained the pitch and intonation were

One Clue mayc the fact that it was

pronounced with an appical and not a

uvular r was another the lack of

secondary palatalization on the final

High vowel was a third and of course

it's a lone word in Persian from French

and I know the lawyer's name and

location and could see that were Persian

they doubled down and asked so if I

said what would you say and I'm

like bad KN down bad KNE

down at this point the transcriptionist

was like what the hell I'm not certified

for this I couldn't resist one final

Flex so I said don't worry I can provide

you with a transliteration and a

translation ultimately the guy who had

lost his job and was on the verge of

losing his home and car he won a large

settlement the point of this story is

really that when you love something you

never know when it's going to be useful

it's also just a bizarre Story and

there's a lot more to that one

deposition but that's for a different

day expert witness work is really wild

and don't get me wrong maybe it's never

useful but you deserve to be happy I'm

going to say it again you deserve to be

happy if you want to study something it

doesn't have to be productive you can

just have fun okay so next up the

scholar you got a language requirement

for school this is tricky and there's a

lot of different right answers and a lot

of wrong answers the first question to

ask yourself is what is available to you

if your school offers French Spanish

German and Latin and you have to pick

one you have four options and it's just

weighing those that's literally my high

school when I had a language requirement

for the international baloran by the way

but let's say you have a language

distribution requirement and you're

somewhere like upen which until recently

had a great African study center now you

have woff and Swahili and Zulu to choose

from not to mention tons of other

languages like

and Portuguese from other parts of the

University so how do you decide well one

is just what speaks to you what will you

be motivated to do and that can come in

different flavors maybe like me you

could just Savor Persian words all day

long when it comes time to sit down and

study to pass your tests that's not

going to be a problem because you just

enjoy the dopamine hit of words like Bon

but we can also be practical there's two

flavors of practical First what will you

be likely to succeed at I assume nobody

watching this channel has this problem

but hilariously racism used to create

serious issues for a small number of

undergrads at University of Pennsylvania

every year they would take introduction

to African languages or even

introduction to Zulu thinking that

African languages were primitive and

therefore easy whoops it was hilarious

to watch but for real Spanish is going

to be easier for a native English

speaker than Mandarin is or Zulu is it's

got five vowels that you basically

already know how to make and something

like 40% of the words are freebies like

Revolution or widely known like Som and

Siesta yeah you'll have to learn how to

use the subjunctive but like welcome to

language learning Mandarin on the other

hand is almost no freebies except like

shafa and motoa the vowels and

consonants are weird for native English

speakers and there's tones not to

mention the writing system personally

that makes it more appealing for me but

if you're not ready for all that and

you're working within a system where you

have to pass a test on a deadline then

there's nothing wrong with picking

something you know you can do the other

version of practicality might push you

towards Mandarin what's the payoff

longterm if you're doing a business

degree or I don't know international

relations with a focus on maritime law

knowledge of Mandarin might be a

tremendous career boost so if it's fun

for you and you think you can really

excel at it that could be the Practical

answer the key is to avoid locking

yourself into something that you dislike

you should know very very quickly if you

enjoy learning the language or if you

don't if you don't have compelling

reasons you have to learn something you

don't like

then you really shouldn't be punishing

yourself and there will always be

someone who is more motivated and maybe

a Heritage speaker so you're not going

to hate study yourself into a lucrative

career at least not without a lot of

Aderall and more hate and logistical

organization than I can muster there's

another important Point here you can

always learn something else for fun yes

there's only so many hours in the day

but that's okay and a Scholastic

approach is by definition time bound so

3 months of let's say French for reading

and then a break when you recharge doing

something different French for reading

brings me to the advanced Scholastic

side of things sometimes you need to be

able to read broadly in a language

related to your field whether it's

Linguistics or Opera so German would be

useful for me for historical Linguistics

even though I don't have any real

interest in it otherwise in that case I

don't need to waste time learning how to

order Cafe and Ken after a vks mar vks

March but instead can really intensively

focus on reading passive recognition and

decoding skills and that's fine lastly

there's what I call the anth apologist

maybe you've studied a handful of

languages and you're deciding on your

next or maybe this will be your first

foray into language learning but your

motivation is different than the

previous two you want to have new

experiences this may be around travel

you're likely the therapy case if that's

the deal it's more wanting to see the

world through someone else's eyes in

this case for a native English speaker

the 10 easy European languages you could

learn might not really push you as much

as you want if you really want a

challenge that tickles your brain you'll

want something typologically distinct

from what you know this could be

something like Vietnamese which doesn't

really do pronouns in the way that we're

familiar with but has an entirely

different socially defined system of

address yes I mentioned pronouns take a

shot or Zulu where there's 13 or so

adjectives and everything else you think

of as an adjective in English is either

a verb he's happying or a noun sort of

thing this brings me to a point that's

relevant for all of you availability and

quality of materials there's simply

nowhere near the volume and quality of

learning material especially for

self-study for languages like Zulu

compared to something like French only

you can know how motivated you are and

how motivated you are to deal with

things like confusing explanations and

textbooks with more typos than correct

words I'm not saying it's time to break

out the Whiteboard and do a full cost

benefit analysis although you can if you

want to but basically for any of the

three types you should be weighing a few

things what are my study options are

there lots of high quality options to

choose from the Anthropologist type

interested in Native American languages

might end up choosing Lakota over NAD

simply because there's so many more and

so much better resources the high

schooler might end up choosing Spanish

over French for the same reason how much

do I actually enjoy the language does

the idea of it just give you butterflies

warm fuzzy feelings you're going to be a

lot more motivated to study that than

something you feel is a tedious

obligation and beyond that what's my

actual plan I have an entire video on

that I'll link in the description but

there's an entire world between wishing

you spoke a language and actually

speaking it as a wise man once said if

wishes were horses we'd all be eating

steak sometimes you get locked into

something for a little while for

instance if you're picking a language to

learn in high school but that's four

years investment in a skill that will

only help you with others if you choose

and for those of you about to make that

choice this September you've got an

entire life after to learn whatever you

want not to mention you can actually

learn things outside of school as an

actually wise man once said never let

your schooling interfere with your

education so which type are you is there

an undecided language learner type that

I left out let me know in the comments I

want to give a big thank you to all my

patrons if you want to become one you

can at

www.patreon.com language shones you can

also support the channel right here with

super thanks and super chat if you liked

this video YouTube thinks that you'll

like this one too and until next time

happy learning and I meant it you

deserve to be happy yes even you