You’re focusing on the wrong part of the problem. I do find interesting materials for most languages, but even if the material IS interesting, I’m having a hard time sticking with a single language until I reach an advanced level.
I did manage to do it with English and French, but had a hard time with Russian, for example, even though I’d LOVE to read the Russian classics in the original without having to look up every other word in a dictionary.
I think I’ll try to take frequent breaks. Whenever it starts to get boring, I’ll do some other language for a while to keep things fresh.
Elric, try to rotate between the languages you wanted to stay with, trying to do kinda a loop like: English → French → Italian → Spanish → English → French → …
In some of the videos from Steve’s youtube channel, he says that even though he is studying any specific language, when he comes back to refresh the others, he feels like if the study of the previous language, improve all the other languages he already knows.
As a tip for getting yourself interested, try to find material to read/listen that you want to know about it, but not with the intention of “language learning” but about the subject itself of what you want to read/listen. For example, in the beginning I learned a lot of English listening for content about astronomy, but my goal wasn’t learning English itself, but rather, learning things about astronomy, what have made me really keen and interested for a long time.
" Any culture contains enough riches to keep anyone busy for a lifetime. If a culture interests you, then finding interesting materials should be easy. If it doesn’t, then why are you wasting your time?"–Kewms
I am of the same opinion. However, if this is true, it can also be said that learning foreign languages in and of itself might be, in a sense, a very risky, time-consuming project, which you cannot recommend everyone. Study foreign languages as much as you like, at your own risk!
I think its weird to talk about “positions”, or what exactly do you mean? Who is not in a unique position in this thread? Why “Native”? We’re all advanced users of English. Native or not. Can you please bring some more light to your comment?
Some native speakers are less ‘native’ than non-native speakers.
In my case, I am struggling to improve my English. I hope that I am not ‘abusing’ the English language.
@Yutaka - That’s rubbish, if you mean your written English! You write better than some native-speakers I know! I guess you’re talking about your spoken English, then. And I bet that’s not half as bad as you think, either.
I agree with kewms. Native English speakers have more material available than any other languages, except for maybe French and German, for which there are some Assimil courses for example that haven’t been made in English, but there are plenty others to compensate. Native English speakers also have the advantage of millions of potential language exchange partners who want to learn English.
English boring ? You mean to say that it doesn’t seem as a challenge for you but don’t forget that you still have ways to go until you reach the C2 level ( I’m also in the same boat of course ). The lack of interesting content may drive someone to chase other languages but with the technology available now we may be able to make our own materials if need be.
Who said English is boring? I didn’t say any language is boring. I’m not studying English anyway, I have a college degree in English language and literature.
Native English speakers, and particularly Americans, have to try fairly hard to find situations where they can’t at least get by with just English. For most Americans, learning another language is entirely a “fun” project, with little or no external motivation.
(The one exception might be Spanish, but only for some people in some parts of the country.)
Just look at this thread for an example of what I mean. I should be immersing myself in Japanese. That’s why I joined this site. Yet here I am, conversing in English. Those of you who are not native speakers, on the other hand, are practicing just by participating in this thread.