Why learn languages when it’s not a priority? And can you fit it in with everything else you do? Here’s why to learn languages even when it’s not urgent.

Before we begin…

Choose how you want to enjoy this episode – video with subtitles, podcast on the go, or read the blog version below.

The Video

The Podcast

Why Learn Languages When It’s Not Urgent?

There comes a point in life where things like language learning feel like a luxury. Nice to have, but not essential.

There’s no plans to move abroad, no child you want to raise bilingually, no job that requires it. Why should you make language learning a part of your life again when it isn’t a priority right now? And is it even possible, especially with all the other things you’ve got going on?

Well, there’s plenty of reasons it’s worth it to make language learning a part of your life.

Little and Often Reaps Big Rewards

I see this as a really similar parallel to exercise.

It’s not always easy to spot improvements from just one session in the gym or one run around the park. Instead, we notice improvements with exercise over time.

It’s the little and often efforts that reap big rewards here.

And it’s the same with languages.

We can’t cram a week’s worth of language learning into a day and expect to remember the same amount as we would if we did daily smaller sessions.

And there’s evidence to back this up too. It’s known as the spacing effect, and you might be familiar with the idea from apps that make use of spaced repetition systems.

When It Is a Priority, It’s Too Late

To draw another comparison with exercise, imagine you sign up for a marathon and don’t start training until a week before the event. By the time it became an urgent priority, it would be too late to fully train well for a marathon.

Again, similar story with languages.

If you’re waiting for a urgent scenario to come along and make language learning a priority, you’re doing it wrong.

Because by the time that happens, sure, you’ll be able to cram a few words, but achieve nowhere near the level of fluency you’d want.

And perhaps you have a self-professed ‘delusional’ confidence that you can do it. That you’ll suddenly find a way to “hack” your way through and make fluent happen.

The truth is that doesn’t happen. Because when it becomes a priority, it’s too late to learn the language, let alone figure out a way to do it as well.

Related: Speedy Gains & Steady Growth: What Successful Language Learning Looks Like

Personal Growth & Self-Confidence

Language learning can be a great source of self-confidence and pride when you continue to gradually improve in a language, even if there’s no obvious urgent reason to learn.

Personally, I find language learning a wonderful tool to expand my understanding of the world. The more we understand each other, the less we fear. And the less we fear, the less we discriminate. The world needs more good people learning languages for good.

It’s also easier to recognise these benefits when we’re not caught up in the pressure of learning for an urgent reason.

Related: Why is Self-Compassion So Hard? (A Happy Language Learner’s Perspective)

Brain Health

When I was a kid, I remember Brain Training being a big trend on handheld game consoles. Then it was sudoku. Now, you could argue it’s Wordle.

It’s true that we benefit from keeping our minds active and challenged.

Language learning is a great way to do that.

It’s nice if I can get 9 numbers in a line and a square and finish a sudoku. It’s even nicer if I can use that same brain power on something that also gets me one step closer to fluency in another language.

There’s a lot of research suggesting that language learning, and being bilingual and multilingual can delay conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s, which it has to be said is no bad thing.

Mental Wellbeing

As frustrating as it might be when a new word in German just won’t stick in your brain, language learning can act as a great source of self-care to support mental wellbeing.

Again, this is especially true when there’s no pressure, when we’ve not got a pressing reason to make language learning a priority and instead are learning primarily for pleasure with the acquisition of another language as a handy bonus.

Part of the reason for this is that languages are such an easy thing to learn in different ways, so no matter how we’re feeling or what we’re in the mood for, if we want to, there’ll be a creative way e can learn a language.

Related: Mindful Language Learning (+ What It Looks Like)

Hobbies Are A Net Positive

When there’s no urgency to learn a language, essentially, that makes it feel like a hobby.

And there’s sometimes a tendency in certain cultures to belittle hobbies as unnecessary, frivolous, or shallow.

So many people don’t learn languages when there’s no urgent need making it a priority for this exact reason.

But even when it’s not a priority, languages as a hobby can be hugely beneficial.

Hobbies have a net positive on our lives.

A New Zealand study (by Conner, 2016, if you’re curious!) found that hobbies can improve your overall well being, especially if they’re creative hobbies you do every day.

And, here’s the thing – languages can totally be creative hobbies – especially if you’re busy with lots of other things!

Yes, You Can Fit Languages In

Language learning should always be functional (it works), fun (it appeals), and flexible (it fits). And if it’s flexible, then yes, you can fit it in.

For starters, there’s lots of ways you can integrate languages into other areas of your life. For example, perhaps you add Spanish audio lessons to your dog walk.

The most important thing to remember is to fit language learning around your life, don’t fit your life around language learning. That way, you’ll always be able to find some time to do languages without it interfering with everything else in ways you don’t want.

Related: How to Learn a Language When You’re Busy Saying “I Don’t Have Time!”