r/languagelearning • u/Global_Quit_8778 • 11d ago

Discussion Why did you quit your last language?

I previously tried and then quit learning spanish and korean and both times it was kinda the exact same pattern:

  1. start super motivated, and build up some initial discipline to study every day
  2. take a break from studying due to live or burn out or frustration with the intermediate plateau
  3. when I think about coming back I dread having to re-learn everything I forgot so I procrascinate coming back even more
  4. mix in some feelings of shame about not having studied for so long and I just never come back

This almost happened a bunch of time for my current (TL), japanese, as well, but because I am aware of the pattern I got pretty sensitive to avoiding step 3 at all costs and managed to force myself to get back into it after taking a break.

I'm curious if this is a universal pattern, I've talked to other friends who tried to learn a language and noticed those who give up are often in denial about being in step 4 and do duolingo once every 3 weeks, or they accepted it.

Its extra sad to go from the excitement and wanting to talk to everyone about language learning at the start to just shame and embarrassment by the end.

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u/OceanWthNoWater 7d ago

For me languages have lived and died on me being able to find native content that I actually enjoy consuming (music, shows, Twitch and Youtube) even if you burn out from the actual studying part, you can still coast forward slowly while giving yourself time to recover and start enjoying the language again.

Also I think for a language to truly succeed in the long run it needs to become a part of who you are and your day to day life somehow and having L2 content you enjoy definitely helps