Losing a language means losing more than just words — it’s the loss of culture, memory, and identity. As the pace of language extinction accelerates, understanding what’s at stake becomes essential.
From the roots of globalisation to the quiet fading of ancient tongues, we uncover why languages vanish. This article shines a light on the urgent fight to preserve the world’s linguistic heritage.
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Important Factors Before Learning a Language
Important Factors Before Learning a Language
Learning a language isn’t a straight line—it’s a winding journey full of surprises, setbacks, and breakthrough moments.
From making vocabulary your best friend to embracing everyday immersion (and not just textbooks), their real-world advice could save you months of frustration. Discover how to truly live a language—not just study it—and why understanding local slang and daily conversation matters more than mastering grammar.
Whether you're just getting started or trying to break through a plateau, these insights will reshape how you approach your language goals.
Why Most People Quit—and How You Won’t
We’re going to be real with you. Language learning looks fun on day one. You download the app, learn “hello,” and suddenly imagine yourself fluent by next summer. But then? Life happens. Progress stalls. Motivation fades. How relatable, right?
The truth? Most people give up not because they can’t learn, but because they didn’t set themselves up to win. The good news? You’re not like most people.
Stay Motivated with a “Why Wall”
One of the most powerful ways to stay motivated while learning a language is to connect your study to a personal reason—your why. But don’t just keep it in your head—make it visual.
Create a “Why Wall” (physical or digital) where you pin or post reminders of why you started. This could include:
A photo of a place you want to travel to
A quote in your target language that inspires you
A screenshot of a conversation you want to be able to have
Notes from friends or loved ones who speak the language
Your bucket list item: “Give a toast in Spanish at my best friend’s wedding”
Every time motivation dips, glance at your wall. It transforms your goal from abstract (“learn French”) into something emotional, vivid, and real.
Language Learning Tip
Here’s the truth: stuffing your brain with isolated words is like collecting puzzle pieces with no picture on the box. Sure, you know “laufen” means “to run”… but what do you do with it?
Try this instead: Embed new words into real-life phrases that spark visuals, emotions, and routine.
Don’t just learn “laufen” — learn “Ich laufe jeden Morgen im Park” (I run every morning in the park). Suddenly, you’re not learning a word. You’re imagining the morning air, the crunch of gravel underfoot, the habit of motion.
Why it works:
Your brain craves meaning. Words stick when linked to stories and situations.
Grammar clicks naturally as you see how phrases are built.
Fluency flows faster when you’re speaking the way real people do.
Did You Know?
Some languages don’t just communicate — they carry entire worldviews.
Take Ainu, the Indigenous language of northern Japan. In Ainu:
There’s no difference between singular and plural — one bear or many, the respect is the same.
There are no gendered pronouns — no “he” or “she”, just humans.
This isn’t a linguistic quirk. It reflects an animist worldview, where humans, animals, and nature are equals, and the language honours that balance.
But here’s the tragedy: Ainu is critically endangered. And when a language dies, we don’t just lose words — we lose an entire lens through which to see the world.
💭 What might we learn if we listened more closely to the languages we’re letting slip away? Reply to this email and with the responses, we’ll share them in the next email.
Join the Conversation
What’s your favourite example of how language reflects culture? Share your thoughts with our community on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
Experts estimate that one language dies every two weeks, amounting to roughly 25–30 extinct languages each year.
If the current trend continues unchecked, linguists predict that 50–90% of the world’s languages could become extinct by the end of the 21st century.
— #Language Learners Hub (#@LanguageLHub)
5:40 PM • Jun 8, 2025