About a year ago I started studying Italian, but 6 months later I immediately stopped "wasting" my time on that project for a very good reason. A reason I will share with you here.
But first, a little introduction:
Last year my family and I were in Italy for an entire month and were absolutely loving it there. I enjoy the Italian culture, cuisine and of course the language. So, naturally, I started missing it all soon after we came home to everyday life which is why I decided to start learning Italian.
I installed the Duolingo app and started my quest to master Italian. And I did actually make great progress during the next 6 months where I rarely missed a day of practice.
But then,
Since I am a fond reader of technological advancements I once stumbled upon an article on "Real time language translation" devices.
Yes REAL TIME translators!
We are currently making great progress in this field and I wouldn't be surprised if learning a foreign language will become a thing of the past within a relatively short time frame.
We already have devices that can do this, see for an example this video:
Would you still spend hundreds of hours learning a new language if you had a real time language device at hand?
I for sure wouldn't and my guess is that most people would quit their foreign language studies as well.
Real time language devices can already be acquired for about $400, see for an example these earbuds from Bragi's
Of course there would be exceptions
If you plan to relocate permanently to another country you would be better off knowing the language. It would become tiresome to carry earbuds around all the time
Real time translators might not be able to translate humorous conversations appropriately - not getting irony for an examle
More reasons to quit learning another language
When you start out learning another language you might be full of optimism, but in reality you will never become 100% well-versed in a foreign tongue as you are in your native language. Locals will be able to spot an accent, and rare words will evade you long enough to never sink into your available vocabulary.
The internet and fast speed travel along with international agreements has made usage of a few major languages widely accepted as international languages (primarily English). So you might just concentrate on one or two of those anyway.
Always strive to learn new stuff
I am definitely not recommending you to stop learning new things. I am merely pointing towards the arguments why you should allocate your precious time to learning new things that might be more rewarding in the long run.
Examples:
Learning to code (another type of language)
Learning to play the piano
Learning how to repair your bike
Keeping up to date in your field of profession
Learn how to spread the word about Steemit
etc...
Let me know what you guys think, was I wrong about quitting Italian?