A couple of years ago, I was tagged by two polyglot youtubers to do a "language tag" (thanks Matt and Abigail!). I thought it was so sweet, but then I completely forgot about it. Now I'll gladly do this tag.
What do you consider to be your native language? English
What was your first language learning experience? Spanish class in the 8th grade. In one of the quarters I got a D, so I was quite sure that language-learning wasn't for me.
What languages have you studied and why did you start them? Spanish (still trying to this day; I love learning about Latin American history and would soon like to do so in Spanish), French (because I heard Stromae and Indila's music and wanted to know the words; also the 10th Doctor in Doctor Who had a French catchphrase), Arabic (I found out my freshman year that many North Africans spoke French and Arabic, so I wanted the other half of the equation), German (I did a homestay in Austria and was determined to continue after I left), Portuguese (Damon and Jo's YT channel introduced me to Portuguese, but also a lot of great writers are Brazilian, a large chunk of the African Diaspora is in Brazil, and brigadeiros are amazing), Mandarin (for business reasons, but also it's so fun), Turkish (why not?), Japanese (why not?), Swahili (trying to connect to the roots!), Wolof (I will go to Senegal one day!)
How does your personality affect how you learn languages? I like to talk so I have done Meetup groups, HelloTalk (and other apps for chatting and learning languages), Skype tutoring sessions, having conversation partners, etc. I am also a nerd so sitting down with a textbook and making songs out of grammar rules is also very my-style. When I'm not studying, I like listening to language music and watching international Netflix.
Do you prefer learning languages in a class or individually? I prefer individually, but also I know that many people prefer individually based on bad experiences in the classroom. Two or three class periods a week is not the way to learn a language obviously, but some professors make it their life's mission to get a language into your head. I have had pretty good luck with language classes in college. But I still prefer self-teaching.
What are your favorite language learning materials? Duolingo, YouTube, Netflix, basically I prefer methods I don't have to pay for (besides Netflix).
How much time do you spend actively learning per day/week? I want to say 30 minutes a day, but actively studying, there is no consistency what so ever. I can study Arabic for 3-4 hours at a time, but I get tired of German after 10 minutes. So it also depends on the language. Currently, I am putting in 15 minutes of language practice at the minimum daily.
What are your short term and long term language learning goals? Both my short term and long term goals is for someone to pay me for my language abilities. I find language learning fun, so it would be nice to be paid for something I already do for free.
What is your favorite language? Yuck 🤮 I'll skip this Q to spare you my rant on colonialism, Euro-centrism, and why Americans believe that French is la langue de l'amour.
What is the next language you want to learn? Spanish. I'll get it one day. Language learning is literally unlocking different parts of the world that you previously did not have access to. So learning Spanish and sticking to it will allow me to empathize better with Spanish-speakers, travel to Spanish-speaking countries, and learn about the Spanish-speaking African Diaspora.
What advice can you give to new language learners? First, start now. Next, enrich your experience by reading books about the countries that speak the language you're trying to learn. And as my Darija professor used to say, remember that you are "stronger than the language."