NORMAL LIFE: Why Do I Bother (Again)?!

In my view, a language is made easier to learn simply by being exposed to it. When I saw this, I am referring to how people in foreign lands may, from a very young age, have been exposed to an English-speaking program on TV or an English-speaking advert (such as Coca Cola, for example) at their local cinema.

Furthermore, a willingness to learn is often driven my a need or necessity. When I mention need, I am refering to those organisations in small countries who want to compete and in certain industires such as tourism when one language is often used as a platform for communications.

A willingness to learn is especially true of new EU members who, desiring increased social status, need to consider learning English, French, German or perhaps even Spanish depending on the local requirement.

If English wasn't my mother tongue, I would probably really want to learn Finnish, merely to aid communication. In a country where English is spoken more fluently by more people than Finland's second national language, Swedish, I can't help but ask what really is in it for me?

The other day, whilst in a lift when I was leaving work, I proudly told a fellow colleague (a native Finn, no less) that I was going to my Finnish lesson. "What do you need that for?" he asked. Why do I bother? It go me thinking along the lines of why couldn't the Nordic Countries have been part of the Empire?!

See earlier Why I Bother link here.