I have to say that I've been slightly discouraged in my language learning.
I don't remember the last time I've sat down and studied, and I'm feeling the effects of wanderlust. I like conlangs, and I've been tempted to try Klingon - yes, Klingon. The language everyone thinks is a waste of time to try to learn. I like Star Trek, but not enough to actually learn the language. If I lived near Cincinnati, however, I would be very tempted to learn it, because there is a group that meets together to practice the language (but not to drink bloodwine and eat gagh, I hope).
Why am I considering Klingon? Because I've been reading Arika Okrent's book "In the Land of Invented Languages" and it makes Klingon sound like fun, but only at their meetings. They seem to meet up every year somewhere in the United States, and one activity is going out to restaurants, some of them in costume, and speaking Klingon in public. Now, I think most Americans are in favor of people speaking whatever language they want to in the privacy of people's own homes or in private places, but if you speak a weird language in public, you're going to draw attention to yourself.
Anyway, enough of Klingon.
I've also been tempted to learn Japanese, which just about everyone would consider far more important than Klingon. I think Spanish and Esperanto will keep me busy, but maybe I could work an easy book like "Japanese from Zero!" into the mix.
I'm fascinated by conlangs, and have even thought about making my own to write in, but I haven't started anything like that yet. Another conlang that has come to my attention is Lojban, which is supposed to help its speakers think more logically, and is supposed to be a logical language. I found their group on Youtube and subscribed to Reddit (I've just signed up for Reddit in the past week). It sounds like a fascinating language as well.
I'm also interested in toki pona, Latin and Ancient Greek. That's enough for now. I really do need to find other hobbies than languages, because when I get bored with languages, I have to find something else to do.
Take care.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
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