Why are you studying a language?

It can be Japanese, Spanish, German, or Swahili, but why are you studying it?
What motivated you?
In the case of Japanese, was it only animu and mango or was there some other factor?

The first language I've learned besides my native one was English, but in that case the motivation has been pretty standard. At first I simply wanted to understand the games I played, then it turned out to be a mania about being able to communicate with others, the last years though were a race for the completion, so I simply wanted to finish my education on the matter as soon as possible so I can start actively using English in my career. Like, for example, becoming a translator.

Right now I'm learning Japanese. As with the above, it started out by the will to be able to understand stuff like anime/manga/Japanese games, but right now it's more of a hobby. I find myself enthralled by this language and the fact I'm able to understand some of the kanji already is very rewarding in a sense. At least for my ego.

Nanashi wrote

The first language I've learned besides my native one was English, but in that case the motivation has been pretty standard. At first I simply wanted to understand the games I played, then it turned out to be a mania about being able to communicate with others, the last years though were a race for the completion, so I simply wanted to finish my education on the matter as soon as possible so I can start actively using English in my career. Like, for example, becoming a translator.

Right now I'm learning Japanese. As with the above, it started out by the will to be able to understand stuff like anime/manga/Japanese games, but right now it's more of a hobby. I find myself enthralled by this language and the fact I'm able to understand some of the kanji already is very rewarding in a sense. At least for my ego.

What's your first language, then?

EDIT: Oh, I just saw your Polish thread.

Also, how long have you been studying Japanese?

In my case, I learned English since I was very young and polished it mainly through the internet. Lately I've been interested in improving my elocution and keeping my grammar in check. I'm very interested in linguistics in general, if you couldn't tell. I feel like being an elocutionist/voice actor apart from being a programmer would be a good way to improve/show off my English.

SO I CAN WATCH ANIME WITHOUT THE SUBTITLES!!!!!

okay not really, I've always been fascinated by Japan and Japanese culture. in the summer of 2014 I was fortunate enough to actually go to Japan for free with some other children from my school. During the trip, I did a homestay with a family from the school I visited. The experience was just... amazing. Since that day, I've wanted to go back; with a one-way ticket. I figured the best place to start would be learning the language.

15 days later

When I was in Highschool, I just told myself that after graduation, I'd find some 9-5 job, or maybe night work, or just NEET it up and just live out my life quietly.
In my last year, my history teacher also was teaching Japanese as an elective - the first time my school had ever offered it. I figured, "Ey, what the hell, why not give it a shot, I like this guy, and it sounds like easy credit."
He told us his story about how he got his degree and went off traveling the world, ending up in Japan, not speaking a word of Japanese, and lived there for many years, teaching English, first just learning enough Japanese to survive, then becoming fluent.
For the first time in my life, I thought "Hey, that actually sounds like something I WANT to do for a living!"

Fast forward and now I'm still not finished my degree (took time to work and save up first), spending my days shitposting on obscure forums dedicated to Chinese cartoons and not actually doing the work for my classes that'll get me said degree

LIVIN
THE
DREAM

I know you don't NEED a degree to teach English overseas, but I'd like to have something to fall back on, since most places pay peanuts.

also so that I don't need translators for my porn

Well the above post is..... interesting.
I started learning Japanese after realizing that I do indeed love the idea of Japan and that I do want to visit there, but I just want to learn enough to find my way around when I do eventually visit. Idk, there's other reasons too but that's the main reason.

6 months later

For self-betterment, more or less, and it would be useful if I ever decided to travel.

21 days later

Ｉ　ｄｏｎ’ｔ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｗｈｙ　Ｉ’ｍ　ｌｅａｒｎｉｎｇ　ｉｔ．　Ｉ　ｇｅｎｕｉｎｅｌｙ　ｈａｖｅ　ｎｏ　ｃｌｕｅ，　Ｉ’ｍ　ｊｕｓｔ　ａ　ｙｏｕｎｇ　ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔ　ｗｈｏ　ｕｓｅｓ　ｈｉｓ　ｅｘｃｅｓｓ　ｔｉｍｅ　Ｏｎ　ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ　ｏｔｈｅｒ　ｔｈａｎ　ｓｏｃｉａｌ　ａｃｔｉｖｉｓｍ　ａｎｄ　ｄｅｐｒｅｓｓｉｏｎ．

Because I'm gonna need to learn another language to move to the country I want to.

4 months later

For me it's mostly love for language? I've got rather strong feelings about linguistics, since they bring me great joy (from time to time make me salivate)

Can't stand Kanji though...

Melancholy wrote

Because I'm gonna need to learn another language to move to the country I want to.

So where do you want to move to, If you don't mind me asking?

4 months later and I still have no fucking clue why I'm learning this shit. I hope some apocalypse comes down on Europe so I can flee to Japan and be happy that I learned it.

My first language is Javanese and Indonesian. Both of them. My father talks in Indonesian. My mother usually talks in Javanese.

Note: Because I'm Indonesian so automically I can understand Malay.
English and Chinese is subjects that I learn since kindergarten. (yet I hate Chinese, fuck you Han Zi.)

I've been learning many kinds of language like Japanese, Russian, Esperanto, and French.
Eh? Why?

The reason is simple. It's really fun to talking people like all of you.

I also want to learn Tagalog, German, and Latin.

Actually, the main reason I learn Japanese is to understand anime, so I can buy all Japanese BD and DVD without subs. And playing eroge.