learning foreign languages

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Language, as a subject, has always fascinated me
and it's my dream to be able to speak another language fluently
the problem is, i'm terrible when it comes to trying to learn a language

At first, i'm really enthusiastic and can easily learn new words and phrases, but after a while, my interest just seems to taper off.
I always seem distracted by some other subject that takes my interest, and it seems like i will never be able to achieve my dream
I've actually gone through several languages, but...
I've always have had difficulty doing things that i wasn't interested in
sometimes i feel so lazy

I have the same problem. I know the basic phrases for several languages, but like you after I get to a certain point, I just can't focus. I think it is better to learn from a tutor in a class though because (I assume you are the same) teaching yourself is difficult and books can be quite vague or confusing.

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I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )

if somebody dropped you into another country, you would be forced to learn the local language and quickly. you need something to force you to keep at it, something like a friendly pen pal from another country to give you an incentive to keep plugging away at it.

Try to find a language that you can stay motivated to learn. Is there a language you maybe have more reason to learn, like maybe it's spoken in a country where you visit a lot, or would like to visit?

I don't really have this problem, I never really get bored of languages. Except in a few cases where I have learned a bit and then got bored and given up, that was when I didn't really have enough motivation. For example, the language I progressed least in was Finnish. My initial interest was because I had about two Finnish songs on my iPod that I liked, which it turns out isn't enough for me to stay interested. I probably wouldn't ever find myself in a situation where Finnish would be useful to me (though I probably would visit Finland at least once in my life, the same could be said of most countries, because I am fascinated by foreign countries in general). My main problem is not so much that I get bored of one language, but that I get interested in new ones, so I attempt to learn loads of different languages at once, which means I don't really do well in any of them. I don't do that anymore, though, I'm focusing on one at a time, it's much better this way.

My main language is Spanish, which I chose because I have visited Spain a few times and would like to visit again, and because I love Spanish music, and because it is one of the most widely-spoken languages on the planet (I think it is fourth, after Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, and English).

I can learn language very easily by reading it, but it is almost impossible to do so by hearing it spoken. Perhaps purchasing a book in the language you wish to learn, along with a "Language X - your native language" dictionary, and read the book with the help of the dictionary. Good luck.

I've always wanted to learn French. I might save up my money, and do that, at my local community college.

You could try reading children's books and comics in the language you're interested in - the more context you have to work out words you don't understand, the better.

I didn't take French in high school. I'm almost afraid to take it, at my local college. What if I flunk it, and all that money would be wasted? I'd like to learn it, though.

Languages is one of my special interests. I'm good at learning some and terrible at learning some others. I've been learning Spanish for 3 years and I'm very good at it, but I tried French once and failed at it.

Spanish is my main focus right now as far as a foreign language is concerned. I'm currently in my third year in high school of taking Spanish (only two years of a foreign language are required) and I'm gradually progressing. Also, I currently live in Texas, and Latino people make up a substantial portion of the population of Texas, so learning Spanish would really benefit me. I'm considering taking further Spanish in college because I don't want to stop after three years of learning so much and gradually let everything I have learned slip away from me. I'd also like to visit Spain some time in the near future.

If I ever master the Spanish language, I don't know if I'd consider taking up another one. If I were to, I'd consider Japanese because I've had an interest in Japanese culture for years. But I also know that learning a language that is related to Spanish, like French or Italian, would be much easier than jumping into a language that has no relation to Spanish whatsoever. I guess I'll worry about that once (and if) the time comes.

I love studying foreign languages. The one I know best is Spanish (or possibly ASL). I sailed through all my language classes, but I rarely have the opportunity to use them and so my ability/fluency fades...