Before I attempt to study a language, I think about why I should study the language and how I will use it in the real world. For example, I am studying Japanese so that I can read media from Japan that was never translated in English: such as books and videogames. I would also like to work in Japan in the future. Another example, I am studying Chinese because I had to choose a language to study through my college. But with that being said, I am also studying Chinese to help understand the meanings of Chinese characters. I also think that it is important to study since it is a widely spoken language.

It is best to find a really good source to study a language. Using a free online language course or a dictionary would definitely work to a certain extent. But it is much better to study a language in-person. For example, I study Japanese at a Japanese language school and I study Mandarin Chinese at my college. Many language learners become fully fluent when they take an in-person class. You can always google to see if there is a local language school in your town or city.