1. There is no such thing as a Useless language. In fact, my advice to young people is to find the language that most people think is useless and learn it, not for proficiency (mediocrity) but for fluency (excellence). Then see how many opportunities pop up because you have what most people do not.
2. You do not choose a language for how practical it is for your current context, but rather how useful YOU WILL BE to serve others once you know it well.
3. If you took two years of foreign language (or 3 or 4) in high school, you did not really have that much contact with the language. Break it down. How many hours was it? If it was at least 450 hours of contact with the language then you can probably function at an okay level. If it was less than that, don't be depressed. You didn't put enough time in. But it's not too late and those hours will not be wasted if you add contact hours NOW.
4. Learn as many languages as you can. Try to cover the different language families so that you can understand as many people as possible from very different cultures.
5. Starting kids on languages will NOT in any way interfere with learning of their native language. It will also not give them an accent. You can only help them by adding languages to their repertoire. The more the merrier.
6. Fluency in a language is a result of daily practice and deliberate immersion experiences created by YOU.
7. You do not get fluent in a language just because you live in a country that speaks that language. Language acquisition is deliberate.
8. Grammar will not get you fluent, but it will make you a better speaker once you are.
9. Knowing a foreign language can be exhilerating and one of the most satisfying experiences of your life once you get through the heartbreak of learning it.
10. Learning a language is hard and it often makes you feel silly, stupid and inadequate. It can throw you into a deep depression, especially if you are living abroad. However, it is temporary and you can never become fluent in a new language until you know how this feels.
11. Treat language acquisition like marathon training. Make a plan and kick it up a notch every time you start to feel comfortable-- that is what gets you to the next level.
12. Language learning is not easier for kids. They just practice more, don't get embarassed and have low expectations for themselves. They don't mind making mistakes in front of others.
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