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Do What You Love in a Foreign Language
What is important when learning a foreign language? Vocabulary? Grammar? Somebody to talk to? Of course, all those things are important. However, learning a foreign language can take a very long time, so we need to stay motivated to learn! So, I’d like to suggest ‘doing what you love in a foreign language.’ For me, that is cooking!
For the past two years, I have been going to cooking school. Of course, these classes are in Japanese, and they are for Japanese people. At first, I was a little nervous and afraid to join. What if I couldn’t understand my teacher? What if I couldn’t read the recipe? What if my classmates didn’t understand my Japanese? What if my food tasted bad? There was a lot to worry about, but I’m glad I overcame my fears. Now, I can really enjoy reading recipes, listening to my teacher’s instructions, and talking with my classmates in Japanese.
I can do something new in my life because I used a foreign language. I know the difference between みじん切り(minced) and 粗みじん切り (chopped). I know how much 少々（a pinch） is. Very importantly, I know what to do when the recipe tells me to 蓋をして（cover the pot with the lid）or 蓋をずらして （leave the lid slightly ajar）. Not only can I read and learn new recipes using Japanese, but I can also explain how to cook them to my Japanese friends. Being able to do this makes me very happy and gives me a true sense of accomplishment!
I know that learning a new language can be difficult and sometimes it is hard to stay motivated. This is natural. So, when you are feeling unmotivated, why not try doing something you love in that language? If you love sports, try reading an article about that sport or listening to a game in English! If you love videogames, try switching the language when you play. If you love TV or movies, try finding your favorite scene on YouTube and memorizing it. If you love music and dance, try learning about your favorite performer or watching their interviews in English. It might be difficult at first, but it is a great way to challenge yourself, learn lots of new vocabulary, and feel like you are using the language in a meaningful way.

(日本語で要約)
もし、外国語を勉強したいなら、何が必要ですか？もちろん語彙、文法、話し相手はとても大事ですがやる気も大事です。外国語を上達するまでに時間がかかるからこそどうやってやる気をキープするかをよく考いています。外国語で自分が好きなことをすればいいんじゃないかと思います。私にとって料理が好きなので二年前に月一回、料理教室を通い始めました。この料理教室は普通に日本人向けなので私は日本語を使う必要があります。最初に私はとても緊張していましたが今は大丈夫です。レシピをちゃんと読めるし、先生の話を理解できるし、他のクラスメートと楽しく喋ることもできます。料理教室に入ったからこそ日本語と料理も少し上手になったと思うので達成感を感じます。
外国語を勉強する皆さんに言いたいのはできれば自分が好きなことを外国語で勉強してほしいということです。たとえばゲームが好きな人はゲームする時に言語の設定を変更したり、映画を好きな人は好きな映画のワンシーンを探して暗記したり、自分が好きな選手やアーティストのインタビューを読んだりするといいとおもいます。これをすると楽しみながら、単語と言語能力が増えると思います。