I have a phrase a day calendar that teaches me a German phrase that I usually forget by the next day.

Katie wants to learn Chinese to become more Asian.

Do either of us have any hope? Is it possible to learn a foreign language when it isn’t a requirement (because you live or are moving to a foreign country in the near future) and when it is only something you think about briefly and/or sporadically?

Is there an easy way to try and get ourselves in a better mindset?  Software like the Rosetta Stone?  Free podcasts we may find online?  Enrolling in a local community college class?  Moving to Germany or China?

It doesn’t look too promising with how busy our lives are.  I don’t often come home from a long day of work looking to learn and practice German, and that may be the root cause of why it won’t happen easily.

It may also be because I spread myself too thin.  If I focus on less things to learn at a single time as opposed to trying to acquire German, guitar, novel writing, and various other work skills all within the span of a year, I may have more success.

But where’s the fun in that?