Had any problem learning a new language in the past? Being forced to learn a new language at school is the biggest reason for stopping to learn languages. Motivation can be found at many different corners.
When at school motivation is the most difficult part. There are two types of motivation. External motivation can be produced by having to participate in exams. If you think about it you notice that you are actually motivated to succeed on the exam, however it is not the best way to be motivated. External motivation can still be a great incentive. For example when you meet new people who only speak a certain language. If you like them and want to communicate with them you will learn your language really quick.
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confusius
Internal motivation is the second type. This can be achieved by finding a reason within yourself to learn a language. Many of the internal motivation comes from external sources that you really want to improve on. For example if you are planning to move to a different country you will directly be motivated to learn the language. Because you have a lot better time knowing the local language.
Language learning can be a really slow progress. Don’t let this discourage you. As long as you stay motivated or know where you can get your motivation back you will constantly improve. Before you get demotivated think about what your reasons are to learn language. So when the time comes that you are less likely to continue learning you can attack it head on. A good way to do this is to find someone that speaks the other language. So you can actually talk about anything you want to casually in the new language.
A last way to stay motivated is by seeing if one of your close friends wants to learn the same language or maybe is a lot better in the language than you are. Talking to someone who is a lot better than you can motivate you to reach their level of fluency. If you feel not comfortable enough to actually speak the language focus on learning and listening to the person in question. If it’s your friend you can even agree that they speak your targeted language and you speak your mother tongue.