ABSTRACT
Language learning has been a long-standing practice throughout human history. In today’s globalising world, there are increased motivations, purposes, opportunities and means to learn languages in addition to one’s fi rst language(s). The language to be learned can be the language used as the primary language of communication in their host community for minority or immigrant language speakers, a foreign language to which the learner has little direct access in daily communication, or a heritage language which younger generations in immigrant families learn from their parents or grandparents. It can also be a classical language, like Latin, or an artifi cial language like Esperanto, for scholarly pursuit. Whilst one can learn a new language by living amongst its speakers or studying alone using resources and technology, the most common means is attending language classes.
