I learned a few phrases to impress an ex-gf I had, and her parents, but didn't care at all for the language.
Then I came to Japan and started learning seriously out of necessity. But just basics.

Then I started learning it very seriously because I like my friends and got frustrated when I couldn't join in.

I started learning Japanese because I had to, but I ended up enjoying it. I found out that I'd be moving here, so I purchased a few books and did some cram studying before arriving. Here in Japan is where I had my first ever official class in Japanese. Now that it's required I study at least to proficiency for my major, it gives me something to work on every day.
Now it's become more or less a way of keeping me sane. It gets so annoying not understanding people, or only ever getting the gist of what people are saying. That's my motivation to keep learning.

This was my same motivation as well too!

Like Realjames, i didnt really care at all for the language. I learned a little back at home but not much. However when I got here...wow i got to learn this language for real! so ever since i arrived here Sept. 2010 i have been studying my butt off and it working. I starting to get better with hearing but my speaking it crap but it will improve in near time.

Okay. Well, you know, I didn't say that I was fluent in those languages, but actually, I can communicate in four languages. Just because I didn't yet master them don't mean that I can't speak them. As you don't know my mastery level, it would be hard to just tell me: "Hey, you probably aren't even able to speak correctly in those languages since you do it in your spare time". Now let me say this: I was able to get to the N4 Japanese level on my own. And, if I must say, this level is supposed to be enough to converse with someone and make yourself understood enough. Oh, and I know that this message sounds pretty harsh, but I must hurry, work in 10. I'm just making my own point responding to yours. And for mandarin, I said I was "learning" still, didn't say that I was speaking it yet. In fact, because of the tones and accents of mandarin, I can actually more read than talk.

And if I may, as for Spanish, it's been 3 years at best I didn't speak it, but I still understand it pretty well. You mixed my story with TalnSG's. Anyways, it depends on everyone's point of view. IT's true that someone who can't express itself without simple conversationnal phrases can't really "speak" a language, but it's not my case.

I find it really interesting to see that so many people here speak more than 2 languages. It's thrilling!

i am not mixing up anything. it's just my view when it comes to word "speak"
lvl4 isn't part of my understanding of the word "speak the language".
it's good for you and how much you have done but my reply was more intended to Robin who stated that's amazing that you speak in 5 languages.
and conversation level means ability to converse about anything - politics, social issues and not just about the food, weather or basic history in my point of view.
you're right saying i don't know how high your skills are but taking that english is your best 2nd language by far and by the way you use it i can tell that the rest of them aren't anything to write home about. :cool:

Now I'm lost. Okay, I surrender. I don't "speak" Japanese in your point of view. And probably that you are right about that. Maybe if you don't get the conversationnal level you can't properly "speak" a language. BUT I think that Robin's comment was okay. He neither knows my level anyway. I didn't start that thread to boast or anything, I was curious about others, why they started learning Japanese. Never said I was done or anything near that. Oh, and I think you should use capitals at the beginning of your sentences, at some point I was lost in your post.

And I didn't understand that last thing you said, about "anything to write home about"... what did you mean. That my English isn't well enough, or that in comparison the other languages must not be at the same level as my English is? Sometimes I don't get some things because I live in a French-only environement, so... there are some expressions that I truly don't know/understand. Please precise your thought for me :) You can PM me if you want, so that other users can come up with their own answer to the first post:

Why did you start learning Japanese? So far we have many answers. We need more!

What I said was So to begin with I said she knew 'four' not 'five' ;) Anyway, with regards to 'knowing' a language . . . I actually agree fully with what Dogsbody70 said, which is that it is admirable to learn a knew language and to try one's best, which is exactly what Kasomi has done.

I personally would say 'knowing' a language is the ability to differentiate it from similiar languages, understand basic grammar and structure, and perhaps read a little or make understand basic phrases - to 'speak' a language would be, in my opinion, to make polite and basic conversation about a variety of topics, such as the weather, ordering food, saying how one feels, if one is ill, what you like/dislike etc. For example when my friend was learning English she started off only able to tell me how she was, what she liked, what she wanted to eat - it wasn't until ages later she could discuss politics, social issues and history, but it would be foolish to say (again, in my opinion) that she couldn't 'speak' or didn't 'know' English. There is a huge difference in fluency or speaking at a native-level and general 'speaking', and I don't know Kasomi's exact levels in what she speaks, so I won't claim she's fluent, but by the sounds of it she does know the four languages and can speak them. Her level in Spanish is still impressive in my view, and she can certainly 'speak' it even if not fluent.

I kind of agree with evanny. Most people claim to know a language when all they can do is write a few short sentences and say "hello, how are you? I'm fine, thanks" in the language they say they can speak. To me that's neither knowing nor speaking a language. That takes less than 5 minutes to learn, and believe me, learning a language takes years. Speaking a language means you can have a conversation about whatever without much difficulty, and that's not easy to achieve.

Kasomi, I do speak Spanish, if you wanna keep up with your practice I could be of help. :)

HM Evanny,I think that you assume way too much. who are you to criticise?

no i don't assume too much. and i am a bilingual person. i didn't say anything about what she has done being bad. good for her but i have problems when people say they speak a language when only are able to hold a very basic conversations aka lvl4 at the japanese proficiency test. in my point of you (which i have stressed over and over) that doesn't count as "speaking the language".