Hi.
I'm not specialist in English, however, I think I can help.
The main point about use "ing" or not, is not the verb, but if it before than a preposition (of, for, at, in, on, etc).
So, what define if the verb "learn" depends on the sentence, see the below examples:
I want to learn how to speak English.
The best way of learning English is practice, practice and practice.
I'm looking forward to learning a new language.
I hope I could help you out.