Miles
Any thoughts/tips/warnings for learning multiple new languages at the same time? What’s your experience? Good idea? Bad idea? Too hard? Not actually very hard? Are there any complimentary languages that would work together without being too similar and confusing?
Jan 18, 2021 1:11 PM
Answers · 3
Hi Miles! I'm currently learning 3 languages at once, so I thought I'd share my thoughts. It's not impossible to learn multiple languages at the same time, but it will definitely be difficult! It's all about how much time you're able to put into each language. If you already speak two languages well, it won't be as difficult, as your brain is already wired to learn new languages. If not, perseverance! And using the languages often, whether with a tutor or with native speakers (perhaps on apps like hellotalk, or with a penpal exchange program). It does also depend on what languages you're thinking of. For example, some people think that learning Mandarin Chinese and Japanese together is easier because they have similar writing systems, but this can make it more difficult, as the pronunciations are completely different. For languages like French and Italian, learning them together is quite beneficial, as a lot of the time you can substitute a word for the other language and it will either be correct, or close enough that native speakers will understand you! Alternatively (and what I did!) was start with one, and get to a comfortable conversational level. Then, pick up your second language so you're not doing two languages worth of starting grammar at once, or trying to learn two different writing systems at once, such as Arabic and Russian. Don't forget to keep up with your first chosen language too though, especially if you're not a high level as it's so easy to forget proper grammar or pronunciation (I learnt Spanish for 7 years, but I still speak it like a high schooler 😅😅). Let me know if you have any specific questions, I hope this is a little bit helpful!
January 18, 2021
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