Hello Rena, apart from English which is my mother tongue, I speak and learn Spanish (Advanced level C1) , French, (High intermediate) B2) Italian and Brazilian Portuguese (both low intermediate B1) I found out last year that I am high-functioning autistic when I was diagnosed by a psychologist last year. It certainly helps if you have already reached quite an advanced level in at least one of these languages. It also makes It easier for you if the languages you are learning are all in the same language family. (Group) In my case, they are all Romance languages and I learnt French and some Spanish at secondary school. I seriously started learning Italian and Portuguese in my late 50's. I take (receive) lessons online in all these languages with native teachers. On Italki you can choose between community or professional teachers who are very goodand who are almost exclusively native teachers (with very few exceptions) Tips: 1) Choose different days and times to study each individual language. You might choose to learn French on Tuesdays, Italian on Wednesdays and Spanish on Fridays. This can help you to separate each language so that you do not become confused or mix up the languages. 2) Ideally allow your teacher to create an immersion experience for you during your class by only speaking that language during the lesson, unless you get really stuck and need to ask/explain something in your mother tongue. I have made more and better progress in my French by doing this than when I tried asking/ explaining things in Spanish, too. So I speak from experience here! 3. Find a language exchange partner who is also ideally a native speaker with whom you can regularly practise. 4. When you have built up enough vocabulary over time so that you can write some basic sentences in your new target language, try to translate a few sentences from your new language into your mother tongue with the help of your native teacher during your class. I hope this helps you. 😀

Hi Rena! You asked a really great question and I have to say that my answer has probably evolved over time. I grew up with two mother tongues, English and Hakka Chinese so, from a young age, I was immersed in a multilingual environment. I have been lucky to have maintained my Hakka ability, by speaking it with family often, despite living in an English-speaking environment most of the time. For languages I acquired at a later age like French, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese, I make a conscious effort to consume media in these languages. For example, reading French novels, watching C-dramas, listening to Japanese music etc. I am also very lucky to have lived and worked in France and Japan for a few years; while I was abroad, I would seek out opportunities to interact with locals, from grocery shopping to going out with friends. Much like Paul and Mehran have suggested already, finding a language exchange partner, international friends or teachers would be one of the most effective ways to keep using your target language(s). Other ideas to passively or actively maintain your secondary languages: - Writing journal entries in the target language(s) - Watching the news in the target language(s) - Texting international friends in their languages(s) - Narrating every day actions in the target language(s). This was a really fun question to think about! I hope my ramblings could be of some help and wish you the best of luck in your language journey :)

Hi Rena, Such a nice question you asked! As a teacher who is also learning new languages, I believe that the best thing to do is use your target language frequently, daily if possible. You can find international friends, language partners, teachers, etc. If possible, use that language in your job. Wish you luck!

Everyone is different, but here are some ideas: Use each language a little every day. Read a short article, watch a video, or speak with someone, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Rotate the languages so each one gets attention during the week. Keep sessions short—10 to 20 minutes is enough if it’s regular. Possible routine: • Morning – read or listen to something • Afternoon – write a few notes or learn one new word • Evening – speak or write a short text Advice: • Small and frequent practice works better than one long session. • Bring the language into daily life—shopping lists, messages, subtitles. • Choose activities that are enjoyable, so motivation stays strong.

Maintaining several languages doesn’t require hours — just small, steady contact. Daily exposure Five to ten minutes is enough. A short article, a quick podcast, a few messages. Give each language a purpose German for news, English for work, French for chatting, etc. When each language has a “job,” your brain keeps it active. Rotate, don’t stress One language will always feel weaker for a while. Just give it a little attention and it comes back. How to fit it into life Listen while walking, read while eating, watch a series at night. Make languages part of your routine, not extra work.