4 Answers

  1. I now learn three languages: English (now at the B2 level), Italian (near B1), French A1. English is not confused with them at all, few similar languages in my opinion. But Italian and French brought a lot of trouble at first. Italian was then at a low level, and words and grammar were very confused, so I had to postpone French for a while. But now, when the Italian is already in decent condition, I took up French again and now everything is in order. Therefore, it seems to me that if languages are from the same language group, it is better that the level of knowledge of one language is slightly higher than that of another. And if the languages are different, then there shouldn't be any problems at all.

  2. I think it is quite possible if you have the ability to learn two languages. For example, Japanese/Chinese/Korean and English, for example. Languages simply won't be able to “mix” in your head, as they are too different. I find learning Asian languages useful for economists and logisticians. Thanks to their close relations with Asia, such specialists are highly valued.

  3. Maybe even a few! It's all about motivation and a strict understanding of why you need it and what you will get if you achieve what you want. If you have a professional goal (at work/school it is necessary) or you are moving, then everything is much easier here. Another thing is that if you are going to study for fun, it will be somewhat more difficult, but no less realistic. Everything is in your hands!

    You should read the articleYevgenia Kashaeva, who a few years ago set up an experiment to learn five languages in one year, while having a one-year-old child in her arms. Of course, she had only one “new” language, but believe me, it is much more difficult to bring four languages to mind (B2-C1) than to learn one to an acceptable level (B1).

    In addition, the famous polyglot Alexander Arguels has a whole video where he shows what his day consists of, how he distributes time between several languages.

    I also personally like the Vkontakte blog Language geek girl, where a girl learns eight languages at the same time, two of which are at the C1-C2 level. I love her for the fact that everything is extremely human for her. Sometimes she is lazy, sometimes she does not have the strength to do something, but she does not give up her occupation and even takes on new languages. That is, not a pleasant picture, but a harsh reality. Yes, it is difficult, yes, not easy, but incredibly interesting.

    In general, something like this 🙂

  4. I don't think so, although this is all due to a person's personal abilities. I speak 4 languages (Russian, English, Spanish and Catalan), and each one was taught separately from the other. I've tried to learn French with English, Spanish with Catalan, and German with English, but it's not very effective. It's one thing when the languages are completely different-enough, but not so much information is sorted into shelves in your head, but if the languages are at least somehow similar, then everything gets confused and turns into mush. Moreover, the learned language can not be stored in the head in perfect condition without constant practice. During the 4 months of my persistent study of Spanish, I forgot English, began to make serious mistakes and build sentences in the manner of Spanish and invent new English-Spanish words. As a result, I started to regularly improve my English, and so far it's holding up. Yes, what can I say, for six months of living in Spain, I forgot my native Russian, but I started to improve my literature. In general, I advise you to learn languages separately, but to save time, you need to do it effectively, that is, with constant practice and then regularly reinforce your knowledge after studying. The 20:80 method, where 20% is given to theory and 80% to practice, is very effective in my opinion. By the way, the more languages you know, the easier it is to continue. For example, I now learn French after Spanish and Catalan, and it is very similar to both of them, especially Catalan, so now it is generally easier than simple. One grammar, one spelling. And there are, of course, language students who learn 3-4 languages at the same time, and this is quite possible, they just already have a certain base and abilities. So it all depends on the person, but I don't recommend making a mess in your head

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