This is so refreshing. I am so tired of all the polyglots on TH-cam who say it’s “impossible” to learn multiple languages at once. I have always found it “impossible” to learn 1 language at a time for many of the reasons you talked about. I get so bored and end up quitting and doing something else entirely if I try to learn one at a time. Another problem I have with 1 at a time is “choice paralysis.” I can’t decide which to learn because there are so many I want to learn, and I end up wasting so much time trying to decide and starting and stopping languages constantly. Sure, it seems like it would be slower learning many at once - but it’s faster than being frozen in choice paralysis or constantly being in review phase of languages I previously quit! Thanks so much for dispelling the myths and calling out the haters who want to tell others what they “can’t” do without knowing anything about them or their motivations!
Thank you for the kind words; I'm so glad you found this video helpful! I also made one on how to learn multiple languages at once, but it was so important for me to start with this one to dispel the myths. Just like you, I was also getting tired of nearly everyone out there speaking out against learning multiple languages at once...
I agree. You can learn multiple languages at the same time as long as you can organise yourself and dedicate enough time to each one and you stay consistent. Also, it helps you stay interested. Personally, if I focused on only one at a time, I'd get bored. And about learning 2 languages from the same family... Translating from one to the other is a good way to learn not to mix them, in my experience
I love how you explained, I'm studying Japanese and Korean at the same time, I started Chinese after a year learning this 2 but I thought I will mess up because many people said that you shouldn't study languages that are similar at the same time so i stopped, but actually I have never never mess up with all my languages Im sorry if I have any grammar error english is my 3rd language 🖤
You can do whatever you want, ditch the rules in language learning. The only rule is to be flexible and adjust to your own needs. If you have no problems studying multiple languages, then that's what you should do! P.S. No need to apologize for your English, good luck! 🍀
The biggest thing I've found with learning multiple languages is that now that I am used to doing it, I can study a lot longer. That is to say, I have a limited reserve of interest during study, so if I spend more than an hour intensely focused on Spanish then I hit a point of diminishing returns. However, I can switch to Russian at that point and continue for another hour, and by the time I hit the point of diminishing returns there, I can now return to Spanish as if I had just taken a break from all language learning. Also, I'm the kind of person who thrives on challenges, so I don't mind having ten new languages I play with at one time, even if I'm only really focusing on three in depth for any particular month.
It's true, words ending in -μα are a bit odd, but not difficult. The thing to look for isn't the -α at the end, but the -μα. For instance, there are many Greek words in Spanish ending in -a, but they are feminine (just like in Greek), e.g. geometría / γεωμετρία. Greek neuter nouns in -μα tend to end in -ema in Spanish, so this might help people who find those exceptions confusing.
Hi Matthew, I know German well and it was very helpful basis for Swedish language. I can learn Swedish, Norwegian and finally added Danish as they have many similar words. Enjoy learning several languages at the same time
I like and agree with the idea of giving the brain a rest. It can be beneficial. The year that I lived in Spain, I traveled to a few other countries and when I returned to Malaga, I felt a surge in my confidence and fluency. I speak Portuguese and French as well. I have been devoting a lot of time to Portuguese almost to the detriment of my Spanish. I never seem to practice it anymore. I am going to Mexico for a week in September and I am excited about speaking Spanish again. It will all come back to me. Great video BTW and super interesting content as well. May I ask, what is your mother tongue?
Creo que este es el mejor video hayas hecho ya. Gracias! Once again, you've inspired my learning and given me the confidence to keep learning more languages. I think your story about using a Spanish verb in a German sentence has inspired me to start a little German. Paso a paso!😀
I wanted to take a moment to update you on my progress. Since viewing this video, I have stepped up my focus on French and Portuguese (I'm visiting Portugal next week) and I'm proud to say I listened to your video in which you speak all 8 languages and I understood much more of the Portuguese, French, and even Italian! Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Thank you for sharing your progress! Your words inspire me to keep moving forward with this channel. 🥹 Have a blast in Portugal and keep me posted on your progress (if you feel like it, of course). 🍀 Thanks again! Words like that mean a lot to me and inspire me 😊
You got right, I started Portuguese and Spanish like 3 years ago, and avter 4 months of started the both helped me memorizing vocavs and smooth the 2 languages grammar.
Merci beaucoup Stefani. Nous aimons être ici ! Quant à la référence grecque au "el problema" - je note aussi "il problema", "le problème", "o problema" en italien, français et portugais.
I took french right before spanish class in school and I can say that my french learning helped my spanish learning. But I laugh because i went to the Philippines for a year before i did the dual french and spanish and I got two answers wrong in spanish on a test because the words for aunt and uncle are very similar in tagalog
For me, only learning one language is like choosing between your kids which ones you will spend your time with. I have taken french, spanish, japanese,russian, tagalog and tsalagi. But french and spanish are the only ones ive been most successful with. I havent been able to practice my russian and japanese so those have gone by the wayside some. But since my daughter is taking japanese, Ill re up this. I want to "finish" the langauges I started (not that that there's ever a finish) and then maybe take greek and hebrew for Scripture reading.
I agree with what you said about mixing languages even if they are not related. I have been studying Polish for a year and the other day I had my Spanish class and couldn’t help saying Polish words in the mix. It’s just normal. For me the biggest benefit of learning multiple languages is simply not having a language overdose. I know if I put all my energy on one I will overdose and it will push me away from studying. I was studying Polish so hard to move to the country but it ended up backfiring and I stopped studying for a few months. But I have a question regarding rest days: I focus on three languages at the moment (Polish, Spanish and Farsi) and I have been studying a bit of them everyday. Do you think it’s better to do a longer session of one language one day then another long session of another the next day or do a bit of each like I do? Thank you!
Thanks for your comment! What you described sounds exactly like my experience - both the mixing of unrelated languages and the overdose. :) Regarding rest days, in general, I think it's usually best to do a bit and often, rather than long sessions. But it looks like even if you alternate the languages on different days, you will still do each language at least once per week, maybe twice (at least that's the impression I got from your comment). So in that case, I think you should do what you like, i.e. something that fits your learning style and personality. If you get regular exposure to each language, I don't think the specifics matter that much. It's about who you are - to give an example, if you love structure, you can do alternations. I, for example, did this thing you are describing - one language one day, another the next etc. And I hated it - I hated the structure, I felt like I had no freedom and it became a chore. So now I study what I feel like, when I feel like it. For me, the answer is "do a bit of each like you do now". But again, that's just a personal preference - do what you like the most in the end. I don't think you are in danger of not getting enough exposure anyways. 🙂 P.S. I am a total beginner in Persian and would appreciate it so much, if you can point me to some resources that you have enjoyed. Thank you! 🙏
thank you for your tips, very helpful indeed. It is a good idea to learn two languages at the same time. I started to learn Norwegian just for fun during the first lock down and really enjoyed it as found it very similar to German, which I know very well. then I added Swedish to my list. I might add Icelandic too. These languages are like sisters. I found Greek, Danish and Finnish very difficult to learn and I could not enjoy them. They are so unique like my mother tongue- Lithuanian.
Indeed, unique languages are always so hard to learn. As far as I know though, Danish should be easier for you - I’ve heard it’s similar to Swedish and Norwegian, but with more complicated pronunciation. Perhaps it’s a matter of more exposure. Best of luck! 🤗
great points. I totally agree with you in boredom and motivation. I don't care about time, or even goals. I learn at my own pace and for fun, but change is important for me, otherwise I can't do it. when I came back to Spain, after spending 3 years in England, it took me weeks to stop saying "excuse me" in the bus and "sorry" to my mom. those were my only 2 languages at the time, and I still mixed them sometimes. so what? I also wouldn't know whether I was watching a movie in English or Spanish, not consciously. on the other hand looking at how some words are similar in other languages helps a lot to make them stick, or it's just interesting (thirst dorst Durst). or (singer 가수 gasu 歌手 kashu) I think the problem people have with studying multiple languages is that they can't stand making mistakes, and the possibility of a mistake is greater, because there are more words and more rules. Also, they have to "master" the language, otherwise they are not happy.
И на мен ми е по-забавно да уча 2 езика заедно, но не ако и двата езика са в начално ниво. Тогава енергията се разсейва, а това няма как да води до добри резултати. Сега след няколко месеца интензивно на испански, преди месец включих руския във фаза на опресняване и надграждане и върви много добре.
This is so refreshing. I am so tired of all the polyglots on TH-cam who say it’s “impossible” to learn multiple languages at once. I have always found it “impossible” to learn 1 language at a time for many of the reasons you talked about. I get so bored and end up quitting and doing something else entirely if I try to learn one at a time. Another problem I have with 1 at a time is “choice paralysis.” I can’t decide which to learn because there are so many I want to learn, and I end up wasting so much time trying to decide and starting and stopping languages constantly. Sure, it seems like it would be slower learning many at once - but it’s faster than being frozen in choice paralysis or constantly being in review phase of languages I previously quit! Thanks so much for dispelling the myths and calling out the haters who want to tell others what they “can’t” do without knowing anything about them or their motivations!
Thank you for the kind words; I'm so glad you found this video helpful! I also made one on how to learn multiple languages at once, but it was so important for me to start with this one to dispel the myths. Just like you, I was also getting tired of nearly everyone out there speaking out against learning multiple languages at once...
I agree. You can learn multiple languages at the same time as long as you can organise yourself and dedicate enough time to each one and you stay consistent.
Also, it helps you stay interested. Personally, if I focused on only one at a time, I'd get bored.
And about learning 2 languages from the same family... Translating from one to the other is a good way to learn not to mix them, in my experience
Very well said!
I love how you explained, I'm studying Japanese and Korean at the same time, I started Chinese after a year learning this 2 but I thought I will mess up because many people said that you shouldn't study languages that are similar at the same time so i stopped, but actually I have never never mess up with all my languages
Im sorry if I have any grammar error english is my 3rd language 🖤
You can do whatever you want, ditch the rules in language learning. The only rule is to be flexible and adjust to your own needs. If you have no problems studying multiple languages, then that's what you should do!
P.S. No need to apologize for your English, good luck! 🍀
The biggest thing I've found with learning multiple languages is that now that I am used to doing it, I can study a lot longer. That is to say, I have a limited reserve of interest during study, so if I spend more than an hour intensely focused on Spanish then I hit a point of diminishing returns. However, I can switch to Russian at that point and continue for another hour, and by the time I hit the point of diminishing returns there, I can now return to Spanish as if I had just taken a break from all language learning. Also, I'm the kind of person who thrives on challenges, so I don't mind having ten new languages I play with at one time, even if I'm only really focusing on three in depth for any particular month.
This!! I’ve never seen anyone describe my own feelings about it so well. I can totally relate, 💯!
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Italian has much in common with English grammar, esp. verb tenses.
Spanish too. The use of verb tenses in Spanish and English is very similar.
It's true, words ending in -μα are a bit odd, but not difficult. The thing to look for isn't the -α at the end, but the -μα. For instance, there are many Greek words in Spanish ending in -a, but they are feminine (just like in Greek), e.g. geometría / γεωμετρία. Greek neuter nouns in -μα tend to end in -ema in Spanish, so this might help people who find those exceptions confusing.
Yep, thanks for the clarification!
I'm Australian, native English speaker learning German, and I want to learn Swedish aswell and you've inspired me to start now
So happy about that 🤩
Hi Matthew, I know German well and it was very helpful basis for Swedish language. I can learn Swedish, Norwegian and finally added Danish as they have many similar words. Enjoy learning several languages at the same time
I like and agree with the idea of giving the brain a rest. It can be beneficial. The year that I lived in Spain, I traveled to a few other countries and when I returned to Malaga, I felt a surge in my confidence and fluency. I speak Portuguese and French as well. I have been devoting a lot of time to Portuguese almost to the detriment of my Spanish. I never seem to practice it anymore. I am going to Mexico for a week in September and I am excited about speaking Spanish again. It will all come back to me.
Great video BTW and super interesting content as well. May I ask, what is your mother tongue?
Thank you so much! My mother tongue is Bulgarian 🇧🇬
Creo que este es el mejor video hayas hecho ya. Gracias! Once again, you've inspired my learning and given me the confidence to keep learning more languages. I think your story about using a Spanish verb in a German sentence has inspired me to start a little German. Paso a paso!😀
I’m so glad that I have inspired you! And thank you 🙏🏻
@@PolyglotSecrets from now on, yo puedo, je peux, eu posso...I can.
I wanted to take a moment to update you on my progress. Since viewing this video, I have stepped up my focus on French and Portuguese (I'm visiting Portugal next week) and I'm proud to say I listened to your video in which you speak all 8 languages and I understood much more of the Portuguese, French, and even Italian! Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Thank you for sharing your progress! Your words inspire me to keep moving forward with this channel. 🥹 Have a blast in Portugal and keep me posted on your progress (if you feel like it, of course). 🍀
Thanks again! Words like that mean a lot to me and inspire me 😊
@@PolyglotSecrets Me mantendré en contacto!
You got right, I started Portuguese and Spanish like 3 years ago, and avter 4 months of started the both helped me memorizing vocavs and smooth the 2 languages grammar.
Merci beaucoup Stefani. Nous aimons être ici ! Quant à la référence grecque au "el problema" - je note aussi "il problema", "le problème", "o problema" en italien, français et portugais.
Oui, exactement !
Interesting alternative view contrary to what is usually suggested on the topic by other language learners. Thanks.
I am glad you found it interesting! 🙏
I took french right before spanish class in school and I can say that my french learning helped my spanish learning. But I laugh because i went to the Philippines for a year before i did the dual french and spanish and I got two answers wrong in spanish on a test because the words for aunt and uncle are very similar in tagalog
For me, only learning one language is like choosing between your kids which ones you will spend your time with. I have taken french, spanish, japanese,russian, tagalog and tsalagi. But french and spanish are the only ones ive been most successful with. I havent been able to practice my russian and japanese so those have gone by the wayside some. But since my daughter is taking japanese, Ill re up this.
I want to "finish" the langauges I started (not that that there's ever a finish) and then maybe take greek and hebrew for Scripture reading.
I agree with what you said about mixing languages even if they are not related. I have been studying Polish for a year and the other day I had my Spanish class and couldn’t help saying Polish words in the mix. It’s just normal.
For me the biggest benefit of learning multiple languages is simply not having a language overdose. I know if I put all my energy on one I will overdose and it will push me away from studying. I was studying Polish so hard to move to the country but it ended up backfiring and I stopped studying for a few months.
But I have a question regarding rest days: I focus on three languages at the moment (Polish, Spanish and Farsi) and I have been studying a bit of them everyday. Do you think it’s better to do a longer session of one language one day then another long session of another the next day or do a bit of each like I do? Thank you!
Thanks for your comment! What you described sounds exactly like my experience - both the mixing of unrelated languages and the overdose. :)
Regarding rest days, in general, I think it's usually best to do a bit and often, rather than long sessions. But it looks like even if you alternate the languages on different days, you will still do each language at least once per week, maybe twice (at least that's the impression I got from your comment). So in that case, I think you should do what you like, i.e. something that fits your learning style and personality. If you get regular exposure to each language, I don't think the specifics matter that much. It's about who you are - to give an example, if you love structure, you can do alternations. I, for example, did this thing you are describing - one language one day, another the next etc. And I hated it - I hated the structure, I felt like I had no freedom and it became a chore. So now I study what I feel like, when I feel like it. For me, the answer is "do a bit of each like you do now". But again, that's just a personal preference - do what you like the most in the end. I don't think you are in danger of not getting enough exposure anyways. 🙂
P.S. I am a total beginner in Persian and would appreciate it so much, if you can point me to some resources that you have enjoyed. Thank you! 🙏
thank you for your tips, very helpful indeed. It is a good idea to learn two languages at the same time. I started to learn Norwegian just for fun during the first lock down and really enjoyed it as found it very similar to German, which I know very well. then I added Swedish to my list. I might add Icelandic too. These languages are like sisters. I found Greek, Danish and Finnish very difficult to learn and I could not enjoy them. They are so unique like my mother tongue- Lithuanian.
Indeed, unique languages are always so hard to learn. As far as I know though, Danish should be easier for you - I’ve heard it’s similar to Swedish and Norwegian, but with more complicated pronunciation. Perhaps it’s a matter of more exposure. Best of luck! 🤗
@@PolyglotSecrets I might give a try to Danish ;) :) Lets fun continue. I just love this hobby.
@@zydrunegreiciutemulhall435 It's amazing, isn't it 😉
Your logical reasoning and common sense are very refreshing. I love your videos.
Mandarin and Russian are a perfect match for me at this time.
Thank you! And best of luck with your languages 😊
I agree it is annoying being said it can't be done I learned English and Spanish as a child
great points. I totally agree with you in boredom and motivation. I don't care about time, or even goals. I learn at my own pace and for fun, but change is important for me, otherwise I can't do it.
when I came back to Spain, after spending 3 years in England, it took me weeks to stop saying "excuse me" in the bus and "sorry" to my mom. those were my only 2 languages at the time, and I still mixed them sometimes. so what?
I also wouldn't know whether I was watching a movie in English or Spanish, not consciously.
on the other hand looking at how some words are similar in other languages helps a lot to make them stick, or it's just interesting (thirst dorst Durst). or (singer 가수 gasu 歌手 kashu)
I think the problem people have with studying multiple languages is that they can't stand making mistakes, and the possibility of a mistake is greater, because there are more words and more rules. Also, they have to "master" the language, otherwise they are not happy.
Thank you so much for sharing with us ❤❤
Exactly! One needs to let it go and accept such moments 🤓
Great video, sound logic. Thank you for sharing these valuable insights with us. Looking forward to the next one.
Thank you for the kind words 🙏🏻
8:23 Ich lieb es wirklich.
This is an incredible video. You always motivate myself. I am so proud of you. You are my. Thank you so much for this video ❤❤
Thank you so much for making this video 🤗
My pleasure! I hope you like it - more tips on the same topic to come next week ☺️
@@PolyglotSecrets i just want to thank you for all your efforts, you're a wonderful person 🤗
👍👍👍👍
What you said about learning the same concept twice could be avoided by laddering, e.g. learning French first and then Italian through French.
Always a great option that I love!
Красотка…
LINDA!!! 🥰❤
🙏🏻
@@PolyglotSecrets 🥰❤😈
Thanks for your video! 支持！
🙏🏻
Разбрах, че е българка само като я видях и чух три изречения.
И на мен ми е по-забавно да уча 2 езика заедно, но не ако и двата езика са в начално ниво. Тогава енергията се разсейва, а това няма как да води до добри резултати. Сега след няколко месеца интензивно на испански, преди месец включих руския във фаза на опресняване и надграждане и върви много добре.
Затова казах, че е индивидуално. На мен ми действа супер 2-3 на начално ниво :)