How to Learn Several Languages at a Time
Choose languages from different “families.", Choose languages that vary in difficulty., Make one language your priority., Create a detailed schedule to stick to.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose languages from different “families."
While it may seem helpful to learn two similar languages at once, such as Spanish and Italian, this can actually result in a lot of confusion.
If you have a choice in which languages you learn, choose languages that are different from one another to avoid blending them into one combined language in your mind, or mixing up words or grammar.
If you are studying similar languages, avoid studying them in the same study session—separate them by studying them on different days or even on alternating weeks. -
Step 2: Choose languages that vary in difficulty.
If you have a choice, choose to learn one language that is easier for you, and another or others that are more difficult.
An easier language will be one that is similar to your native language or another language that you know, while a more difficult language will be one that is less similar.For English speakers, romance languages such as Spanish, Italian, and French tend to be easier to learn.Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean are some of the most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn, due to different sentence structures and different character sets., It is helpful to prioritize one of the languages, giving it the most time and attention.
This way, at the end of your hard work, you are more likely to be skilled in at least one of your languages, rather than only knowing a small amount of each of them.
Consider making the language that is the most difficult your priority language.
You can also prioritize the language that you are most eager to learn, or the one that has the most urgent time crunch. , Time management is very important when you are learning several languages.
Schedule how much time will be spent on each language per day or per week.
When doing this, allot more time for your priority language.It is up to you how you allocate your time.
The most important thing is that you adhere to the schedule you create whenever possible.
Try dividing your language-learning activities into different days of the week.
On four or five days per week, study your priority language(s).
Then, on one or two days per week, schedule time for your secondary language(s). -
Step 3: Make one language your priority.
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Step 4: Create a detailed schedule to stick to.
Detailed Guide
While it may seem helpful to learn two similar languages at once, such as Spanish and Italian, this can actually result in a lot of confusion.
If you have a choice in which languages you learn, choose languages that are different from one another to avoid blending them into one combined language in your mind, or mixing up words or grammar.
If you are studying similar languages, avoid studying them in the same study session—separate them by studying them on different days or even on alternating weeks.
If you have a choice, choose to learn one language that is easier for you, and another or others that are more difficult.
An easier language will be one that is similar to your native language or another language that you know, while a more difficult language will be one that is less similar.For English speakers, romance languages such as Spanish, Italian, and French tend to be easier to learn.Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean are some of the most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn, due to different sentence structures and different character sets., It is helpful to prioritize one of the languages, giving it the most time and attention.
This way, at the end of your hard work, you are more likely to be skilled in at least one of your languages, rather than only knowing a small amount of each of them.
Consider making the language that is the most difficult your priority language.
You can also prioritize the language that you are most eager to learn, or the one that has the most urgent time crunch. , Time management is very important when you are learning several languages.
Schedule how much time will be spent on each language per day or per week.
When doing this, allot more time for your priority language.It is up to you how you allocate your time.
The most important thing is that you adhere to the schedule you create whenever possible.
Try dividing your language-learning activities into different days of the week.
On four or five days per week, study your priority language(s).
Then, on one or two days per week, schedule time for your secondary language(s).
About the Author
Carol Bell
Carol Bell has dedicated 10 years to mastering education and learning. As a content creator, Carol focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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