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 Language Learning Forum : Advice Center |  | |
| neok Newbie United Kingdom Joined 4209 days ago 14 posts - 17 votes Speaks: English* | Message 1 of 40 26 June 2013 at 10:41pm | IP Logged |
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Is it best to learn one language at a time, or a few at a time? I want to learn all these languages at once, but
what is best to do? 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Cabaire Senior Member Germany Joined 5601 days ago 725 posts - 1352 votes  | Message 2 of 40 26 June 2013 at 11:15pm | IP Logged |
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I would not learn two related languages at one time, because you will confuse them. So begin with Arabic and French or Portuguese, and wait with the the second Roman language, until you have a firm standing in the first. Edited by Cabaire on 26 June 2013 at 11:17pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| NickJS Senior Member United Kingdom flickr.com/photos/sg Joined 4961 days ago 264 posts - 334 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Russian, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese | Message 3 of 40 27 June 2013 at 12:19am | IP Logged |
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Focus on one so you can progress faster, that way you won't get demotivated!
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| iguanamon Pentaglot Senior Member Virgin Islands Speaks: Ladino Joined 5264 days ago 2241 posts - 6731 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Creole (French) | Message 4 of 40 27 June 2013 at 12:52am | IP Logged |
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You're probably not going to like what I'm going to say, but you asked. For someone who is just starting to learn a language, I personally think it is best to concentrate on one language until reaching at least an intermediate level before taking on any others. Experienced language learners benefit from the experience they gained learning their first foreign language. They learn what works and what doesn't work for them. They learn how a language works. They learn how to learn. A beginner doesn't have that advantage.
Dealing with one language is hard enough when you're just starting, dealing with three- all at the same beginner stage, and especially two that are closely related like Portuguese and French, will be very difficult. Studying one language may not be as cool as studying three but you'll have much more of a chance at actually reaching a high level if you do. The other languages will still be around and will be easier to learn because of the experience you will have gained. Good luck neok and welcome to the forum, whatever you decide to do. Edited by iguanamon on 27 June 2013 at 3:16pm 11 persons have voted this message useful | |
| ScottScheule Diglot Senior Member United States scheule.blogspot.com Joined 5230 days ago 645 posts - 1176 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Latin, Hungarian, Biblical Hebrew, Old English, Russian, Swedish, German, Italian, French | Message 5 of 40 27 June 2013 at 7:17pm | IP Logged |
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I disagree.
I can only record my own experiences, but I study multiple languages simultaneously and it doesn't produce any problems. This includes French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin. I seldom have any problem in substituting a word for another; no matter how close those languages are, I have little problem distinguishing between a word that sounds, e.g., Spanish and one that sounds Italian. Perhaps it would be different with closer languages, but 1. I doubt it, and 2. chances are you won't be learning languages more closely related than that. In fact, I usually find it makes learning easier. For instance, lately I was trying to recall the Spanish word for maple. Could not divine it. So I thought of other languages--what is it in Latin? I recalled "acer." That was the primer I needed to remember the Spanish descendant: arce. My understand is that studies show that children learning two languages suffer no delay in acquisition. Now to extend that to adults is ambitious, but I do think it's suggestive. Now obviously if you focus on one language you'll progress more quickly in that language--but if you're in no particular hurry, and you want to learn all three (or more) languages at once, I'd suggest going for it. Edited by ScottScheule on 28 June 2013 at 12:10am 8 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Fuenf_Katzen Diglot Senior Member United States notjustajd.wordpress Joined 4371 days ago 337 posts - 476 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Polish, Ukrainian, Afrikaans | Message 6 of 40 27 June 2013 at 9:44pm | IP Logged |
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Not knowing what your language learning experience is, and just assuming that this is your first time seriously studying a language on your own, it's probably better to pick one and at least develop basic vocabulary before moving on to the next one. I don't know that it necessarily has to be a problem learning two related ones at the same time; some people are very good at compartmentalizing them, whereas I spent a few weeks confusing German and Polish, which are definitely not related.
Just like Iguanamon said, it's important to learn what works for you, especially if you're studying on your own. It's much easier to learn that with one language than with three at the same time. Especially with related ones, there may even be a bigger "discount" in learning the other one once you already made it to a good level in the first. That said, I believe the method some have chosen to use is to study two unrelated languages, and devote more time to the more challenging one. So in your case, Arabic and Portuguese/Arabic and French would be possible. Good luck! 3 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6599 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 7 of 40 27 June 2013 at 10:46pm | IP Logged |
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Here's an article in progress about this.
I think it depends on your reasons. If you want to study one language today and tomorrow you're bored by it and want something else, you need to get more exposure and decide which language would not bore you for a month. Otherwise, how unbearable does the thought of not learning Arabic feel? And Portuguese? And French? It might be easier to choose by elimination. I wouldn't say Portuguese and French are that close btw. But given how French is significantly more mainstream, think of why it's relevant to you personally. CV should be no more than a nice bonus. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| JiriT Triglot Groupie Czech Republic Joined 4799 days ago 60 posts - 95 votes Speaks: Czech*, English, German | Message 8 of 40 28 June 2013 at 1:51am | IP Logged |
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For an adult learner it is generally better to learn one language at a time until you
reach a level you can use the language. Then you can add a second language. There is no point in waiting until you know the first foreign language perfectly (you might wait for the rest of your life). When you learn only one language at a time as a beginner, you can progress more quickly. When you learn two languages, the pace is only half of the pace as if you learned only one language. As you learn more slowly, you have to repeat more, because it takes you more time. So the pace is less than half. When you learn just one language, when you reach a level you can use it, your repetitions can be more intelligent. For instance, you read more and you spent less time with flashcards. And it boosts your motivation when you see the results of your effort. But there is one exception where, I believe, it is better to learn two or three languages simultaneously. It is better for school children or students. There are more reasons. I will mention only some of them. First, children are usually not motivated as much as adults. But they learn because school wants them to learn - mathematics, history, geography and foreign languages. When a child or a student learns a language for longer time, it is not such a problem. Slower pace means that the child will remember it longer. It is better to learn basics of two or three languages than to master only one language. Because you can continue as self learner. But you know something from the grammar, some vocabulary and perhaps most importantly, you are acquainted with the phonetics and pronunciation of the language. An advanced athlete can get along without a trainer, a beginner needs him more. Or and advanced athlete need a trainer only sometimes, where a beginner needs him for every training. When a person teaches themselves, they must organize how to do it. When you have to do it for two languages, it is much more difficult than just for one language. Students and pupils at schools have it easier. They do not have to organize how to master the language, someone else does it instead of them. They just do the assigned work by the teacher. 4 persons have voted this message useful |
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