Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

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firewheel
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Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

Postby firewheel » Sun Dec 19, 2021 3:20 pm

Hi Members,

I have a query to ask you all.

Is it advisable to learn 2 new languages at the same time?

The intent for both languages are different.

I intend to learn language A (only conversational) just to know some common words and phrases used in everyday life so that I can roughly understand what the native people are speaking about.

As for language B (both conversational and written), I intend to learn it to advanced level because I want to apply for jobs which require proficiency in language B in the future.

Thank you.
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golyplot
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Re: Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

Postby golyplot » Sun Dec 19, 2021 3:25 pm

It's technically possible, but a bad idea. Language learning is hard enough in normal circumstances and trying to do two at once will mean progress is much slower and you'll probably get frustrated and give up.
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reineke
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Re: Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

Postby reineke » Sun Dec 19, 2021 4:16 pm

Ohboyohboyohboy!

Yes! It's a great dea! It's an awesome idea!!! In principle. Practically in your case Language A and language B could be closely related and here you may hear different opinions, especially if the two languages are likely to interfere with each other. I still think it's fine. A quick forum search will offer lots of diverging opinions on the subject.

Since language A is expected to be a lower level type of commitment (just to have a clue what the natives are talking about) that would not be a problem for language B (whatever that is). The only problem is that being able to correctly pick up and untangle random conversations is not a low level skill. If you only want to have a very rough idea what's going on with the help of a native, sure. If you're a little paranoid about what people may be saying about you, don't. Anything in between, why not?
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Le Baron
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Re: Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

Postby Le Baron » Sun Dec 19, 2021 5:03 pm

firewheel wrote:I intend to learn language A (only conversational) just to know some common words and phrases used in everyday life so that I can roughly understand what the native people are speaking about.

And how much effort will that require? Depending on what the language is and even then.

firewheel wrote:As for language B (both conversational and written), I intend to learn it to advanced level because I want to apply for jobs which require proficiency in language B in the future.

Will language A drain valuable effort from learning language B? If not, go ahead. If it will, why would you put yourself in that position?
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Re: Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

Postby BeaP » Sun Dec 19, 2021 5:45 pm

In my opinion it's not a good idea. It is manageable, if you can stick to a routine, and good at building habits, but it's easier to learn the two languages after each other. You didn't give a lot details, but I think that your goal A can be reached in 3 months (unless the language is very hard/distant for you), while the goal B might take 3 years to reach (or even more). I'd go for A first, and B next. But you also need to take into consideration how much you need these languages. If you have to get a job as quickly as possible, even the 3 months delay could seem too much.
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Re: Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

Postby reineke » Sun Dec 19, 2021 6:41 pm

The problem is that we don' t know much about the learner, his or her motivation, the target language groups or the circumstances surrounding the use of Language A. Is Language A maybe like Spanish in the US or is it the official language of a country where the OP will be living and using Language B professionally? If you want to spare someone time and effort you may wish to discuss how serious they are about learning the language to a high level and make sure you have sufficient background information. It doesn't look like the learner is willing to spend much of time or effort on Language A anyway while his intentions towards Language B sound pretty generic and lukewarm.

As for going "serial" Language A could be a "fun" low effort roll in the hay vs blood, sweat and tears approach towards Language B. Who knows, maybe that could help the student learn a thing or two about spilling less blood and sweat and hopefully avoid shedding tears of disappointment in the end. Additionally, I don't think that Language A getting "done" followed by Language B in two neat packages is a realistic proposition. It's an OK schedule but it does not guarantee success or a clean learning outcome.
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Re: Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

Postby pohaku » Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:42 pm

Learning more than one language at a time is the norm for me, be that good or bad. I have the time and I love the process. I'm learning for reading and I generally learn by reading, using a translation, occasional dictionary consulation, and, much less often, looking at a grammar book. Right now I'm decent with German and French, so I read a few works a year (without a translation in hand) in each in order to maintain and improve. I'm learning Spanish and Italian, so I am reading a few works a year in each language. Same with Dutch, on the Germanic side. When I finish my current Dutch novel, I'll probably read something Scandinavian. My number one "hard" language right now is Polish. I have made my way through a couple of novels in order to get the lay of the land, and I'm feeling a bit comfortable, though I have a long way to go. I want to add another hard language to the mix soon (perhaps Hungarian), but I'm waiting till the Polish is a bit more under control. So, right now, that means I usually read 20-30 minutes per day in French, Dutch, Spanish, and Polish. I don't notice any difficulty from doing these all at once; of course, there are some benefits to learning related languages simultaneously, especially, I think, because I'm working on reading, not on speaking.
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Re: Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

Postby Jean-Luc » Mon Dec 20, 2021 12:29 pm

I am learning two languages at the same time but :

Avoid languages with too many similarities, like Spanish/Italian or Russian/Croatian
Easy if already studied languages but prefer to focus on one when a language is from scratch
More than two languages for a review of sentences with special tools. Images on my blog :https://labdeslangues.blog/2018/01/30/apprendre-les-langues-etrangeres-en-meute-en-meme-temps/
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Re: Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

Postby iguanamon » Mon Dec 20, 2021 1:26 pm

One thing I have learned over the years is that there are many valid outcomes in language-learning other than "learning a language to a high level with all skills". In the past, I would've told the OP "no". People are going to do what they want regardless of advice to the contrary. They'll have to find out for themselves. Now, I will just say this: Learning a second language to a high level takes a lot of time and effort- more time and effort than a monolingual may think or want to accept. The monolingual brain has to learn how languages work, that learning a language is not like learning a 'one to one' cipher code. They also have to learn how to learn. The process requires a lot of concentration, manipulation, practice and effort. That's a lot to deal with.

"Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?"- Maybe, maybe not. I would point out this old axiom "just because you can do something doesn't necessarily mean that you should".
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Beli Tsar
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Re: Can I learn 2 new languages at the same time?

Postby Beli Tsar » Mon Dec 20, 2021 1:29 pm

golyplot wrote:It's technically possible, but a bad idea. Language learning is hard enough in normal circumstances and trying to do two at once will mean progress is much slower and you'll probably get frustrated and give up.

This.

Is it possible? Yes. Do people here on this forum do it all the time? Yes. And if you have a lot of time and are an experienced language learner, go ahead. I certainly can't do it properly.

More realistically, learning language B to the level you want will take - at a minimum - many hundreds of hours. If you can put in the work to do that without slacking, then maybe you have time for another language. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands, you would be much better to learn them one after the other.

firewheel wrote:I intend to learn language A (only conversational) just to know some common words and phrases used in everyday life so that I can roughly understand what the native people are speaking about.

Depending on what you mean, 'common words and phrases' are unlikely to be enough to help you 'roughly understand what native people are talking about'. It could help in basic daily life situations - hellos, goodbyes, shopping, basic politeness and interaction, and all of that can be very rewarding. But even getting the gist of a conversation between two native speakers actually requires a surprisingly high vocabulary and knowledge of the language. It might be well worth it, but again this is many, many hours of study to reach this point.

There's nothing stopping you from starting to learn one, and then in a month or two, if you discover you are making rapid progress and have a spare hour each day, starting the other two!
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