I am looking for a coach or a mentor

[mjb1971]

I am curious about what you are saying here. Is your intention to get to an A2 level in multiple languages and stop there? Or are you thinking about getting X languages to A2 at the same time, then taking them all to B2 at the same time?

I did not think I wrote in my original post that I was actively studying all of these at once, "long time dabbler." I have one target language currently and one other in maintenance. The target language is where I focus on learning, consuming, and output. The maintenance is primarily just consumption. Generally, my target language has been determined by work or travel needs.

Is your intention to get to an A2 level in multiple languages and stop there?

I never really thought of a level as a goal. However, from time to time I have thought about taking standardized tests. I have taken ACTFLs/ILR equivalents in some of these, DELF, and (old) JLPT. Those did feel good as goals, but they were also study motivators. It has never been an intention to stop a language, but then other things tend to come up. Work needs or travel needs or other academic pursuits.

Another thing, I have never really been motivated to go out and use a language to communicate in. Although, the languages I have done the most communication with are Japanese and Korean from all the years spent there living, working, and going to school. Rather, I am more motivated towards consumption, primarily reading. This probably reflects my introverted-ish character. and my years of working and learning in the academic setting. This has been a hurdle to overcome during tutoring sessions as my critical mind asks "what is the point of this dialog when I could be reading instead." I have been learning to silence that inner critic/know it all.

If I won the lottery today and had all the resources and time in the world? Occitan, or some variety of it. Maybe some practical bent to this - I would enjoy setting up a historical tour service out in Cathar country. Or do field work on the fluid border area between France and Spain and all that entails.

Biggest regret? Years living in the Gulf and Arabic only at a first semester level. To be fair, English was the lingua franca and also in the Gulf was where I discovered French and the joys of learning a Cat I language (versus years of banging my head against CAT IV/V).

Thanks for the thought-provoking questions.

[mjb1971]

The reason I believe this is faster is because by focusing on one language each subsequent language you spend less time on "meta" learning. By meta-learning I mean how to learn and how languages function.

This point seems important enough to warrant bringing it forward to just hang out there on its own.

110% agree on learning how to learn. One aspect of this is as simple as knowing, or having on hand, materials. Another aspect is knowing what practice works for the individual.

In this sense, a critical self-reflection along these lines "what is my strategy ((NOT FOR ALL XX LANGUAGES I KNOW AT WHATEVER LEVEL!! ) for learning? Is it currently serving me best? are there alternatives?" is what prompted the original post.

It is very easy to get up in the morning, head downstairs and get the coffee and cue up LoFi Girl on youtube for BGM, and start the study process for 1.5-2 hours. The voice in the head asks, though, "is this way the best way?"