Learning 2 languages

[Kevin]

Hello everyone. This is my first time posting to the forums and I am glad to be a part of this forum!



I am 24 and I really want to be a polyglot. Right now I have a very burning passion to learn French and Spanish. My goal is to get to B1+ level in them and one day travel to France and Spain. My goal is to hopefully achieve a B1 level by the summer of 2020 and go then.

For me, I really do love learning both of these languages, but I have read from a lot of posts that most people recommend only learning 1 language at a time. But for me I have a strong desire to learn both. Some are saying do 2 years of study in one language and then move on to another. But My goal is to be a B1 in both French and Spanish in 2 years by the summer of 2020. I have mainly just used Pimsleur to learn the basics for now and have finished the first level of french and am almost done with the 1st level of Spanish. What I have done was I started with the french and entirely focused on that for a month, and when I hit a plateau I would take a break. But instead of just taking a break and doing nothing I decided to learn Spanish and did several of the lessons on Pimsleur for, again, another month. Then I went back and brushed up on what I learned already and was able to bust through the plateau from French. The same thing applied when I hit a plateau in Spanish and came back to it again I busted through it too. I have have found this helpful when needing to take a break from a language and work on another rather than just not learn at all.

My goal is to be a polyglot and be at a B1+ level in both French and Spanish.

My question is, is it okay to learn both? Would it be fine to maybe focus on one for 4-6 weeks and then switch to the other for another 4-6? I find this helpful to not burn out in one language, and when I come back to it later I often am able to progress. Would you say this is okay to continue doing? Or would you recommend me focusing on just one language?


Also, one another quick question. The resources I am using for both French and Spanish are Pimsleur levels 1-5, Assimil, Teach yourself, Schaum's grammar outline, and the FSI. I plan to do all of those in order, as well as the Using French Assimil as well. Do you think these resources combined with practice speaking with someone will get to a B1 level?


Thank you guys!

[eido]

I'm not a savvy forum searcher, but there are many threads on the forum like this, so perhaps if someone finds them for us you'll find some useful information there. There's also a multitude of logs documenting what it's like to study two or more, though you might factor out experienced people who for them this isn't their first go around in the rodeo.

People will always tell you that it's best to focus on one language at a time when you're just beginning, and I second that advice. I am a self-assessed B1 in Spanish, and I know it's easier to get through Icelandic at this level than it would be if I was still an A1.5 in Spanish. I'd be learning the same vocabulary in both, and that would drive me nuts. Now that I have a core vocabulary in Spanish, I can enjoy it, and it doesn't stress me out as much as Icelandic does, because I have so much ground to cover. Now you might say I'm just trying to get my Icelandic up to par, and you may be right But I think I'm much happier being able to understand most of a news article in one than struggling to read a simple description in both.

Make of that what you will. I'm sure others will have more detailed advice based on the resource list you provided.

[iguanamon]

As someone who's been on the forum around wight years, all I can tell you is that my observations over these years on the forum show that it is very unlikely that you will learn either language to a high level. I just don't see that happening with monolingual adult beginners and I haven't seen it yet with someone in your position. You are obviously free to do whatever you want. There are people here who will encourage you and tell you how to study two languages simultaneously, but it is unlikely that you will progress to a high level studying two languages simultaneously as a beginner in both and as a monolingual who has yet to learn one second language. Sorry to be negative about this. Maybe you will be an exception.

[zKing]

Two languages at the same time??? Reminds me of Office Space...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A939QRRSNV4

I'm technically learning two languages (Italian and Cantonese), but:
a) I only study Italian when I'm taking a long break from Cantonese, it is merely a fun distraction.
b) The two languages are quite unrelated.

Learning a language is a massive undertaking in both time and long term mental effort.
Learning two languages is twice that.
Learning two languages at the same time is more than twice that.

Other arugments I've heard:
The more advanced you become, the easier it becomes, i.e. the more 'fun' you can have with the language and still learn.
AND once you become more advanced, the less you will lose ground when you pause your learning for a while.
AND you are less likely to be tripped up by interference between two weak languages.
Once you have one language fairly solidly under your belt, you will know the most direct path (for you) to learn the next one.
All of the above tells you to really focus on getting ONE language really solid... then worry about the laundry list of others you want to tackle.

BTW, the easy way to quickly search either the new site or the old one in Google (exclude the quotes):
"site:forum.language-learners.org two languages at the same time"
"site:how-to-learn-any-language.com two languages at the same time"

[Xenops]

There seems to be two approaches to language learning:

1. Learn one at a time, because you can't stand to be a beginner forever, and
2. Learn many at once, because you can't stand not studying the others.

I realized that I might only encourage burnout if I tried method 1., so I will try method 2. and see if that suits my fancy.

[Speakeasy]

The idea of studying two languages simultaneously presents the same alluring dilemma as the thought of entering into a deeply emotional relationship with two different people who, just to complicate matters, live on opposite ends of the city from one another and from you. This means that you’re going to spend a lot of time bouncing between the two. None of this will be particularly fruitful and none of it will help you grow internally.

You will experience an initial period of euphoria as you explore and savour the differences between your two partners. However, the sheer physical, psychological and emotional effort required to maintain and to build upon the separate burgeoning relationships will leave you drained. Ultimately, if only temporarily, you will find yourself attracted more to one of them and you’ll starting spending more time with them. Of course, your relationship with the other will suffer and backslide and, should you decide to rekindle it (often referred to as "wanderlust" on this forum), you will find that you cannot simply show up at the door and expect to enjoy the same level of intimacy. Nope, you’re going to have to pay your dues once again, … and again, and again, and again, and again.

If you try to maintain relationships with two different partners, neither of these will reach maturity, not even a decent level of comfort. Eternal beginnings can become more than a little stale. Monogamy works because it's less stressful. Then again, the concept of Serial Monogamy is worth considering.

[Kevin]

I appreciate the answers I have gotten so far. It looks like this might not be the route to go on. However, what type of path would you guys recommend for someone that eventually wants to reach a decent level in both languages one day? Again, the goal is B1 with self study I would be more than happy with.

[Axon]

I quite agree with iguanamon that adult monolinguals virtually never succeed if they try to learn two languages from scratch at the same time.

So all we need to do is change the definition of "succeed."

Think about what you'd like to accomplish when you go to France and Spain. User sfuqua has coined the term "Outstanding Tourist" for (correct me if I'm wrong) someone who can easily and comfortably handle all the situations a tourist is likely to encounter without resorting to English. Incidentally, he was also attempting to do this in French and Spanish, though he had more time and had already successfully learned two difficult languages to a high level. Have a look at his log if you want to learn about his methods and Jean Seberg.

I've traveled to quite a few places (though not yet Spain) and in my experience across Europe and Asia, you don't actually need to know the language very well to be able to handle tourist situations. A lot more hangs on how experienced of a traveler you are and how well you choose from your limited vocabulary.

All this brings me to my suggestion: Focus on French for most of your time. You can certainly achieve B1 in French in two years, probably even 18 months if you have a good study guide and stay motivated. French, I believe, is harder for most Anglophones than Spanish because of the stronger difference between the spoken word and the written. After you've studied French for a good long while, you'll be able to pick up enough tourist Spanish to easily function in the country without much problem. Not only will you have a massive advantage from knowing French and English, you'll know more about how you learn.

And if you really get bored with French and have a terribly strong desire to learn Spanish, a low-effort course like Pimsleur should be perfect for getting in a bit of Spanish time without risking confusion.

[zenmonkey]

It is pretty rare to see new learners succeed in learning two languages at the same time.

But I'm going to fill out the roll that iguanamon prophesied and "encourage you and tell you how to study two languages simultaneously". Well, no, not really tell you "how" but I think there are some things that need to be pointed out.

You are already doing a rotation method, which would seem ok, but you'll need to see if it helps consolidate learning and motivation or if it risks more setting you back. You will need to review and think about how you're learning to learn: what works, what needs improvement; are you going through a method or using a method to manage weaknesses and are you identifying and addressing your needs?

Ideally, I'd suggest you take one language as your primary and focus mainly on that one. Take as few possible breaks as possible, keep them shorter - you're risking interference with Spanish and French.

As to the second question - the material choice itself doesn't matter as much as you might think. What matters is that you do the time and use it effectively. Ask yourself: Am I learning? Does this material fit my needs? Am I actively engaged in using the material to learn or am I just passively "doing it". Understand how each material is intended to be used and does that address my learning style and needs?

And spend a lot of time 1) developing your ear because, in general, monolingual English speakers have a terrible ear for Spanish and French. 2) work on pronunciation - none of the material listed really focuses purely on understanding and differentiation the production of the sounds of these languages. Learning to hear / produce basic sounds is so much more important for the monolingual learner. It will have a huge impact on everything that follows including your confidence if you get that down pat. Spend a lot of time on youtube with videos on pronunciation and understanding the 'why of minimal pairs' in your target language. Another option is Gabriel Wyner's pronunciation Anki decks. I like these a lot.

Do the time. Really.
(and start a log here)

[Theodisce]

My goal is to get to B1+ level in them and one day travel to France and Spain. My goal is to hopefully achieve a B1 level by the summer of 2020 and go then.

It really comes down to the hours of study/contact with the input in a target language. Counting the hours will help you keeping track of your progress and give you a rough idea about your progress. I would say that you need to put 700-1000 hours in each of those languages.