Learning Multiple Languages At Once: Some Useful Advice

The world today is competitive, and to compete on the international stage it is important to have diverse language skills.  This, combined with the fact that languages are learned over long periods of time, means that you’ll likely be learning multiple languages at once.

Learning one language is tough.  Two?  Three?  The difficulty when learning multiple languages compounds and will really test your organisational capacity and motivation.  That’s why you need to do it in a smart way: think about your goals, strategise and manage your time and motivation wisely.  Below is some advice on how to do this.

Choose your languages carefully

First and foremost, you need to be careful about what languages you are learning simultaneously, and the levels at which you’re learning.  It’s best to learn languages that are not similar to one another, so that it is easier for your brain to differentiate.

Spanish and Italian?  Norwegian and Swedish?  Turkish and Azerbaijani?  Russian and Serbian? These languages are, to varying degrees, considered to be similar.  If you start learning Spanish and Italian at the same time, for example, it is highly likely that you won’t be able to distinguish between the two.

Consider the alphabet used, the phonetics, the grammatical foundation before you choose. For example, it would be better to learn Modern Standard Arabic and Italian, Ukrainian and Japanese, or Hebrew and Spanish.

Additionally, a general rule to follow would be to study languages at staggered levels.  That means that it is better to get to B1+/B2 (upper intermediate) before adding a new language at A0.  This means the focuses will be different: one on basic vocabulary and fundamental grammatical constructions, and the other on advanced writing, idiomatic constructions, and cross-cultural communication.  Note that this is less relevant when studying two languages at more advanced levels.

Differentiation

Differentiation is essential, and you can achieve this with any language pair (although it is easier if you follow the advice above!).

One trick that I’ve used for learning French and Russian is to aid internal differentiation through the use of different learning materials.  Of course, this isn’t always possible, but when you can you should commit to learning one language in, for example, black ink/font, and the other in blue. You could use different coloured paper, sit in a different place when you study the respective languages, or anything else to aid your differentiation.

Music is also a fantastic way to achieve differentiation!  Creating different playlists for the languages you’re learning will create an immersive environment where you can feel the language learning experience.  It’s a fantastic way to delve deeper into the culture and pronunciation, too.  You can see some quality English-language music recommendations on our blog - they’re updated monthly!

Laddering technique

Consider a ladder.  You need to step onto one rung before the one above, right?  Apply this logic to learning multiple languages at once with the laddering technique.  This entails learning one target language through another language that you’ve learned to a decent level.

If you’re already studying English at C1, for example, you can learn Korean with Korean-learning materials for English-speakers.  English is a fantastic rung on your ladder, as most languages around the world have a myriad of materials aimed at English speakers.  You’ll find a little more difficulty learning through less-widely-spoken languages, so keep this in mind.

To do this, you could write out and practise grammar rules using a second-language to learn a third, or do the same with flashcards for new vocabulary.  There are lots of options, so you need to remain creative!

Stay organised

Being organised is important with learning one language, let alone multiple.  You must remain organised, and to do this you can set weekly and monthly goals with plans to achieve them.  Make sure you manage your time wisely: alongside work and/or university, this is going to be tough!  I like to create semi-external pressures, like non-necessary exams, so as to ensure consistency and organisation.

Organisation can be aided with methods to improve the level of immersion.  I’ve already mentioned music as a means to differentiate between languages, but music is also a fantastic method to immerse yourself in the language.  You can integrate films, television, YouTube channels, conversation partners and more into your daily and weekly routines to increase the benefits of organised immersion.  Try French news for breakfast, and a Mandarin YouTube channel while you eat lunch!

Manage your motivation

Last but certainly not least, with learning two languages it is incredibly important to remain motivated.  This is generally an active process, not passive, meaning that you need to actively create motivation.  Exams, again, are really useful, as are short trips if you have the means and the time.  University and job applications might be at the top of this list, as they can create incredible streams of motivation for you to remain committed to your goals.  And make sure you create little goals, and celebrate them!

---

Learning languages is tough, but with the right advice, motivation and support, you can do it.  Why not challenge yourself and learn two at once!  Hopefully the advice above will help you on your journey.  Please let us know what you think in the comments!