Learning several languages simultaneously

**MasterAdmin** · October 1st, 2008, 01:07 AM

I'd like to discuss one subject. We already have couple threads here that discuss learning two and more languages at the same time, but they barely mention the issue.

If you decide to learn a foreign language and then make a simple search online, you will find a lot of good websites that will help you to learn. There are sites with free lessons, language exchange partners, forums, etc. ready to help. That's just great. What I don't understand however is why people claim to be learning three-four-five-six-seven-EIGHT+ foreign languages at the same time. Is this possible? Just go to the sites like livemocha.com or italki.com and hang out there for a while and you will see that most users are learning more than one foreign language. So what's up with that? Is this a new trend? Are those just claims without any grounds? Have you ever tried learning two and more languages at the same time? To what effect? What is your opinion on this subject?

**Coup** · October 1st, 2008, 01:21 AM

I am learning German and Russian, although I wouldn't say I am learning German as extensively as I am Russian. I can still 'learn' the language without focusing as hard on it as I would Russian. I know as much in German as I do in Russian, although the materials to help me at my disposal are greater for Russian than they are for German. Plus, I think it sort of gives variety in your studies - helping you learn rules for two different languages can sometimes make the bigger picture seem clearer.

**jjjiimm** · October 1st, 2008, 08:49 PM

When I began with Russian in '02, I was also studying German in school. It only took me a couple months to drop German after I realized there was no chance for me to acquire both languages at the same time. If it can be done, I would think it'd be like downloading a file from the internet as opposed to downloading multiple files simultaneously. The more files downloaded, the longer it takes.

**Оля** · October 2nd, 2008, 05:58 AM

А я даже не знаю, что отвечать. Я в сущности ни один язык не учу. Даже английский.

**sperk** · October 6th, 2008, 06:44 AM

I wouldn't want to study two languages at once at the beginner level; I would only begin a second if I had a certain level of comfort with the first one. I spent about 3 years concentrating on Russian as it's very difficult and took all my free time. After I had gotten over the hump so to speak, I decided to brush up on my Spaninsh which I had studied for 10 years in school. Then, a few months ago I started French from scratch. So, I am learning 3 languages at once. Russian is my priority and I fit Spanish and French in as I can but they are much easier so I can accomplish more in much less time than with Russian.

**Dreams** · October 10th, 2008, 12:37 AM

I don't see why learning several languages at once couldn't be possible. It just slows down the process, as jjjiimm was saying. I spent 6 years learning Spanish in school because I had to, but I was also learning Japanese on my own at the same time. Once I graduated, I was finally able to devote my time to learning Japanese on its own, which allowed me to absorb more, and absorb it faster. But while I was doing both, I was able to carry on rough conversations in each language without getting them confused or forgetting what I had learned. (But don't dare ask me to speak Spanish now, I haven't used it for 5 years!)

Languages that have some degree of similarity also make it feasible to learn several at once. For example, the romance languages all have some degree of similar words or grammar rules. With me, knowing Japanese is making it easier to learn Korean and Chinese. It was unexpected that I picked up a book on Russian, but between the three languages I just rotate every couple of weeks to keep up with my studies and practice.

So... slow, but not impossible.

And it's fun. :)

**gRomoZeka** · October 10th, 2008, 02:03 AM

And may I add that studing more than one language is very common? Because that's exactly what kids do at school.

When I was younger, we studied two foreign languages (well.. one of them was Ukrainian, so it actually felt like one), now kids study three (Ukr., Eng. and French or German).

JackBoni · October 11th, 2008, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Dreams

Languages that have some degree of similarity also make it feasible to learn several at once.

I agree with that. I have been learning German for six years, which is not at all similar to Russian from a vocabulary point of view, however my knowledge of the German cases helped me to pick up the Russian ones fairly quickly. I also did French at school. My French was never anywhere near as good as my German; I struggled with French for some reason. Those of my friends who had been studying Latin at the time always found French vocabulary easier to memorise. They never reaped the benefits from Latin in terms of it being inflected, though; they still had trouble with the German cases, as they didn't understand the Latin ones. I am looking into Latin at the moment, purely because I am interested in reading about the Romans in the original. Perhaps if I go back to French in a few years, after studying Latin, the burden of learning vocabulary will have become slightly easier.

**Жэнтос** · October 11th, 2008, 03:22 PM

Вытерто. Л.

**Оля** · October 11th, 2008, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by Жэнтос

Выучить любой язык невозможно, а читать грамматику даже вредно, имхо.

Прости, но ты такую чушь несёшь...

**Lampada** · October 11th, 2008, 04:33 PM

[quote=Оля]

Originally Posted by "Жэнтос":c9f7tjty

Выучить любой язык невозможно, а читать грамматику даже вредно, имхо.

Прости, но ты такую чушь несёшь...[/quote:c9f7tjty] А то...

**Leushka** · October 11th, 2008, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by JackBoni

Those of my friends who had been studying Latin at the time always found French vocabulary easier to memorise. They never reaped the benefits from Latin in terms of it being inflected, though; they still had trouble with the German cases, as they didn't understand the Latin ones. I am looking into Latin at the moment, purely because I am interested in reading about the Romans in the original. Perhaps if I go back to French in a few years, after studying Latin, the burden of learning vocabulary will have become slightly easier.

I find that of all the languages I know (natives Italian and Finnish, and English), the most useful for studying Russian is... Latin.

The most evident analogy is that of cases, as Italian and English have none, while Finnish has too many and no prepositions. Instead Latin cases are almost exactly the same (scratch vocative, add the neglected locative -> prepositional), with almost the same uses. Russian uses the genitive much more than Latin, but that's it.

In addition, I somehow find Russian more similar to Latin than to those other modern languages in "general feel". But don't ask me examples!

JackBoni · October 12th, 2008, 01:00 PM

That sounds like a really good excuse to get into Latin, then. As I have a fairly good knowledge of the Russian cases already, would I still be able to get anything out of looking into Latin? I will look into it anyway, as I would like to be able to read about the Romans in the original. Also, it may help me with my failing French.

Any thoughts?

**Жэнтос** · October 12th, 2008, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by Оля

Прости, но ты такую чушь несёшь...

Не чушь, а цитату известного русского лингвиста, который сейчас живёт в США и имеет заслуженный авторитет в области лингвистики и языкознания (правда цитировал по памяти, но смыл тот же, вот только имя автора сих высказываний не помню, к сожалению, потому и не привёл).

**Оля** · October 12th, 2008, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by Жэнтос

правда цитировал по памяти

Ну, видимо, память подвела тебя не только с высказыванием, но и с логикой и грамматикой русского языка, потому что с этой точки зрения твоя фраза вообще не имеет смысла ("выучить любой язык нельзя").

но смыл тот же

Опечаточка по Фрейду.

а читать грамматику даже вредно, имхо

То есть вместо копирайта ты поставил свое "имхо"?

**Жэнтос** · October 13th, 2008, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by Оля

твоя фраза вообще не имеет смысла ("выучить любой язык нельзя").

Не моя, а известного профессора.

Опечаточка по Фрейду.

Не вижу никакой опечатки.

То есть вместо копирайта ты поставил свое "имхо"?

Не "мое", а общераспространенное, на многих форумах это сочетание букв многие вставляют куда ни поподя (знать бы ещё, что оно означает...).

**Lampada** · October 13th, 2008, 02:12 PM

[quote=Жэнтос]

Originally Posted by "Оля":2u83jz5s

твоя фраза вообще не имеет смысла ("выучить любой язык нельзя").

Не моя, а известного профессора. [/quote:2u83jz5s]
Приведи ссылку. В противном случае, я вытру твой пост.

[quote=Жэнтос]

Originally Posted by "Оля":2u83jz5s

Опечаточка по Фрейду.

Не вижу никакой опечатки.

[/quote:2u83jz5s]
Зато все остальные видят. "но смыл тот же"

[quote=Жэнтос]

Originally Posted by "Оля":2u83jz5s

То есть вместо копирайта ты поставил свое "имхо"?

Не "мое", а общераспространенное, на многих форумах это сочетание букв многие вставляют куда ни поподя (знать бы ещё, что оно означает...).

[/quote:2u83jz5s]
"Тебя на гугле забанили?" (ц.)

**Жэнтос** · October 13th, 2008, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by Lampada

Приведи ссылку

цитата (известного лингвиста Николая Федоровича Замяткина): "вас невозможно научить иностранному языку, является неоспоримой и непреложной истиной, - подобно утверждению, что завтра утром будет восход солнца"
В той же книге (которая у меня к сожалению не сохранилась) он писал примерно следующее: знать ЛЮБОЙ язык (или выучить его) на 100% невозможно, на том же русском есть ещё "языки" бизнесменов, технарей, и т.д., которые непонятны большинству (даже русских). В интернете нашёл только начало книги (см. предыдущую цитату), pdf-ник, содержащий полную версию книги (на компе у меня чёрт ногу сломит) пока не нашёл...

**Оля** · October 13th, 2008, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by Жэнтос

"вас невозможно научить иностранному языку, является неоспоримой и непреложной истиной, - подобно утверждению, что завтра утром будет восход солнца"

Где в этом предложении подлежащее?

он писал примерно следующее

Думаю, слово "примерно" - ключевое.

знать ЛЮБОЙ язык (или выучить его) на 100% невозможно

Жэнтос, ты действительно не видишь, что эта фраза безграмотная и бессмысленная? Я могу дать подсказку: правильно было бы "НИ ОДИН язык нельзя знать на 100%".

Но даже в этом случае я не понимаю, почему эта мысль должна быть ответом на мою реплику "Я в сущности ни один язык не учу". Думаю, ты тоже этого не понимаешь.

в том же русском есть ещё

**gRomoZeka** · October 13th, 2008, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Жэнтос

Originally Posted by Lampada

Приведи ссылку

цитата (известного лингвиста Николая Федоровича Замяткина):

Ха-ха-ха! Ой, не могу... "Известный лингвист"...

Этот "известный лингвист" тусуется на всех форумах, ведет нелепые споры и рекламирует свою брошюрку (а других работ у этого "лингвиста", судя по всему, нет).

В книжечке своей Замяткин пережевывает общеизвестные истины (вас невозможно научить - вы должны сами учиться.. спасибо, не знали). Есть там и очень интересные мысли - штуки три (в частности, про чувство языка и овладение правильным произношением), но остальное - вода. Другими словами, все что он там размазал на энное количество страниц, можно было изложить на одной.

Ну, Жэнтос, ну насмешил...

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