Speak Spanish from day one

Learning multiple languages won’t happen overnight.

Take solace in the fact that you’ll be taking smalls steps to achieving your language learning goals. Over time these will add up, and before you know it you’ll be multilingual.

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It may seem logical to learn two languages that are similar because the overlap will make language learning easier. But it is this very overlap that can cause confusion - where you mix up words and grammar.

When studying a new language it’s this confusion factor we want to minimize. For example, French and Italian vocabularies are similar; so rather avoid those and learn something like French and Chinese.

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To make things easier and prevent the chance of burn-out, we recommend picking at least one easier language.

Luca Lamprariello of Polyglot Dream recommends allocating 70-80% of your time to the difficult language and 20-30% of your time to the easier language.

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No doubt, you’re learning multiple languages at once because you enjoy the challenge.

But if you start and you’re not 100% sure that you'll follow through, consider making one language a priority .

If you fall short of achieving fluency in one, at least you’ll walk away with the other language under the belt.

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Do you want to be able to speak, write, and read in the language, or only be able to do one of these things?

Your goals will play a role in how you approach your learning, the resources you use, and how much time you allocate.

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Language learning requires that you understand how you learn best as this will improve your productivity.

Now that you want to learn two languages simultaneously, the efficient use of time becomes even more important.

So, how do you learn best? Is it with visual, writing, audio, or a combination of methods?

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The time pressure you’ll be under means you must pay attention to your resources. Carefully select resources aligned with your learning method and learning goals.

One of the best ways to learn any new language is through immersion. Immersion is great because the more you practice in real life situations, the more you internalize the language and create separate identities for the different languages. This will go a long way to reducing the confusion factor.

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Create a schedule in your calendar and block out time slots for the language. Because you’ll be alternating between them, it’s important to study daily to keep the languages fresh in your mind.

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Make sure your deadline are realistic and in line with the fact that you’ll be learning multiple languages at once.

There are people who set unrealistic deadlines like learning a language in two weeks. The problem is: it becomes disheartening when you don’t achieve those goals. You’re most likely also juggling a full-time job so remember that.

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Make it fun by using language learning apps, reading children’s books, and conversing with people on the street.

Also, read about topics you’re interested in. If you enjoy music, read about music in the foreign languages. If you enjoy fantasy books, why not grab a fantasy book in the target language and start testing your skills?

Motivation and enjoyment are key. Keep those top-of-mind, and you’ll be unstoppable.

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