Learning 2 Languages at The Same Time: Worthy Experience or Complete Chaos?

”Too much of anything is the beginning of a mess.” - Dorothy Draper

Is It Possible to Learn 2 Languages at The Same Time?

Yes, it most certainly is.

Should you do it? Is it worth it?

Probably not. There are a couple of reasons for that. 

In this article, we’ll explore why it isn’t the best use of your mental resources and time.  

We will also provide some tips in case you are a goal-oriented masochistic person who still wants to try.

Why It’s Probably Not In Your Best Interest

1. Mental mix up:

   Learning two languages at once can cause confusion. Your brain might mix up words, leading you to recall the wrong one at the wrong time. This can frustrate, slow down your mental processes, and tire you out unnecessarily.

   
   

2. Crystallizing knowledge is harder:

   Trying to learn two languages at the same time makes this process significantly harder and longer. It’s much more effective to focus on one language for a year or two and then switch to another.

   
   

3. Time management issues:

   It forces you to juggle with your time to create the perfect learning environment. You’ll need a strict schedule that outlines what to learn, in which language, and when. Learning two languages at the same time is a feat almost impossible to pull off if you are not 100% focused and committed to it. With ”only” one, you can afford to give it 80% of your effort, but not with two.

   
   

4. Pronunciation confusion:

   When reading words and phrases in your languages you’ll be confused as to what sound fits the right letter or syllable.

   
   

5. Slower progress

   
   

6. Burnout risk:

   When short on time, you’ll likely prioritize one language over the other. Humans being humans, you’ll skip the same one every time. Over time you’ll see your progress slow down so much that you risk abandoning it. Think about it, what do you skip when you workout? Abs and stretching because you put them last and don’t prioritize them. Don’t do the same with your learning.

   
   

7. Increased costs:

   It costs more right now. You’ll need more speaking lessons, more subscriptions, more books, etc. 

The Only Two Valid Reasons to Try Your Hand at This Are: 

1. It is mandatory for your survival:

   If you need the languages for professional obligations, relationships, or travel, learning both might be necessary in the short term.

   
   

2. Languages are your deepest passion:

   If you’re passionate about languages and willing to dedicate a superhuman amount of effort, then you might find the challenge rewarding. The pride you’ll feel at the end could make all the sacrifices worthwhile.

   
   

   If neither of these reasons applies to you, it’s best to focus on one language. Go as deep or intense as you want, but stick to one language until you feel you could never forget it. Then and only then, continue this incredible adventure by adding another one to your repertoire.

What You Should Do (if you still want to try)

Key points:

• Be clear on your WHY

  Understand why you want to learn these two languages. Is it truly necessary or driven by passion?

• Choose languages far apart:

  If you want to learn two languages, choose ones that are as different as possible. For example, Spanish and Portuguese is a terrible idea. You should get a pretty amazing handle of one before learning the second. No one wants to speak a perfect Portuñol. 

Pro tip: If you want to learn both anyway: try to learn with two very different accents if possible. For example: a Colombian Spanish accent (neutral accent) and a Brazilian Portuguese accent from Rio de Janeiro (distinct accent). This will help better separate these two languages in your head.

• Establish a routine for each:

  Create a learning routine for both languages and keep them separate as much as possible.

  
  

• Take breaks between learning sessions:

  If you study both languages in the same day, give yourself a break between sessions to reset your mind.

  
  

• Create separate identities for each language:

  
  

• Keep your resources separate:

  Different folders, different places in your home, different apps, etc. 

  
  

• Have different interests or hobbies for each of them.

  
  

• Set clear goals for each: 

  It is more manageable to strive for good reading comprehension in Japanese and fluency in Spanish than complete fluency in both. 

What You Shouldn’t Do

• Don’t learn the same words at the same time. 

  Example: if you try to learn the word for apple, give yourself a couple of days between your learning of poma (Catalan) and elma (Turkish). Use different images and phrases to learn them. 

  
  

• Don’t complicate your daily life with language settings:

  Don’t set your cellphone to Chinese and your laptop in Russian. It only complicates your everyday life. Keep the daily mental charge light, while giving it your all during learning sessions.

  
  

• Don’t use laddering techniques prematurely:

  Laddering: using one language to learn the other. You should only consider it if you’ve mastered a language for years before trying the method.

  
  

• Don’t mix flashcards for both languages in the same deck. 

  Keep them separate to avoid confusion when reviewing.

What Now?

If it’s your first time learning a second language, we strongly recommend sticking to one only. You’ll discover what works for you and what doesn’t.

If after that you want to learn two more at the same time, you’ll have an easier time because you understand the process and how to tweak it for optimal efficiency.

You’ll have trained your eyes to see how a language works, so you’ll pick up grammar and structure nuances more easily. 

If your second one is a same language family, you will be surprised at how you can leverage common patterns to save time.

There are recurring patterns in a lot of family languages. Try to learn them early, it will boost your progress.

For example: 

Words ending in ”-ión” in Spanish often end in ”-ão” in Portuguese. More often than not you can take a guess and be right. Inspiración (Spanish) —> Inspiração (Portuguese).

Try doing that with Japanese and Arabic…

Final Note

As you can see, there are no black and white answers in language learning. It always comes down to choices, priorities and optimization. At La Lingwa, we always aim for long-term retention of knowledge. Dividing attention and effort by learning two languages at once goes against that principle. Only a select few can pull this trick off without giving up and losing their sanity. If you believe you are one of them, then by all means we encourage you to do it. We will provide you the resources necessary to achieve this tour de force.

👉 Got more questions? Head over to our Q&A Section—chances are we’ve already answered it (and if not, we will!).

👉 Ready to start your language journey? Grab our free guide “How to QuickStart Your Journey to Fluency” and take your first steps today!