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Maximum Number of Languages You Can Learn



”One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.”- Frank Smith

But what if we know three, four, or even five? The world is yours.



How Many Languages Can a Motivated Learner Acquire and Maintain? 

Whatever your motivations are for striving to learn more than one additional language, it is possible to do so. A variety of factors come into play, but we will try our best to demystify it for you.



How Many Languages Can You Realistically Learn?

The answer is pretty straightforward: as many as you want.

That being said, there are a lot of constraints that can put a ceiling to what is reasonably possible in your case.

  • Time

  • Resources

  • Exposure

  • Relationships

  • Choice of languages

  • Goals



Time

It doesn’t take a nuclear physicist to understand that the more time you have to devote to the acquisition of languages, the more you have the possibility to learn.



Resources

The availability and quality of the resources for your target languages will vary tremendously. 

  • The more common your languages are, the easier it will be to find quality content — often for free. 

  • You’ll spend less time researching and more time actually learning.


If your language is rarer, you’ll have to make do with what you find — quality or not.

One advantage: You won’t be tempted to switch tools or apps every month to see if it is 1% better. 



Exposure

If you live in a multilingual environment gives you a massive advantage over someone living on a remote unilingual island. 

  • Do you work with or regularly meet international tourists? Awesome. 

  • Do you live in a hotspot where multiple languages are spoken? You’re sitting on a goldmine my friend.


Example: Zermatt, Switzerland

A country with 4 official languages (French, Italian, German, Romansh) and a renowned tourist destination for English speakers.

  • Predominantly German-speaking

  • Close proximity to France and Italy

  • High chance to hear and use 3 or 4 languages daily


Imagine being born there:

You get natural exposure to 3 languages from childhood. Add English, and you have a recipe for success in 4 languages

There are a lot of places like this around the world. If you love languages, visiting and moving to such environments can be huge for learning and motivation. 


It is thrilling to speak three different languages during a single dinner.


If you live in a monolingual culture, yes, you’re at a disadvantage.

But it shouldn’t stop you


You only need three things to succeed:

  • Motivation

  • Persistence

  • An Internet connection


At a certain point, it comes down to what you are willing to do to get there. 



Relationships

Do you have someone in your life that speaks the language you want to learn? If yes, you’re in luck. Try to converse with them as much as possible.

  • It shows you value their native tongue — which is part of their identity. 

  • It also brings you closer to their culture.


What if everyone around you speaks only your native language? 

If you can and want to, try to look for places nearby to meet new people. If that’s not possible or desirable, connect with people online — it will take you probably less than 5 minutes. 



Choice of languages

Here comes perhaps the greatest differentiator.:

Which languages you choose.

Some are easier for English speakers; other are easier for Koreans.

Your starting point and your goals will determine your ”success” — and most of all, the time and effort required.


Example:

  • A French speaker learning Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian -all Romance languages- will have a much easier time than 

  • A Hungarian trying to learn Japanese, English and Afrikaans. 


This is an extreme contrast — but you get the point.


A quick search online will give you the easiest and hardest languages to learn for your native language.



What typically determines the difficulty of a language?

  • The alphabet

  • The syntax

  • The language family

  • The sounds

In short, the more your target language shares with your native language, the easier it should be.


Most importantly, the key to long-term success is your WHY. Your why is the cornerstone of your ability to keep your goals on track. Without it, you won’t be able to withstand the grind necessary to learn multiple languages.


”If your why is strong enough you will always find a way.” - Amy Purdy

Goals

What are your objectives?

Do you want to reach the same level in all languages?

Do you want fluency in all four skills: reading, writing, speaking, listening?

Or would you prefer to:

  • Be totally fluent in Norwegian

  • Understand Japanese anime

  • Order food in an Italian restaurant

  • Small talk with your Russian in-laws


Be clear from the start what you want so you can create a coherent plan.

By outlining your goals early, you reduce the stress of the undertaking and manage your expectations — which helps avoid discouragement.



Growth Mindset Over IQ

Did you notice we didn’t talk about your skills or IQ? 

That’s because we strongly believe in the growth mindset

For a detailed explanation of the difference between a growth and a fixed mindset, check out the bestselling book 

Mindset by Carol S. Dweck.


” Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” - Henry Ford

How Much Time Will It Take?

Noticed we also didn’t talk about how much time it will take — there are too many variables.

Here are a few tips to increase your chances of success:

  • Establish clear goals

  • Keep your expectations in check

  • Don’t cram too much, slow and steady wins the race

  • Let knowledge crystallize before moving to the next language

  • Make a clear plan

  • Take time at the beginning to gather resources and choose a method


Every hour spent planning will save you a tremendous amount of time down the line.




Forget About Your Past Experiences

What makes you think you can’t?

Why do you think that some people ”have it” and others don’t?

Just because you had difficulty learning a language in school doesn’t mean you can’t do it now. Maybe you just haven’t found the right method for you yet. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Some methods work better than others, but you may need to try different ones before finding what fits you. 

If you think you are bad at languages, but you’re reading this article about learning multiple languages, then clearly — you have more interest and potential than most learners


You should absolutely start and see where the adventure takes you

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