Ways to maintain different languages at the same time

Sometimes we start learning a language by simple curiosity, sometimes by need. Wherever you live and whatever language is your mother tongue it’s considered we all at least have to speak English as a second language (since it became the lingua franca of these days). Sometimes by starting a language one can get passionate and dive into this amazingly interesting and enriching process of learning languages. It doesn’t matter how many people in how many countries speak it. I always say that an authentic interest in culture is already a great reason to broaden your horizons. At the end of the day a language will be as useful as you want it to be. I know a lot of people who learn and maintain not only one language at the same time.

At the beginning it may seem impossible. Once I thought so too. But in reality, the more you learn – the more you are able to learn exponentially.

In this article I want to share my experience and my ways that truly help me not only to learn new languages, but also not to forget the ones I already speak.

Whether you are learning a new language, try to maintain 1, 2, 5 or 10 languages at the same time I sincerely believe this article will be useful for you.

1. Listen as much as you can

Before talking about it I would like to dismiss a very wide-spread myth, that to learn and maintain a language you have to live in a country where it’s spoken. (I’ve already talked about this in more detail in the article “Myths that hinders you to learn a new language”).

This is obviously not true. In fact, you can create the languages environment on your own by finding and listening to an interesting input in the target language. Famous linguist and educational researcher Stephen Krashen introduced interesting theories about language acquisition. According to him the key-factor in language learning is listening and reading of interesting and relatively clear input, depending on our level at the moment. If we think of it, nobody has ever been born with a language, on the contrary we all learn it by picking it up from people around (first of all from our parents) and only then improve it grammatically at school. We all have made a huge number of mistakes before reaching the level of a native speaker.

So why do we still so commonly believe in learning methods and approaches that, in fact, never really worked? Hours and hours we spent learning grammar rules, trying to understand long and sophisticated explanations of tenses written in books. “Grammar is the key” – we thought. Nothing is the key, indeed, unless it’s a complex of things, combined together in a proper way. Even just listening is not the key, but it can definitely give you more, than grammar rules.

The world of YouTube became a real language revolution for me, after a minimum of 10 years struggling with English. I’ve found by chance some youtubers making different videos about their lifestyle, traveling, food, or discussing problems in order to help others. Find the input that has no translation in your language, but most importantly is interesting for you.

But what really can help you to surround yourself with the language environment even in your country are podcasts. All you need is a podcast app on your phone, a pair of headphones and a little bit of “dead time”. When you get stuck in traffic jams, or commute using public transport, or maybe you go jogging in the evening/morning, or you just simply clean your house. Just listen to podcasts while doing something. In some time you will notice that your level, pronunciation and speaking skills have improved considerably without effort. Once you start it, you will live in a multilingual and versatile reality and will never want to go back to your previous perception. At the end of the article I will provide you with a list of podcasts and YouTube channels, I personally discovered.

Talking about the input, I can’t help mentioning movies, books and music. It’s not a secret that learning a language implies culture and mentality. It is almost impossible and ineffective to become a fluent speaker avoiding cultural implications, including literature, architecture, music, art, cuisine and cinema.

2. Dictionaries

That’s sounds boring, but actually it’s not. A learner has to have a natural curiosity concerning the target language. I’m not asking you to become a mobile library, but I’m pretty sure your smartphone is more convenient and not heavy at all. Just download a dictionary, but a decent one. Or more. I have four and I use them all. In my experience, It’s one of the best ways of expanding vocabulary – if you don't know the word, just check it out in the dictionary. Sometimes I feel, that people who seemingly have enough motivation to learn a language – find excuses that prevent them doing that. It's great if one still tries to explain what they mean in other words and synonyms, but unfortunately, the majority just stop talking. They are blocked. They don't know the word.

Okay. Let's suppose now you have a dictionary on your phone and you can check any unknown word whenever you want, but how do you remember them? Make screenshots, write them down, repeat many times, try to make sentences, but find your own way, a method, that works for you personally.

I usually make screenshots of words and look them through when I have time.

Make sure your dictionary doesn't work «Google style», but works like a proper one, with examples of usage and synonyms, moreover there is a «listen to the word» option, in case if you don't know how to pronounce it.

3. Talk to yourself out loud

I really mean it. And it has nothing to do with psychological illness. First of all, this method is perfect for those, who are struggling with the language barrier in real life. Let’s get back to children. Why do you think sometimes it’s so difficult to distinguish what they are mumbling or saying, and why do they distort words? They are simply learning! As I’ve mentioned before, nobody was born with a language.

Learning by heart a poem or a text out loud or preparing a speech when alone is not shameful, so why should practicing a language be?

After that when we start talking with real people, we feel so self-confident because we’ve already pronounced these words out loud. At home. On our own. Apart from this, it develops the speech skills and make any idea to be expressed more structured. It worked with every single language I’ve learnt. And it works perfectly to maintain my ability to express myself, when there is nobody to talk to in a target language.

4. Talk to people

“Oh, come on! This is explicitly clear. Do you think we are idiots?” Not at all. I’ve encountered enough people, who gave up learning a language, because they don’t use it and “there is nobody to talk to”. And it’s a matter of choice, it’s normal, but most of people didn’t want to give up learning, indeed. They have put so much effort, but didn’t know how to use it.

We live in the Internet era. Find a speaking club in your city, find a Skype language partner, travel. Finding an interlocutor is easier than it seems.

Never follow only one language method! Combine, experiment, explore what suits you personally. Remember, nobody can come and teach you better than your own self. And keep in mind:

“Language is best taught when it is being used to transmit messages, not when it is explicitly taught for conscious learning.” ― Stephen D. Krashen, The Natural Approach: Language Acquisition in the Classroom

A list of podcasts and Channels:

1. English

American English

Podcasts:

- All Ears English Podcast

- Effortless English Podcast (one of the best I have ever listened to)

- The Charged Life (motivational podcasts)

- This american life (C1/C2 level)

- 99 % invisible(C1/C2 level)

-Reply All(C1/2 level)

YouTube channels:

- Rachel’s English

-AJ Hoge, Effortless English

British English

Podcasts:

- Luke’s English Podcast (really one of my favorites. Interesting and entertaining, a good variety of topics and most importantly a very authentic podcast)

- The Doing English Podcast

- The is no such a thing as a fish (C1/C2 level)

YouTube channels:

- Anglophenia

-Anglo-Link

+ don’t forget about TED

2. French

Standard French (from France)

Podcasts:

- Français Authentique (both, a podcast and a YouTube channel. My favorite one)

- Républiques

- SBS French*

- Transfer(C1/C2 level)

-Les pieds sur terre(C1/C2 level)

-La question du jour(C1/C2 level)

-A voix nue(C1/C2 level)

YouTube channels :

-Cyprien (a vlogger)

- Normann fait des vidéos (a vlogger)

- Solange te parle (a vlogger)

- Français avec Pierre

French from Québec (The Province in Canada)

Podcasts :

- Le Québec en Baladodiffusion

- Baladodiffusion du Théâtre français

-Québec Science

YouTube channels :

- PL Cloutier (a vlogger)

- DENYZEE ( a vlogger)

3. Italian

Podcasts :

- Italiano Automatico (definitely one of the best, very inspiring)

- Podcast Italiano (as well one of my favorites)

- La lingua batte (C1/C2 level)

- SBS Italian*

YouTube channels :

-Luca Lampariello** – The polyglot dream (not only for Italian, but actually for every language. He speaks 12 languages and makes videos in all of them. Gives amazing advice for language learning. Very inspiring)

-Learn Italian with Italiano Automatico

- I soldi spicci (humor)

- Leonardo Decarli (a vlogger)

- Daniele doesn’t matter (a vlogger)

4. German

Podcasts :

- Slow German

-The Authentic german learning

- SBS German*

YouTube channels :

- The Authentic German Learning (the best one)

- Language sheep

- Typisch Sissi (a vlogger)

5. Spanish

Podcasts :

- The Unlimited Spanish

-Hoy hablamos

-Notes in Spanish

- Español Automatico Podcast

- SBS Spanish*

YouTube channels:

- Wasabi Humor

-Anton Lofer(a vlogger)

* SBS is an Australian radio, you can find it in any podcast app or in the Internet. A very interesting one with various topics and in many languages.

** I really recommend watching Luca Lampariello’s videos. He is a great example for language inspiration and motivation. Famous as well for his accent talant. Speaks 12 languages at C1/ C2 level (in terms of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

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