How many languages are ok?

How many languages are ok

Have you ever thought about how many languages are good for you? Some people are happy to speak two languages fluently, others love to speak at least five languages on a high level. But what is the best way? One, two or many languages?

This question is very difficult to answer because every person is different. Each learner has different goals, wishes or possibilities to learn a foreign language. But there are a few things which can help you to decide the number of your learning languages.

How many languages are ok?

To answer this question you have to think about three questions: Why? For whom? Which?

Why?

At first you have to think about your WHY. There are a lot of possibilites to create a question with why and so it is your turn to find – at first – the right question for you. Here are some examples:

  • Why would you like to learn a language in general?
  • Why should it be this language and not that one?
  • Why is it your goal to speak a foreign language fluently?
  • Why would you like to spend time on learning instead of watching TV or reading a book?
  • Why …?

After you have found the answer, you know also a little bit more about you and your learning purposes.

For whom?

The next part is the question “for whom?”.

Would you like to learn the language because you want to learn something new or because you like the sound of the language?

or

Would you like to learn the language because you need it for your job or because your boss wants you to speak the language?

It’s your decision, but you will have more motivation if it is your own wish to speak a foreign language. But also if you need the foreign language for your job, it could be fun to learn it. So focus on the positive things!

Which?

Which language? Maybe the hardest question of all and also the first one.

It won’t be a problem if your boss says which language you need. Maybe it is English because your company works all over the world. Or it is Chinese because your next shop will be opened in China. It doesn’t matter why you need the new language, it is more important to find positive things in the situation to learn it in an easier way.

The other possibility is that you have your own choice. You can decide which language you want to learn. This could be Italian because you always spend your holidays in Italy, but it could also be French because you like the haute cuisine in France. Have confidence in your gut feeling! It will be the right choice. (And if not … there are a lot of other languages.)

But be careful with more languages:

Sometimes it is hard to find the time to learn different languages. So if you don’t have a lot of time, you should focus on learning only one language. (Courses in a language school could also help you to make progress.)

But we know: There are persons who want to learn more languages at the same time. They cannot focus only on one language, they focus at least on two or three languages at the same time. And that’s ok. But if you know that you will have more difficulties when you learn more languages at the same time, don’t do that. Focus only on one language and learn the next one afterwards.

Good luck and have fun!

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