For those who self-learn foreign languages:

[Fontaine]

Do you focus on only one language or study several at the same time?

I used to study several but then realized it was a bad strategy. It's not about brain confusion but rather motivation. Studying several leads to greater laziness, because when you encounter an obstacle in one language, it's too easy to just switch to another language thinking that you'll address the difficulty in the other later. Focusing on only one language, in my experience, forces you to try to reach actual mastery in that language. Knowing that you first need to master X before jumping to Y also makes you more motivated to progress in X asap. As the Russian proverb says, "one who tries to hunt two rabbits catches none".

@Mainländer

 

[Ignas]

only one language of course. But it needs tremendous motivations to keep me not quitting

 

[rudolfhess]

If I remember correctly, you can successfully learn multiple languages at once, and they don't conflict with each other if you know what you're doing. But yeah, self study is different from a classroom environment, and I've certainly found that focusing on one is the better strategy when you are setting the rules yourself and you don't have deadlines and teachers and exams.

One thing I found useful is registering for whatever the most popular mastery exam is in your target language, and using the test date as an artificial deadline to motivate you.

 

[metal]

our only hope is SEA

 

[Aramaic-cel_SB]

Learn aramaic bro

 

[Fontaine]

If I remember correctly, you can successfully learn multiple languages at once, and they don't conflict with each other if you know what you're doing.

In my experience there is conflict nevertheless, not intellectual but emotional. The two languages will constantly compete for your attention span and memorization efforts, often leading to neglecting one of them. Even if you follow a rigid timetable with equal time allocation, one language will naturally come to dominate the other in your thoughts during your "off time" and you will find that you progress way slower in one of the languages.

 

[Voidcel]

one at a time
although the only foreign language to have ever gained my genuine interest is japanese, so yeah.

 

[jerrycan dan]

the only foreign language to have ever gained my genuine interest is japanese, so yeah.

faggot

 

[thespanishcel]

I tried it and quitted it in 2 days because I was too lazy and I didn't have efficient learning methods.

 

[Zesto]

Just Lol @ learning more than language at the same time.