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Studying two languages at the same time...

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  • 23-12-2009 11:46pm
    #1
    Jay Pentatonic
    Registered Users Posts: 430 ✭✭


    Hey!
    I'm looking for a few general tips about studying two languages at the same time.
    I've been continuing with German after the Leaving Cert (which I did in 2008) & I've decided to give Irish a shot (had an exemption during school).

    Anyway, I seem to fall into a pattern of studying one language in one month, then switch to the other language in the next month...but this always feels like one step forward & two steps back, as I always forget a huge chunk of the language I go back on.

    Has anyone found any particular habbits they found helpful?

    Thanks loads in advance! :)


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    #2
    dory
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,501 Mod ✭✭✭✭dory


    I usually study a few different languages at a time. I find the trick is to be at different levels of each. If you're a beginner at both, then it's harder. If you're pretty good at German, then keep reading a bit of that while doing Irish. Maybe make one you major and one your minor for a month, and then switch.
    Totally leaving one for a month won't really work, as you've found. You should be doing little and often. Get it out of your brain that you can't study more than one at once. Remember school where you had to learn loads of subjects - it's no different.


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    #3
    Jay Pentatonic
    Registered Users Posts: 430 ✭✭Jay Pentatonic


    dory wrote: »
    Remember school where you had to learn loads of subjects - it's no different.

    That's a very encouraging point. Even though I had to learn a whole load of different subjects, the information nearly always stuck...nearly!!:D
    So you're right, it's the same here. It's not as if when I learn a new language, it'll replace the other one I already know.

    Anyway, thanks for the info, it's really helpful!


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    #4
    Aard
    Registered Users Posts: 4,905 ✭✭✭Aard


    It's been said that you can't learn more than one language at once. I'm not sure how true that is though. I'd say it'd be a problem if the two languages had a lot of similarities, and could easily be confused, but that problem doesn't exist with Irish and German. Like said above, don't go a month without any study of one of the languages - we learn language by repetition, and leaving such a long gap between study periods will be, as you say, two steps forward one step back.


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