{"id":4645,"date":"2024-01-30T06:08:52","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T11:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/?p=4645"},"modified":"2025-01-24T07:27:53","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T12:27:53","slug":"speak-3-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/speak-3-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"How I Learned to Speak Three Languages"},"content":{"rendered":"

So you want to add a third<\/i> language to your arsenal?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this post, I’m sharing seven strategies I used to achieve this goal.\u00a0I hope this will help you, my fellow language enthusiast, to better navigate the unique challenges of becoming a trilingual.<\/p>\n

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How to Learn a Third Language<\/h2>\n

One quick note\u2014I’ll be referring to your second language as L2 (Language 2) and your third language as L3 (Language 3) throughout this post.\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. Avoid starting more than one new language at once<\/h3>\n

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If you\u2019re a complete beginner in a new language, whether you\u2019re already bilingual from childhood or not, you’ll hit a bit of a learning curve when starting again as an adult.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you take on two (or more) brand new languages at the same time, this can easily result in frustration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You can double-check your level with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) chart<\/a>\u00a0used in\u00a0the European Union.<\/p>\n

The CEFR chart is incredibly detailed and lists language levels from A1 (just beyond raw beginner) to C2 (near native fluency) in all skill areas: reading, writing, listening and speaking.<\/p>\n

You\u00a0can<\/em> take exams to ascertain your true language level, but this isn\u2019t terribly necessary. If you\u2019re around B2 in your passive skills (reading and listening) and around B1 in active skills (speaking and writing), you can comfortably move on to your next language<\/strong>. This level will have you understanding most newspapers and mainstream novels, as well as most formal talk radio (like news or talk shows, but maybe not super casual shows).<\/p>\n

Another good reason to get to an intermediate level in your L2 before starting an L3 is because high-intermediate level languages are easier to maintain with less work<\/strong>.\u00a0 The longer you learn a language, the longer it\u2019ll take for it to deteriorate from underuse.<\/p>\n

It will also be easier to avoid mixing up the two languages, confusing things like vocabulary, grammar pattern and accents.<\/p>\n

You can use passive activities (like reading novels and listening to radio) to keep your L2 healthy while you focus more intensively on L3.<\/p>\n

And since we want to be able to speak and use our languages, make sure you keep writing and speaking your L2 through sites like Lang-8<\/a> (an online journal where native speakers correct your writing), online forums and through language exchange sites.<\/p>\n

italki<\/a> <\/strong>is our favorite option for language exchange, especially if you want to consider going the extra mile and hiring a professional language tutor. You can use this site to participate in both!<\/a><\/p>\n

L3 can be your priority language for things that take more energy, like textbooks and active vocab learning.<\/p>\n

2. Focus on staying balanced and improving your\u00a0time management<\/h3>\n

Languages take work<\/em>. It takes hundreds to thousands of hours to learn a language to a high level, and after that you need to maintain the language if you expect to keep it active for long periods of time. If you have responsibilities outside of language learning, which you most likely do, things can get pretty busy!<\/p>\n

This is where time management comes in. When taking on big projects like multiple languages, it\u2019s important to know where your time is going and how you can use it more efficiently.<\/p>\n

Timeboxing and timers<\/h4>\n

Timeboxing<\/a> is a famous technique that helps you accomplish big tasks by breaking them up into small, doable blocks<\/strong>. This is essential when you’re working on big, amorphous projects like learning Chinese or Spanish!<\/p>\n

If you want to get in two hours of active study each day, try breaking it up into 20 minute timeboxes to maximize your focus and mental resources. The goal is to make a block of time so small that your procrastinating subconscious will be willing to do it.<\/p>\n

Timers are obviously essential to timeboxing efficiently. There are plenty of apps you can use, but I personally love Forest<\/a> for iOS and Android. Not only does the app block all other apps on your phone for maximum productivity, but for each time block you complete, you get a little shrub or tree in your virtual garden. It seems silly, but it\u2019s motivating!<\/p>\n

You can also turn to language learning apps, such as FluentU<\/a> or Duolingo<\/a>. These apps are quite efficient at consistently keeping you on your toes with manageable but comprehensive lessons. Many of them come equipped with time management and goal-keeping features.<\/p>\n

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

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