Mastering Multiple Languages Simultaneously: Secrets to Success

In this guest article, Alena Dudarets—a dedicated Spanish and English instructor, self-study enthusiast, and emerging polyglot—shares her insights on juggling the study of five languages simultaneously, the invaluable role of TV series in language acquisition, and the deeper motivation behind her multilingual journey.

About Alena Dudarets
Spanish and English teacher, passionate self-learner, and aspiring polyglot.

Hello, I'm Alena, 25 years old, aiming to become a polyglot. According to my estimates, I will soon be fluent or highly proficient in seven languages besides Russian and Ukrainian—if all goes well. This article focuses on my current experience learning five languages at the same time.

1. Gradual Integration

Currently, I study English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Turkish.

It’s important to note that these languages didn’t enter my life all at once. I unexpectedly mastered English during school, then continued self-study to perfect my British accent and grammar.

I've been learning Spanish independently since I was 13. Early on, my practice was inconsistent, sometimes going months without opening my notebook. But that changed; last November, I successfully passed the DELE C1 exam. I have been teaching both English and Spanish for nearly seven years, so even when I’m not actively studying, these languages remain with me through teaching others.

My attempts at learning Italian began at 14, lasting about three weeks initially, during which I filled half a 96-page notebook. Remarkably, the knowledge from those weeks resurfaced quickly when I resumed studying Italian nine years later. Most of my Italian learning happened in summer 2015 during an intensive language marathon called Language Heroes. By the end of that summer, I could sustain an hour-long conversation with a native speaker, despite some errors and Spanish influences.

My Turkish knowledge started in childhood—enough to order food and navigate Turkey—but I lacked grammar understanding. Last spring, I began studying Turkish grammar and vocabulary more seriously but paused by summer.

I started learning Brazilian Portuguese in January during the same language marathon. It proved more challenging than Italian due to its close similarity to Spanish, requiring careful effort to prevent interference.

Thus, I do not study all these languages with the same methods or intensity. For example, if I weren’t aiming for a C2 level, I might only maintain my English and Spanish skills rather than actively study them. Currently, I’m preparing for the English C1 exam, which involves textbook study again. For Spanish, without upcoming exams, I enjoy reading Mario Vargas Llosa’s novels and exploring rap music by Calle 13.

2. Leveraging YouTube

You might expect me to recommend watching lots of YouTube videos, which is true, but there’s more. A key part of my language learning is my own YouTube channel, started in 2013. My first video showed me speaking Italian after one week of study (plus three weeks nine years earlier). By year-end, I uploaded my first Spanish video. It now has over 20,000 views and 700 subscribers, mostly Spanish speakers.

Whenever I begin a new language, I quickly record videos in that language and upload them. Even if native speakers don’t comment (as with Turkish), I later create more videos to track and celebrate my progress. I engage with viewers in comments, and some have become friends on Skype and Facebook. Recently, I sent a postcard with snow to a friend in Argentina who was thrilled!

3. The Power of TV Series

TV series have been indispensable in my language studies. Thanks to "Sex and the City" for English, "Wild Angel" for Argentinian Spanish, "Las Aparicio" for Mexican Spanish, and "Avenida Brasil" for Brazilian Portuguese, I absorbed language naturally by binge-watching with subtitles.

My approach is simple: for beginners, watch series with native language subtitles; for intermediate learners (around B2), try watching without subtitles if possible. Subtitles remain valuable because they expose you to authentic conversational speech. Movies are good, but they end too quickly to absorb as much.

Before watching over 80 episodes of "Wild Angel" without translation or subtitles, Spanish sounded as foreign to me as Mandarin Chinese.

4. Extensive Reading

Extensive reading means enjoying large amounts of literature with only a few unfamiliar words per page, making reading pleasurable. For beginners, jumping straight into "One Hundred Years of Solitude" is usually overwhelming. Adapted books are widely available for popular languages, and with A2 or B1 level, you can find authors who write in an accessible and engaging style.

My English and Spanish skills owe much to the many books I’ve read. I tend to read casually without constantly using a dictionary—if I understand the gist, I keep going. Recently, after extensive reading, I’m also practicing intensive reading, using notebooks, pens, and highlighters to record and highlight new words, phrases, and sentences. I apply the same method to articles, which are shorter and easier to manage.

5. Embracing Culture and Context

Why these languages? Because I love them and the cultures behind them. I enjoy the food, literature, music, and more from countries where these languages are spoken. Even without traveling, I find ways to use the language daily. Any text, podcast, or song is far more beneficial than randomly memorizing words on apps like Memrise. While Memrise works for some—and I sometimes create my own sets there—it’s not effective for me. I need context: dialogues, texts, situations, and exercises to truly remember vocabulary.

6. Understanding Learning Styles

Recognizing your learning style is crucial. I realized I’m not an auditory learner. My speaking skills outpace my listening comprehension. To memorize new words by ear, I must hear them at least ten times, sometimes more, and even then, correct recall isn’t guaranteed. That’s why Pimsleur’s method didn’t work for me when learning Egyptian Arabic.

Still, I listen to podcasts and watch series from the start to train my ear. My best retention method is seeing words and writing them by hand.

Spanish is the language I’ve studied most consciously and independently. I’m now on my fifth 96-page notebook filled with notes, not counting extra A4 sheets. However, if you’re an auditory learner, this approach may waste your time. But if you’ve struggled to progress without writing things down, consider this might be why.

7. Building a Language Foundation in Three Months

Learning a language fluently in three months is unrealistic unless you’re a genius. But you can build a solid foundation or reach B1 level, depending on your starting point.

Since joining Language Heroes, I’ve intensely studied one language for three months: quickly completing a core textbook, mastering basic grammar, listening to many podcasts, writing on platforms like italki.com and polyglotclub.com, engaging in conversations with native speakers, and watching adapted videos and books.

Meanwhile, I maintain other languages in the background: progressing slowly through textbooks, watching films, chatting occasionally with natives, and listening to radio and podcasts. After three months, I immerse myself in the culture and conversation of the main language before possibly returning to intensive study later. This interval approach helps me manage multiple languages.

Studying five languages simultaneously is mentally challenging. By summer, I plan to pause active study of Portuguese and Italian to focus energy on French, which I studied independently in 2012. I will start by improving reading and pronunciation.

In autumn, I’ll add German, which I studied for seven years in school and currently have around A1 level. This year, my goal is to refine languages I’ve already encountered, avoiding time spent on basics like reading rules or simple topics. Though I won’t be reading "Madame Bovary" in German by year-end, I aim to hold conversations confidently.

Why Pursue This Journey?

Firstly, it’s beautiful. More seriously, I have countless reasons. For example, I recently read a captivating detective novel by two Catalan authors that hasn’t been translated into English or Russian and likely never will be. I can’t express how grateful I was for my Spanish while reading it.

I’ll never forget meeting three Mexicans in a hostel kitchen in Vilnius and daring to speak Spanish with them. Though I initially struggled to understand their speech, they kindly slowed down and avoided slang, making conversation enjoyable. They were curious why I studied Spanish, and despite limited practice, I warmed up quickly.

Imagine a native English speaker marveling at your knowledge of their language and your favorite band! That happens to me regularly with Latin American Spanish. I’m still exploring Italian and Portuguese-speaking cultures, but the experience is similar.

One of the most rewarding moments is ordering food in Turkish and seeing the delighted reactions of restaurant staff.

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