Question:
I'd like to know if it is a realistic possibility for a person of average intelligence to learn two foreign languages at the same time. If it is, are there any specific difficulties that should be watched for?
Some one tell me that "The biggest one is time. If you have N hours a week to learn languages, you'll have N/2 hours for each language. For many of us N is small enough as to make even learning one language a slow business."
what's your opinion???
Answer:
This problem is not a simple 1+1=2 problem. News skills or concepts that you've just learnt for one language may help you reduce the time you've to spent on the same concepts for another language. So, you can save some time. The actual time you can spend for each language is slightly higher than N/2. It is higher if the 2 languages share more similarities.
For example, if you learn Greek and Latin simultaneously, you only have to learn the concepts (not the details, such as the exact spellings) of noun declension and verb conjugation ONCE. The declension and conjugation systems are different in these 2 languages, but the *idea* of declension and conjugation is the same. You don't have to relearn the idea.
As another example, if you learn Arabic and Persian together, you can save time on learning the writing systems, because these languages essentially share the same alphabet. Although there are subtle differences in the alphabets, you can quickly master one after you've mastered another.
One more example: English has one word "to know" to cover the meaning of French "savoir" and "conna^itre". So, to learn French, you have to learn to distinguish between these 2 French verbs. German also makes that distinction: "wissen" and "kennen". Thus, if you learn French and German together, you don't have to learn the distinction twice.
