How i'm learning 3 languages at the same time atm
I'm currently (actively) learning 3 languages at the same time and thought i'd tell you guys about what i'm doing
So right now i'm learning
Swedish (almost at B2 i'd say)
French (approx. B1)
Czech (barely even scratched A1)
and here's what i'm doing:
Swedish (B1-B2):
i'm really struggling with a learning plateau atm and desperately need to learn more vocab words, so i'm studying all of the flash cards i can find
i'm currently reading a book that is meant for teenagers (Hallahem 1) and listening to the audiobook at the same time to practice listening comprehension
i've found a couple of youtubers i like and watch their videos whenever i have a few minutes to spare
i like watching German ice hockey matches, so naturally i looked up the Swedish ice hockey league and occasionally watch their matches (even though i understand very little cause the commentators talk so fast)
when i've had a busy or stressful day but really want to squeeze at least a little bit of Swedish repetition in, i use the Clozemaster app
French (B1):
French grammar is my personal nemesis, so that's my main focus atm -> i'm using the Babbel app to learn grammar & a German exercise book to practice what i've learned (it's by PONS, in case you're interested)
i like watching Chatterbug videos, because the streamers there talk very clearly and are great at explaining little grammar bits
as an additional listening comprehension exercise, i use the app tv5monde every once in a while (you can watch short videos (usually around 2 to 3 minutes long) and then have to answer a few questions about what you've just learned)
i also use Clozemaster for repetition on busy days
Czech (beginner):
Since Babbel and other big language learning apps don't offer Czech courses, i have to use a German exercise book to learn and practice grammar (the one by Langenscheidt)
i've also bought a German online course that mainly teaches and practices vocab words (up till level C2), but also offers occasional grammar exercises (the course is by SprachenLernen24)
(Note: i do not recommend the Czech Duolingo course, it doesn't teach any grammar at all and i just got super confused and annoyed)
A few tips for learning languages
I've been learning languages for more than 15 years now and i've learned a lot about which learning methods work for me and which don't, so here are a few tips that might help you if you're struggling or unmotivated
grammar is the main basis of any language. Once you know the grammar, you know the language, then it's just a matter of accumulating as many words, idioms, and sayings as you can to reach your desired level
notice what you're struggling with! If you always use the wrong tense or always mess up idioms, look up exercises online, write the rules on a flashcard and stick them to your mirror, repeat, repeat, repeat until you get annoyed, that's the only way it'll stick
if you're struggling with listening comprehension, buy a book & the respective audiobook. Audiobook narrators usually talk more slowly than actors, youtubers, or podcasters and reading the book at the same time is like having subtitles
i personally can only stick to a language learning schedule if i enjoy what i'm doing. If an app isn't my cup of tea, i'm just not motivated enough to use it. So find stuff that's fun, even if it's just 2 things (that's better than 10 things you hate)
don't rush ahead! Stick to your level until the exercises get too easy, then you can move to the next level. Nothing is worse for your motivation than feeling overwhelmed
what do you love? do you like a certain sport? do you like makeup tutorials? do you like to crochet? are you interested in plants or astronomy or booktok or whatever? is there a comic book or children's tv show you enjoy? then go and look up all of these things in your target language!
As a native Czech speaker, wow that's so cool, but also why would u do that to yourself /j
Fr tho genuine question, sorry if I missed it in the post, why are you learning Czech?
Hiya :) i don't know if i've ever said why i'm learning Czech, so here it is:
I love learning languages and really wanted to learn a new one, but i didn't wanna learn another Germanic or Romance language cause that would be boring and just confuse me. But i still wanted it to be a European language so i'd be more likely to use it here in Germany and on vacation (i never travel very far, have never been on a plane before) and i've always wanted to look into a language family that's completely new to me, so one of the obvious choices was the Slavic language family. But i didn't wanna learn a new writing system, so I chose the West Slavic language family (which is closer to Germany than the Southern Slavic languages). And of those 3 languages/countries i just liked Czechia the most (and the main character in one of my favourite books has to learn Czech and visits Prague) so i chose Czech! :)
And you're right, so far it's definitely the hardest language i've committed myself to, but unfortunately it was love at first sight😅 don't know why, maybe because i have a soft spot for "hard", "difficult" and "ugly" languages (as a native German i find Czech incredibly beautiful <3 (more so than French actually))
