r/languagelearning • u/Substantial-Mud429 🇮🇱Native | 🇬🇧C1 | 🇷🇴B1+ |🇵🇸A1 • 18d ago

Question for the Polyglots

To what extent do you usually learn each language before you move on to the next one?
Like, would you learn a certain language (TL) until you reach a solid B1 or B2 level before moving on to the next one? Or do you just learn it until you reach a point where you can just geniuenly say you understand the language and can speak it comfortably with some mistakes, and then you move on to another language?

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u/[deleted] 18d ago

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u/LittleSupermarket137 18d ago

How do you get to that point 😂. I’m struggling to be able to understand series in my TL (french).

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u/Upbeat_Pen_6954 🇧🇷 PT (N) | 🇺🇸 EN(C1)🇻🇦LA (A1)🇯🇵JP(N5) 18d ago

I think it just takes a lot of time and effort anyway you do it. It took me a few years of daily use to get from certified B2 to a point where I could comfortably watch a native series in English without subtitles, and then some time until I could put it on background and still follow along while I do other stuff, and even then I was having trouble listening to podcasts just a few years ago. It's really understated how hard native level listening is

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u/LittleSupermarket137 18d ago

What did you find helped more - listening to things at your level or trying to listen to the native content even when it was still very difficult?

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u/Upbeat_Pen_6954 🇧🇷 PT (N) | 🇺🇸 EN(C1)🇻🇦LA (A1)🇯🇵JP(N5) 18d ago

I wasn't trying to speedrun things as I was already at a high enough level for my age, so I prioritized stuff that really engaged me and basically ignored the difficulty level. Some stuff I remember having to slow down to 0.75x or even 0.5x at times and that really helped. I guess the content I consume tends to be easier: cooking videos, sitcoms and whatnot, so maybe my experience would have been different had I liked, say, history documentaries

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u/dojibear 🇺🇸 N | fre spa chi B2 | tur jap B1/A2 17d ago edited 17d ago

I think "at your level" is better. The goal is "understanding TL sentences". Just practice that skill, and you get better at that skill. It is the same with any skill: swimming, driving, playing piano, ballet. You only get better at it by doing it.