Is three languages too many?

Hello everybody. I need your help to make an important deciscion. I am currently studying Spanish (intermediate/advanced), Russian (intermediate) and Japanese (beginner). I would like to become completely fluent in all three in the not so distant future but I'm not sure if I this is a REALISTIC goal. I mean, most people have trouble reaching fluency in just one language, let alone three. I'd really like to know what you think. Up untill now I've had a lot of spare time to spend on my languages however soon I'll be starting at university and my time will become somewhat more restricted. What I am considering doing is dropping one of them (probably Spanish as it interests me the least) and concentrating on the other two as my real goal is effeciency (I don't want to be a Jack of all trades, I'd much rather master one or two languages than know a lot to a not so good level, although it is quite sad to think all that hard work might have been for nothing). Anyway, what do you think? Can you share with me your own experiences?

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. )))))

Hello, &#1084,

You should consider that when learning more than one language at the same time it matters how close the languages are to each other.

If one is studies, say, Spanish, French and Italian it should be easier to make the jump one to another. The same for a group composed of Russian, Ukrainian and Polish.

In your case you have two Indo-european languages, from different families (Spanish and Russian) and Japanese (completely different and alien to Spanish and Russian).

You will probably have to spend more time and effort to master these three separated languages than you would if you studied closely related languages.

I hope you can find this helpfull.

Study two of them using your standard methods.
Study or rather keep in touch with the third one by passively
listening to an all audio course - say while meditating,working out
in a gym etc. Rotate the three languages through this plan.

I give me as an example. I learn three foreign languages: English (longest) German and Russian. I must say that I'm the best in English. It's the easiest language to use and speak quite fluently, to joke and feel comfortable while speaking.

German is difficult for me. I have some problems to speak fluently, the grammar is huge and hard to comprehend. What's more I have some problems to separate German from English and sometimes while speaking in German, English fights with it and I have an english word in my mind instead of german one. I suppose that some similarities between those two languages cause the problems.

Learning Russian I find much more easier and I don't mix it with either German nor English. The reason is quite simple - I'm Pole.

I think it's possible to master one or two languages unless you're genius - than learn as much languages as you can ;)

Thanks for the advice. I would classify myself a genius, so I guess I'll keep learning them all.