Multilingualism: a virtue or a plague

[Читатель]

To be serious, I always thought that learning to speak fluently more than 5 languages can be very awkward - you'll end up hopelessly mixing words and languages.

I speak (fluently or natively) exactly 5, so I can not qualify for "more than 5". Nonetheless I do not have the symptoms you're describing. Basically you have to "tune up" to the language. For the first half an hour it is problematic, then it gradually fades out. I need approximately 40 mins to switch to another language and about a week to get as fluent in it as I was before. This applies to my native languages too.

if you have to "tune up" for half an hour, that's not fluency! 

I've know, for example, that I can speak fluent (but sure not grammatically correct) Polish after having a couple pints of beer 

Never managed that when sober...

[György]

I speak (fluently or natively) exactly 5, so I can not qualify for "more than 5". Nonetheless I do not have the symptoms you're describing. Basically you have to "tune up" to the language. For the first half an hour it is problematic, then it gradually fades out. I need approximately 40 mins to switch to another language and about a week to get as fluent in it as I was before. This applies to my native languages too.

So you obviously have the same problem as I do with my three and a half languages that I speak fluently. I don't understand why you claimed earlier that I am allegedly lacking competence in my native language German. Almost all multilinguals I know have this problem. It's normal.

@ Andrej82: "The trouble is when you attempt to lay out your thoughts in one language when the initial feeling or thought was in another."

Yup, the same applies to me.

Because my wife and I spoke all the time in Polish when we met, it later became very difficult for us to talk in German. It was as if we had to start from zero. Now we are even managing to have a nice conversation when we are speaking in our native languages - she Polish and I German.

[Alaŭdo]

if you have to "tune up" for half an hour, that's not fluency! 
I've know, for example, that I can speak fluent (but sure not grammatically correct) Polish after having a couple pints of beer 
Never managed that when sober...

I would disagree. Noone can switch from one language into another just on spot. Surely I can speak "basic" English fluently without much effort, but in order to get fluent not only in what regards weather or "how-do-you-do" conversation I need time. I bet you too!

[Alaŭdo]

So you obviously have the same problem as I do with my three and a half languages that I speak fluently. I don't understand why you claimed earlier that I am allegedly lacking competence in my native language German. Almost all multilinguals I know have this problem. It's normal.

I am not doubting on your command of German, my suggestion was that you hadn't had any kids brought up in german before, so some things common for the language of children could sound unusual or strange to you. I have never brought up children in my native language, I do not know what sort of rhymes or whatever are used here, but as soon as the time comes, I am sure, I will learn it.

The fact that not everything can be translated is beyond any doubt at least in this forum, I hope did I take something wrong?

[Kelly]

Learning languages prevents us from mental degradation in later years  .

[iopq]

if you have to "tune up" for half an hour, that's not fluency! 
I've know, for example, that I can speak fluent (but sure not grammatically correct) Polish after having a couple pints of beer 
Never managed that when sober...

I would disagree. Noone can switch from one language into another just on spot. Surely I can speak "basic" English fluently without much effort, but in order to get fluent not only in what regards weather or "how-do-you-do" conversation I need time. I bet you too!

I switch from Russian to English in the middle of a sentence, even a phrase, even in the middle of a word. That's because I'm fluent in two languages. I know Ukrainian, but alas, I cannot say that I am fluent in Ukrainian anymore. I used to be.

[Ömer]

Doesn't anyone experience the symptom that you "adjust" your language involuntary to the language proficiency of the one you speak with? It happens to me obviously: when I talk to a native speaker, I am quick and fluent; but talking to a mediocre speaker makes me stumble over simplest phrases.

It's probably the rythm of speech (la cadenza) that I involuntary try to copy. I am also quite susceptible to picking up accents. I've recently got an italian accent in my English, it sounds terrible.

[iopq]

Doesn't anyone experience the symptom that you "adjust" your language involuntary to the language proficiency of the one you speak with? It happens to me obviously: when I talk to a native speaker, I am quick and fluent; but talking to a mediocre speaker makes me stumble over simplest phrases.

It's probably the rythm of speech (la cadenza) that I involuntary try to copy. I am also quite susceptible to picking up accents. I've recently got an italian accent in my English, it sounds terrible.

I sometimes speak with a Bulgarian or a Polish accent... when I'm talking to Bulgarians or Poles.

[György]

Doesn't anyone experience the symptom that you "adjust" your language involuntary to the language proficiency of the one you speak with? It happens to me obviously: when I talk to a native speaker, I am quick and fluent; but talking to a mediocre speaker makes me stumble over simplest phrases.
It's probably the rythm of speech (la cadenza) that I involuntary try to copy. I am also quite susceptible to picking up accents. I've recently got an italian accent in my English, it sounds terrible.

Yes, I do and it really annoys me. The reasons for that are probably beside the points you made lack of concentration and lack of self confidence, since this kind of problem appears more often when I haven't practised the language for a while.

[Jumis]

Yes, I do and it really annoys me. The reasons for that are probably beside the points you made lack of concentration and lack of self confidence, since this kind of problem appears more often when I haven't practised the language for a while.

Zachod !!! +1

[Драгана]

Sometimes I feel that I know too little!Buu I understand that I have some knowlegde but not enough //practics.today I wanted to talk to foregners but they all ignored me..

[QUEEN]

In my opinion it's not so difficult to learn a language, let alone to confuse them e.g. I'm Armenian, therefore I know Armenian. Plus I also study Russion, English, Spanish and Chinese I'm going to study also German, Greek and maybe French. it's so interesting :yes:I don't and I'm sure I won't mix anything... You should be more sure in yourself!!!

[Aleksey]

Well I think that knowing more than 3 languages at B1 or higher level has its major disatvantage, either you use those language or you forget them.. for instance, knowing only 3 languages for me is a great deal, on other hand, other two are in a slight worse state than English (Russian and Lithuanian respectively, a reasonable excuse though, I'm studying English in university). I'd prefer a better grip in 2 languages, lets say at C1 level, than 3 or more at B1 or higher.. Deliberatly philologist should study languages, however the more you know, the harder you can remember where the ^%$# should be used progressive tenses in a rather silly situation (just one of the examples which can occur).
While studying languages I'd avoid same language family ones, for instance Polish and Czech can be pretty evil when it comes to sstudying them, or dialectal differences of Spanish/Portuguese..
So overall I think it should be known as a virtue with sanity