Do you speak different languages? What are your challenges maintaining them?

Question

As a native Spanish speaker with different levels of proficiency with three more languages, that is something I have always struggled with.

In fact, it is the reason for my project kansei.app - AI companions to practice conversations with on multiple languages.

I wonder, what methods do you use for language upkeep? would a tool like this be useful to you? what would you like to see on it if so?

Accepted Answer

I speak 5 languages and to maintain them I have to speak with natives. No other method is as effective. You can also watch a movie or read a book in that language. It's a minimum to maintain it, but without speaking/using it won't develop much based on my personal observations.

Anatolii · Answer

@jftucci haha, and that's a good approach when you don't have a real person to talk to😁

Moritz Tomasi · Answer

@jftucci Wish you all the best for kansei. Signed up for your newsletter! If you ever need feedback you can also contact me through Twitter DM @mailbites. Always happy to help!

Anatolii · Answer

I speak 3 languages fluently. There is nothing hard to maintain them, actually. As @nevemind_com said, just read books, watch movies, and find someone you can talk to in a certain language. Talking to yourself also counts😁

Answer

@jftucci I would be concerned for your mental health if you would do it in your native language 🤣

Fernando Tucci · Answer

@moritztomasi Your journey is a bit similar to mine in many regards so I totally relate to that!

I will definitely add Italian and let you know. Frankly, it is a good use case for me. it is an embarrassment that I lost so much competency in Italian!

Good luck on your launch too! I don't have mine scheduled here yet, but I will be there to support yours!

Fernando Tucci · Answer

@moritztomasi that's very kind of you man! thank you so much!

Arbaaz · Answer

Arabic Grammar is the hardest part, after conversational fluency

Fernando Tucci · Answer

@nevemind_com yeah!! me too!!

Fernando Tucci · Answer

@anatoly5ms I have started talking to myself like a crazy person actually. Even just pointing out things in the house like... there's the dog, that's a table, but in my target language obviously 🤣

Fernando Tucci · Answer

@nevemind_com I completely agree. Honestly, I think I can blame a lot of my lost competency in Spanish and Italian on thinking that passive consumption would help me retain it.

It is why I started working on alternatives to be honest. Finding conversation partners is not always the easiest - and with new languages, when I am learning, social anxiety really gets on my way.

With AI , less so?

Fernando Tucci · Answer

@arbaazio I have heard this from many people. Don't have personal experience, but seems a recurring theme!

Do you speak different languages? What are your challenges maintaining them?

Replies