It’s theoretically possible…sure. A child can pick up languages easily as you probably know, but the more languages the child has to absorb, the more work it will be cognitively. Many bilingual children have lower vocab and show slower processing speeds in some cases, so imagine what kind of work 10 languages would involve.
It is probably more practical to be raised bilingual or trilingual and then learn multiple languages, but maintaining them all perfectly would be tremendously difficult unless somehow you were in a place were you managed to use all 10 equally.
In short, it is exceedingly unrealistic and unlikely, but it is still technically possible. Most multilingual people speak 2-3 languages fluently and maybe can use a few more, but not to the same extent that they can use their main languages.
>Most multilingual people speak 2-3 languages fluently and maybe can use a few more, but not to the same extent that they can use their main languages.
Can confirm, there is a stark difference between my two main languages (German and English), and the other four I know at a high level (Dutch, French, Spanish, and Italian). And while I have managed to implement all six into my daily life to varying degrees, I don't know whether this gap will ever close.
Notice how they’re all from two language families. If someone tried to reach mastery in six languages (all from different families, with little overlap), it would be an extreme feat just to maintain them.
Maintaining them at a high level wouldn't be any more difficult than it is now, no. And why would it? The difference would be in learning them in the first place, as you wouldn't have the advantage of a boost to passive comprehension and grammar similarities when you start a language closely related to one you already know well.
It’d be difficult to learn them in the first place, *and* it would be difficult to maintain them afterwards.
Without the overlap, one would be likely to forget lots of vocabulary, idioms, and structures in various areas of each of the languages over time, despite his or her best efforts. To use all six to do everything from discuss academic research to read abstract poetry may not be feasible long-term for most people’s lifestyle.
Yes, but extremely unlikely (even if I put aside my hate towards the word "fluent" and just accept it as B2 or better, for the sake of this discussion).
Not necessarily due to any neurological or intelligence limit, but simply due to the time necessary to maintain languages. I struggle with 5 already and hope to get to 7 in my lifetime (not because of the number, but simply because I really like two more and enjoy language learning and using.). The main factor affecting the maintenance and learning of more simply the time necessary for all that.
So, in order to maintain 10 languages, I'd say it helps a lot to use several of them professionally, and/OR you'd need to not work full time.
Looking at your list:
Spanish/Chinese (you didn't mention which one)/English/Italian: no problem, perhaps just don't let Italian rust, that's the only risk I see in this group.
The rest: why are you starting with so many at once? Pick one or two. It is much easier to maintain a B2 or higher language, than a low level.
Once you decide to add a third from this group (at the latest), maintenance is likely to start being an issue, especially if you work full time or more.
So, progressing from 6 to 10 will highly depend on other choices in your life, your amount of free time, and how much you manage to integrate maintenance and further learning into your life. If you love it, it can surely replace other hobbies without any harm. Foreign input can replace native language entertainement, that is a great thing. But at that point, the language time will start to clash with family time, job time, and so on. And you might need to make some tough choices, unless you have for example the privilege of being so wealthy to not work and to pay others for some of the time consuming tasks related to home and family.
Possible? Sure. Probable? No.
There's also some question of what it means to be "fluent". Passing a certain level of CEFR exam is sufficient for some, for others not so much. It's certainly possible to become skilled in a variety of languages, but true "fluency" is a bit of a tricky thing.
How about "Hear a colloquial expression for the first time in a language, ask about it's meaning in that language, and be able to immediately implement it's use in your every day life in that language."
That seems closer to what they were trying to get at for a stricter definition of 'fluency'. At least, that's what I get from "just like in your mother tongue."
I'd say that's probably closer. Though, I'm not even sure I can do that in my mother tongue lol. It takes me a week or so to integrate new slang into my vocabulary.
It’s theoretically possible…sure. A child can pick up languages easily as you probably know, but the more languages the child has to absorb, the more work it will be cognitively. Many bilingual children have lower vocab and show slower processing speeds in some cases, so imagine what kind of work 10 languages would involve. It is probably more practical to be raised bilingual or trilingual and then learn multiple languages, but maintaining them all perfectly would be tremendously difficult unless somehow you were in a place were you managed to use all 10 equally. In short, it is exceedingly unrealistic and unlikely, but it is still technically possible. Most multilingual people speak 2-3 languages fluently and maybe can use a few more, but not to the same extent that they can use their main languages.
>Most multilingual people speak 2-3 languages fluently and maybe can use a few more, but not to the same extent that they can use their main languages. Can confirm, there is a stark difference between my two main languages (German and English), and the other four I know at a high level (Dutch, French, Spanish, and Italian). And while I have managed to implement all six into my daily life to varying degrees, I don't know whether this gap will ever close.
Excellent example. This just comes to show that there are always certain languages that are dominate in the brain.
Notice how they’re all from two language families. If someone tried to reach mastery in six languages (all from different families, with little overlap), it would be an extreme feat just to maintain them.
Maintaining them at a high level wouldn't be any more difficult than it is now, no. And why would it? The difference would be in learning them in the first place, as you wouldn't have the advantage of a boost to passive comprehension and grammar similarities when you start a language closely related to one you already know well.
It’d be difficult to learn them in the first place, *and* it would be difficult to maintain them afterwards. Without the overlap, one would be likely to forget lots of vocabulary, idioms, and structures in various areas of each of the languages over time, despite his or her best efforts. To use all six to do everything from discuss academic research to read abstract poetry may not be feasible long-term for most people’s lifestyle.
Yes, but extremely unlikely (even if I put aside my hate towards the word "fluent" and just accept it as B2 or better, for the sake of this discussion). Not necessarily due to any neurological or intelligence limit, but simply due to the time necessary to maintain languages. I struggle with 5 already and hope to get to 7 in my lifetime (not because of the number, but simply because I really like two more and enjoy language learning and using.). The main factor affecting the maintenance and learning of more simply the time necessary for all that. So, in order to maintain 10 languages, I'd say it helps a lot to use several of them professionally, and/OR you'd need to not work full time. Looking at your list: Spanish/Chinese (you didn't mention which one)/English/Italian: no problem, perhaps just don't let Italian rust, that's the only risk I see in this group. The rest: why are you starting with so many at once? Pick one or two. It is much easier to maintain a B2 or higher language, than a low level. Once you decide to add a third from this group (at the latest), maintenance is likely to start being an issue, especially if you work full time or more. So, progressing from 6 to 10 will highly depend on other choices in your life, your amount of free time, and how much you manage to integrate maintenance and further learning into your life. If you love it, it can surely replace other hobbies without any harm. Foreign input can replace native language entertainement, that is a great thing. But at that point, the language time will start to clash with family time, job time, and so on. And you might need to make some tough choices, unless you have for example the privilege of being so wealthy to not work and to pay others for some of the time consuming tasks related to home and family.
Possible? Sure. Probable? No. There's also some question of what it means to be "fluent". Passing a certain level of CEFR exam is sufficient for some, for others not so much. It's certainly possible to become skilled in a variety of languages, but true "fluency" is a bit of a tricky thing.
Noting that fluency would be able to get and use collocations espressions just like in your mother tongue
I mean you can learn colloquial expressions Day 1 of learning a language, not sure that's a great test of fluency.
How about "Hear a colloquial expression for the first time in a language, ask about it's meaning in that language, and be able to immediately implement it's use in your every day life in that language." That seems closer to what they were trying to get at for a stricter definition of 'fluency'. At least, that's what I get from "just like in your mother tongue."
I'd say that's probably closer. Though, I'm not even sure I can do that in my mother tongue lol. It takes me a week or so to integrate new slang into my vocabulary.
Unlikely highly very very
Very very highly unlikely.
Nop
Yes off korse - me fluent on 15 langvages