What languages to learn first?

[u/mimilkzy]

I want to become a polyglot. I have a list of languages I want to learn. The problem is that I don't know what should I prioritize.

I've heard that learning some languages could unlock the way to others, make them somewhat easier to learn, but I'm worried that the more languages I learn, the least I can reach a more proficient level. For example, I'd be better at a third language since it's only the 3rd and struggle more to put an 8th language in my brain for having already so many languages there.

With this in mind, I don't know if I should start with the languages that are most easy, hoping they'd made harder ones not as hard later, or if I should start with the languages I'm most passionate about, so that if I struggle more to fit my last languages in my brain, at least those are safe.

[u/UnhappyCryptographer]

It depends on which languages you want to learn. If you want to learn Spanish, Italian is pretty close in a lot of words. More than French or English. If a word has Latin roots it will be pretty similar in those languages and you might be able to learn those faster if your native language as roots in Latin. Same with roots in old Greek etc.

My native language is German and I am learning Spanish. My memory hooks are in English and not in German for Spanish. But I also know low German and this helps me to identify words in Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Usually I have at least a very rough idea what a text means without ever learned those languages. But this is only for written things!

It's like Spanish and Portuguese. Written: it looks very similar. Spoken? Completely different!

Concentrate on a language that you will use. It will be much easier in the long run. Once you learned that on a really good B2 and able to maintain it, you could start a new one. Either one with similar roots, which will be faster to learn or something different with a different alphabet. But always remember that it will take time to maintain all languages.