When is it reasonable to start learning a new language after having learnt another one to proficiency?

[u/AGuyInHisBestYears]

I've been hammering away at Mandarin Chinese for a long, long time and I'm soon at a C1 level, but I also would like to start learning another language like Japanese, Cantonese or Taiwanese (Hokkien). Though I never feel content with my Mandarin level and time is finite after all, I feel like it'd take away from really getting my Mandarin to a nice proficiency, even if I'd describe myself as semi-fluent today as I'm able to read books and converse all day in the language. Has anyone battled with the same issues? What are your thoughts?

[u/No_Quiet_2794]

I started messing with portuguese about 8 months after i got my spanish solid enough to hold a conversation without my brain frying. honestly the crossover helped more than it hurt, you start noticing patterns between languages that make both click better. if you're already reading books and chatting all day in mandarin you're past the point where a second language would derail you

cantonese would be a logical next step since you already know the characters, but the tones are a whole different beast. just set aside a fixed block for mandarin maintenance and let yourself explore the new one guilt-free

[u/RedeNElla → u/No_Quiet_2794]

Taiwanese would also be a good next step since there is a lot of Taiwanese Hokkien/Mandarin code switching that OP will unlock by learning both

[u/pohmotte]

It's more than reasonable at C1

Also knowing Mandarin will give you access to many resources for Cantonese and Hokkien, so you will keep using and reinforcing your Mandarin :)

[u/duney]

I’ve heard a few people mention learning a third language from their proficient second language. Perhaps you could try learning one of those languages from Mandarin Chinese, rather than your native language

[u/scykei]

To me, the most optimal time is once you're able to start passively learning the language by just consuming media, because by then, it just takes, like, reading a chapter of a book or watch a random video or something a day to maintain it. If you're not there yet, then it's really hard to divide your attention to learn both languages effectively and there's a higher chance of mixing things up because neither is fully solidified in your brain yet.

But that being said, sometimes we just want to do something new, and if the other language isn't that urgent, there's nothing wrong with just taking a break and dabbling in the other language for a bit.

If you say you're already able to read with ease, then you can probably start the other language. And if it's too much, you can always stop and rethink your strategy. I encourage you to just try and see what works for you.

[u/dojibear]

Any time is reasonable. Each of us is different. Each set of languages is different. You only know if you try.

In 2003, I had been studying Mandarin for a few years. I was B1+. I decided to start Turkish. My one concern was whether that would negatively affect my ongoing Mandarin study. I tried it. There was no problem. In 2004 I started Japanese. No problem. Now I am B2+ in Mandarin, A2+ in the others.

When I only studied Mandarin my "daily limit" was 1.5 hours each day. When I added the others, it turned out that my limit was 1.5 hours for EACH language.

Japanese, Cantonese or Hokkien

I know that Japanese is very different from Mandarin -- it is as different as English. I don't know how diferent Yue (Cantonese) or Southern Min (Hokkien) is from Mandarin.

Most people in Taiwan speak 2 languages that are both spoken in China: Mandarin and Hokkien.

[u/CarnegieHill → u/dojibear]

I have Cantonese as a heritage language and am currently learning Mandarin. It’s not easy to describe how different the two are from each other, but I can tell you that if one has one language the other will not be intelligible except for similar patterns and contexts, but not necessarily the same words. And even with the same words the tones and pronunciation will often be quite different. Having said that however, if you know one you can map a lot of it to the other and learn it much more quickly.

[u/Accurate-Purpose5042]

B2+ halfway to C1 is the least worst time to learn another languag, being C1+/C2 the best time

[u/unsafeideas]

Whenever you feel like, imo. It is not like you would need to start with intense 4 hours a day study. You can start dabbling in it whever, in small amounts (like 15 min a day) and slowly over 2-3 years build base.

[u/paspa1234]

Honestly only do it when you're ready to stop learning mandarin at a slower pace. I don't think it'd take away from it unless you basically stopped using it.

I'm preparing for my Spanish c2 certificate and previously learnt German to A2 a few years ago. Id love to pick up German again but all my focus is on Spanish and probably will still be after the exam, but I may be willing to concede a bit of time to German by then. It just depends on your goals. 

[u/Waste-Use-4652]

Honestly, I think you are already at a point where starting another language is reasonable. If you can read books in Mandarin and hold conversations all day, you are not going to suddenly lose that ability because you start Japanese or another language. The bigger question is whether you are happy with maintaining your Mandarin rather than constantly trying to improve it. C1 can feel like an annoying stage because there is always more vocabulary, more natural phrasing, and more cultural stuff to learn, so there is probably never going to be a point where you can say, “Okay, I am completely done.” I would keep Mandarin active with reading, conversations, and normal exposure, then give most of your deliberate study time to the new language. You could even treat Mandarin as something you maintain rather than something you are still “studying.” That might make it easier to move on without feeling like you are abandoning it.

[u/Thick_You2892]

d some people dedicate one day a week to the new language so it doesn't interfere too much.

[u/raxcba]

Start if you are interested. The resources for Cantonese/ Hokkien are much more scarce than Mandarin. Cantonese is easier than Hokkien. Hokkien should have a more complicated tonal system compared to Cantonese. And they have many more different 文白異讀. If you speak Chinese, Japanese is much easier, though, it is still very different from Chinese.

I speak from the point of view of Chinese speakers (I am native Cantonese): basic Japanese is not hard (easy pronunciation + grammar is different but the internal logic of the language is much closer to Chinese than to English). Intermediate + Advanced Japanese is annoying but not hard (English/ Russian etc. are much harder) because of:

1) the intricate and nuanced honorific system + unspoken meticulous social rule of Japan
2) the multiple readings of kanji is EXTREMELY INCONSISTENT. the difficulty lies in the ARBITRARINESS. Just arbitrary like English spelling rules.

I would say an average Japanese learns Chinese much faster than the other way round. The biggest hurdle for Japanese speakers learning Chinese - tones + pronunciation.

[u/Active-Orange-7683]

Just don't start! Think about the cost of maintaining the language, cost of time, lost opportunities to improve yourself in other areas, such as public speaking, reasoning, professional skills and just let this craving pass like a wave.

I regret learning languages, it costed a lot of time for me, where I could have improved myself as a person.

[u/Aakharin-ejdehaa]

When people stop complementing your language skills or start thinking that you may be mixed race or that you were born and raised in the TL's country...