The Polyglot Problem

For multilingual adults

For first-time readers: I am a polyglot (someone who knows lots of languages). I speak English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Gujarati. I am learning Ukrainian now and have dabbled in many other languages.

Read my full bio here.

Today I’d like to outline the main problem I personally face in my linguistic.

---

Exploring the problem

I suppose at the highest levels of analysis, the problem is simple: how does one maintain fluency in multiple languages all at once? If you don’t use a language regularly, you absolutely will get rusty.

In theory, solutions to the problem are just as simple. We just need to find ways to use each language on a regular basis (e.g. watch Netflix, listen to podcasts, read books, take advanced classes from time to time, practice with friends).

But is it really that simple?

---

Language shift

My grandfather has lived in Canada for over 50 years. His native language is Gujarati, but after being in Canada for so long he has a habit of speaking English for a large portion of each day. This has occurred with other family members in his generation living in Canada as well. In fact, one could argue that despite having Gujarati as a native language, English has been a part of their lives for so long that it has partially replaced Gujarati in their minds. It has become the new native tongue.

As an example to demonstrate this, when I was first studying Gujarati as an adult I would ask native speakers I knew vocabulary questions. I was surprised by how often they could not think of the Gujarati word. It was like English had partially erased Gujarati from their memory.

The technical term for this, by the way, is language shift.

---

My own language shifts

Let me tell you a story. I have a very advanced level of French. Anytime I visit France, I am a little bit rusty for the first week. After that, I feel like my level shoots from very advanced to near-native. I never fully understood why this happens, but now I think I do. My brain, during that first week, undergoes a language shift where French, at least mentally, becomes my new native tongue instead of English.

Interestingly, the last time I was in Taipei I had this happen in Mandarin. I felt so comfortable everyday using Mandarin. It was pretty much second-nature. The reason this is so noteworthy to me is that, unlike French, I only have an upper-intermediate level in Mandarin. In other words, it appears to me that a language shift can take place even with languages you aren’t 100% fluent in. I have seen this happen with other learners too, so I don’t think I am an outlier.

A language shift, from what I can tell, is an adaptive response. When your brain notices you need to use a foreign language more than a native language, it starts the shifting process, even if you aren’t technically fully fluent yet.

---

The polyglot connection

I mentioned earlier that many polyglots (myself included) feel that it’s challenging to maintain all their languages. I also mentioned that, in theory, maintaining multiple language isn’t technically that complicated. Once you’re fluent, if you just listen, read, write, or talk occasionally you will maintain your level.

The reason I think this solution doesn’t resonate with me or other polyglots I’ve met is tied directly to language shifts. We aren’t wanting to maintain our level. We know that once we are fully fluent maintaining our objective level is simple.

But maintaining the feeling of all our languages being near-native?

We don’t know how to do that.

---

My tentative solution

I am going to try something for the next few days. I will actually try to live my day-to-day life in multiple languages. Sure, I will need English a lot since I live in Canada. But I could write blog posts or record podcasts in other languages. I could try to be interviewed on other people’s podcasts in other languages. When looking up a how-to video on YouTube, I could do so in another language.

Heck, as I think of it now there are some portions of my day that are so easy to live in other languages. My personal trainer, for example, is a native Spanish speaker. I could just talk to him in Spanish instead of English. I could speak with my tutors in the language they teach instead of English.

I’m excited to see where this leads me 😃

---

Thanks for reading!

Azren
Calgary Language Nerds owner
https://azrenthelanguagenerd.com