Linguamania - How many languages are too many?
A new year has started and many language learners are setting their goals of which language to learn in 2018. My goal is actually to not add another language in 2018, but this resolution already went out the window on the second day of this year. In the book “Teach Yourself - To Learn A Language” by P. J. T. Glendening from 1965 I found an interesting paragraph about the so-called Linguamania that means “becoming so taken with the idea of learning languages that you are unable to devote more than a few days to a new language before you leave it (“temporarily”) to take up another one. The usual result is a vague smattering of a few languages, absolutely no knowledge of others and a good knowledge of none.” (p. 277) This is so true, and I’m already stuck deep in the linguamania abyss. But what’s the solution? Is there a cure? First of all, let me set some things straight because sometimes I get asked, if I’ve written all articles on this blog myself. Yes, this is just my own li...