Obsessive Discipline

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Why Learning Your First New Language is the Hardest
• How Each New Language Becomes Easier
• The Power of Cross-Language Vocabulary
• More Resources To Choose From
• Practical Examples of the Compounding Effect
• Getting Started with the Right Language
• Conclusion

Introduction

Learning a new language is hard, especially at the beginning.

But the more languages you know, the easier it is to learn a new one.

This is the compounding effect of language learning at work.

Once you’ve cracked the code of one, the others follow more smoothly. It’s like the stock dividend snowball effect, just not as juicy.

Let’s dive deeper into this.

Why Learning Your First New Language Is The Hardest

Learning your first foreign language is tough…

Every word feels new…

Every sentence structure is a puzzle…

And to top it all off, you’re also learning how to learn a language—Everything is unfamiliar. You don’t know what works yet. You’re out there testing techniques and finding what sticks. It’s like going from a couch potato to a high-performing marathoner but for your brain.

But once you’ve done it, your brain adapts.

Now it knows the path. Now, it’s easier.

How Each New Language Becomes Easier

After learning your first language, you stop overthinking the whole learning process.

You already know how to learn a language. You have a system that works.

Let’s say you start with Spanish. Later, when you tackle Italian or Portuguese, things start to click WAY faster.

Why?

Well, for one, these languages share the same roots.

But that’s not all.

Now you know the pitfalls to avoid when learning a new language.

You know what is a waste of time, and what is a time-saver.

You’ve been here before. You know the patterns.

But what if you learn something vastly different, like Japanese for example?

Doesn’t matter much. You’ll always be starting ahead.

You’re not monolingual anymore.

The Power of Cross-Language Vocabulary

If you have any experience learning languages, then you know vocabulary is the true gatekeeper to achieving fluency in new languages.

So what?

Well, amigo. The more languages you know, the more words you accumulate.

Okay, Captain Obvious. Why is that important?

Well, you’ll often find the same words, with the same meaning, in different languages.

And this applies to all languages, not just the ones sharing the same root.

Maybe the words have been slightly altered to accommodate the different writing systems.

But they’re the same.

Let me give you an example:

What’s this exercise called?

Right. This is a Back Extension, also known as Hyperextensions.

In Russian, they say гиперэкстензия (giperekstenziya, for those of you who can’t read the Cyrillic alphabet yet). In Chech, they say Hyperextenze. In Portuguese, Hiperextensão de Costas (literally Back Hyperextensions).

I could go on, and on.

But I hope you get the point.

If you know three or four languages, you’ve got a bigger vocabulary pool.

I call this the global vocabulary.

The more languages you know, the more this global vocabulary grows. And then you start to recognize the same word patterns spread across different languages.

This starts to become very useful once you learn a few languages from different language branches.

Like when you know both an Anglo-Saxon language and a Latin language.

It takes a while to get to this point, but it’s really cool when you get there.

You just have to keep learning. Be consistent.

More Resources To Choose From

This is yet another benefit of the Language Learning snowball effect.

The more languages you know, the more learning materials become accessible.

Another way to think about it is like having more tools in your toolbox.

For example, let’s say you want to learn one of the many African languages.

Then, you start searching for grammar and workbooks from that language teaching it to English speakers.

But then get sad you can’t find any.

Well, if you know French then you might have better luck looking for books teaching it to French speakers rather than English.

Heck, if you’re learning German, there might be resources available in French that explain tricky concepts differently than the English ones. You never know.

You can apply this same principle to any other form of (language) content. Explanations, textbooks, Netflix series (some languages have better/worse localization than others), etc.

Being able to access more learning resources is a game changer.

Practical Examples of the Compounding Effect

Here’s a concrete example. let’s say you already know English and Portuguese.

If you decide to learn Russian, you’ll learn it so easily you’ll be amazed with yourself.

There are some great Russian textbooks in English. And while Russian sounds nothing like English, it has lots of similarities with Portuguese.

I’m living proof of this.

I’m a native speaker of Brazilian Portuguese. English was my second language, and Russian was my third.

However, this applies to any other language you can imagine.

Do you know English and Russian? Try learning Korean. You’ll be way better at it versus someone who only knows English or Russian.

In the language-learning world, nothing exists in isolation.

The brain creates shortcuts. Each new language strengthens these pathways. Each new language paves the way for the next.

Getting Started with the Right Language

If you’re just getting started, don’t be discouraged by the learning curve.

Remember, the first new language is always the hardest.

But it sets the foundation for the other languages you’ll learn.

If you’re not sure which language to start with, I always recommend picking the one with the same roots as your native tongue.

For more details, take a look at this article I wrote about how to choose the right language to learn.

Conclusion

So, now you know learning languages has a compounding effect.

It’s a process that gets easier over time.

The more you know, the faster the next one comes.

It’s not just about words—it’s about the systems, the connections, and the sheer volume of resources that open up to you.

The journey might start slow, but with each language, the road gets smoother.

And if you’d like to make money from all those languages you know, take a look at this article to find out how.

So, keep going. Learning new languages is actually worth it.

Frequent Questions

Is there any point in learning a new language?

Yes, learning a new language expands job opportunities, enhances cognitive skills, and improves communication. It also offers access to new cultures and knowledge.

Is learning new languages worth it?

Absolutely. It boosts career prospects, enhances brain function, and opens doors to new cultures and ideas. It’s a skill that keeps giving back over time.

Should you learn multiple languages at once?

It’s generally better to focus on one language at a time. This allows you to fully grasp the language and avoid confusion. Mastering one makes learning others easier later.

Is it better to learn 3 languages at once?

No. Focus on mastering one language at a time. Learning multiple languages at once can overwhelm you, slowing your progress. It’s better to stay focused and build a solid foundation first.

Am I wasting my time learning a new language in 2024?

Not at all. Language skills are more relevant than ever. They improve career opportunities, global communication, and personal growth, especially in our increasingly connected world.