I can speak five languages pretty well (English, Urdu, Persian, Turkish, Arabic) and also have bits and pieces of other languages (French, Russian). The problem is when I focus on one the other suffer and I am experiencing this lately, with the exception of English which is my default operating system language.

I’d love to learn Mandarin and I feel this will be useful in the world to come but it seems like a greedy idea beyond the capacity of one person as well as a huge time commitment.

Writer, podcaster, and commentator on foreign affairs and politics. Runs /dropglobalnews

Clanker Broadcasting Service /cbs

When did you learn your first second language? 

I have a theory that if you learn other languages early in life, it’s “easy” to get other ones, and fluently. I have a lot of Belgians in my life and they show that all the time…

But when you learn later, it’s like you only have two modes: native and non-native.

I learned Portuguese in my 30s and was getting good at it. Now I’m on to Spanish, can’t speak Portuguese really at all, and actually mix the two all the time (unbeknownst to me until I see confused people reacting to my Spanglish…)

Genart collector. Tinkerer. Investor. Crypto maximalist. Nomadic traveler w/ my wife and 3 kids. Temporarily settled-ish in Spain

Urdu I spoke growing up at home but never really learned it consciously. Honestly I started late, I learnt Persian at 28-29 but I felt that it gave a confidence boost..