Learning one foreign language well is quite an undertaking. All the same, many of us catch the bug and want to learn several. I bet I’m not the only one who’s drawn up a list of target tongues and who has also hoped that with each one, things will get easier. But what difference, exactly, does experience make? In this exploration of the fruits and frustrations of learning many languages, I’ll share insights from my own journey and draw on the wisdom of others. Plus: practical tips as we go, for learners of one language or several.

Gareth Popkins has a doctorate in Russian history from the University of Oxford and taught the subject in Welsh at a university in Wales. He then trained as a lawyer and worked for several years in the Moscow office of an international law firm. A London-based language learner, mentor and course creator, his “best” languages are Russian, Welsh, German and French and he has studied several others including Basque and, now, Japanese. He blogs at Howtogetfluent.com and vlogs on YouTube. Website: howtogetfluent.com

This video was recorded at the Polyglot Gathering 2023 (https://www.polyglotgathering.com).