Vary your learning resources

One of the problems with finding the perfect system for learning is that if you want to learn new languages, it can start to run together. I'm a big fan of Pimsleur, and have listened to enough of their programs to hit the "And that's true, now you do speak a little [name of language]" with perfect timing and intonation. Then again, I'll be listening to a lesson and saying, "ani lo medabar..." or "ich versteche kein..." even though it's not a Hebrew or German lesson. They're just among the first languages I listened to on Pimsleur and I know the drill well enough that I sometimes zone out.

I think it would be especially difficult, eg, to do the Pimsleur Spanish and Italian lessons at the same time. This week, I studied a bit of Italian - with ItalianPod, a bit of Breton - using Iverson to learn new vocabulary then working through the readings in Brezhoneg buan hag aes and Mandarin - using Michel Thomas Mandarin. I'm at different places with all three languages, and doing different things. And they're pretty different languages. As a result, I've run into little interference and have found a way to push toward polyglottism by working on a different language if I'm worn out on the one I was previously studying.

Thinking about working on more than one language at once? Some say it can't be done. Others say it's a breeze. But if you've given it a try and they're all running together, try varying the way you learn to keep your different languages straight.