Leaning 11 languages taught me 11 lessons

Luca Lampariello tells his story on internet.

He is an advocate of language learning, and he challenges the assumption that becoming multilingual is difficult.

Finding the motivation to learn languages

Finding the motivation to do it, as he says, is the most difficult part, but language learning for him is about much more than heaps of books and hours of study. It's about travelling to marvellous places, meeting inspiring people, enjoying delicious food and embarking on innumerable journeys of self-discovery.
He found the motivation on the experiences that languages make possible.

The 11 lessons

1. English - 1st leasson learned: languages cannot be taught, they can only be learned. Having someone or something to aid with the process is of great benefic. Find a guide, not an instructor.
2. French - 2nd leasson learned: a language is a door to an entire world which is wholly woth exploring. So let your guard down and fall in love! With the language, with the country, with a person, or even with the food. There's no greater motivation!
3. German - 3rd leasson learned: if you find a method you like and which works for you, you can start learning any language by yourself. There is no one best method to learn a language. Find something that is effective for you. And above all, experiment!
4. Spanish - 4th leasson learned: language learning offers you profound insights into your own, native language. If you learn a language similar to yours, speak it from the beginning. It's easier than you perhaps imagine.
5. Dutch - 5th leasson learned: there is no such thing as a useless language. They will all come in handy sooner or later, so don't let others determine what you learn. Allow yourself to be guided by your own interests and convictions.
6. Swedish - 6th leasson learned: start working on pronunciation from the very beginning to avoid developing bad habits. Be flexible. If a language has an idiosyncratic feature, work on it more from the start.
7. Russian - 7th leasson learned: if you are about to give up on a language, actively search for something that reignites your desire to learn. Go to the country, meet someone, watch a movie, make a YouTube vide. Anything goes.
8. Portuguese - 8th leasson learned: you can learn two languages at the same time provided that you organize your time and energy well.
9. Polish - 9th leasson learned: travel is a truly great motivator. Travel as much as you can, whenever you can. It will open doors and push you to learn languages.
10. Mandarin Chinese - 10th leasson learned: don't be intimidated by a language's reputation.
11. Japanese - 11th leasson learned: some languages have completely new features, so be flexible and adapt your learning method to the language. If your approach is not working, change it! Don't give up. Don't give in.