Can you *know* more than four or five languages?
I read in Spanish with complete fluency, for instance, but I can't actually speak it.
To give an example, I could easily deliver a lecture in English, but I wouldn't be able to deliver one in Spanish.
>>8009166
It's hard I think. Some people know 5 or more, but most of the time, those languages are somewhat related and similar in some ways or they rooted from the a common language.
>>8009166
>I read in Spanish with complete fluency, for instance, but I can't actually speak it.
>To give an example, I could easily deliver a lecture in English, but I wouldn't be able to deliver one in Spanish.
Let's be somewhat objective here: you have basic Spanish. Like you may not he even getting past the lower levels on the CEFR.
So no you are not fluent or have fluency, yes everyone has better comprehension (reading and listening) than production (speaking and writing), and reading tends to be better than listening because the written word tends to be more consistent than the spoken, plus you can take your time. So no shit you can read better than you can speak.
Serious linguists and highly talented people with free time can.
No, it's impossible even though people know more than 4. It's a conspiracy!
I'm working on my 7th? language, Russian. I know Ancient Greek, Koine Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Latin, Old English, Middle English, Early Modern English (can you consider this its own language from Modern English?), Modern English.
It took 3 years to learn them. Russian will probably take a couple years itself.
>>8009483
Russian is my 9th language, depending on whether all earlier forms of a language can be described as a separate language. I'm not a linguist.
>>8009483
Why are you learning all those languages anon?
>>8009498
I learned them because I thought it was fun. I'm in computer science right now so it's just a hobby away from computers.
>>8009498
Probably a time traveler