Can a 16 and a Half Year Old Learn 3 Languages at the Same Time?

Age is irrelevant. Capability is what matters and some of that's going to be innate to you, some is going to be the time you have available, and some is going to be how adept you are at navigating how you learn.

Real-World Example of Simultaneous Language Learning

I'm actively studying 3 languages: Spanish, Greek, and Mandarin. I also dabble in others, sometimes doing a bit in 8 different languages in a day. This is not including my music habit, where I usually listen to music in the languages I'm studying, sometimes even in languages I'm not.

Now, I am actually progressing in all 8 of them. It's exceedingly slowly, especially in the ones where I'm dabbling, but progress is being made.

Time Allocation and Progress

I'm also probably averaging about an hour per day on all language study as a general rule. I have days where I don't study at all, and some where I do 3 hours. Weirdly, such sprint periods actually help my retention.

This means my progress on all 3 languages is quite slow. That slowness can be discouraging. However, I have also found that I retain more and better when I study at least 3 different languages in a day. It might be a matter of studying at least 3 different things, not just languages, but I've not intentionally tested that yet.

Retaining Information and Benefits of Diversification

So you'll only find out if studying 3 works for you—and how it works for you—if you try it, test it, and if you test variations. Just watch for jumbling. If you're having difficulty remembering which item is which language, there's a problem. For this reason, it can be better to work on greatly divergent languages but the overlap in similar ones can be leveraged to aid comprehension too.

There's some Greek that I remember via Spanish since the grammar or meaning is a closer fit there. Even when it is working though, you'll have times when you're doing a quiz in a language and suddenly think, 'That sounds like French not Italian.' Then look at ClozeMaster and realize your inattention means you've been working in French which your subconscious had recognized and filled in appropriately, but you'd for some reason thought you'd picked the Italian.

Conclusion

Simultaneously learning three languages at 16 and a half is a challenging but feasible task. The key is to prioritize your time and break it into manageable chunks. Regular study, even in small amounts, can lead to significant progress. Embrace the variety in languages to enhance your learning experience and retention. Not only does this diversify your cognitive exercise, but it also helps in identifying and addressing potential jumbling issues early on.