Secrets of polyglots: truth and fiction. Secrets of polyglots: truth and fiction We train on Skype and not only

We continue to publish tips from polyglots. From whom else to learn the experience of learning languages, if not from them? After all, polyglots have reached perfection in the development of languages ​​from scratch.

When I became a polyglot, my world expanded. I was able to connect with people and see places that I would never have seen otherwise.

• I made friends on the train in China thanks to my knowledge of Chinese.
• Discussed politics in Arabic with desert dwellers.
• I discovered amazing things from the world of the deaf and dumb thanks to sign language.
• Invited the president of Ireland (a woman) to dance in Gaelic.
• He even talked about it on Irish radio.
• I interviewed fabric manufacturers from Peru, learned about the intricacies of their work thanks to the Quechua language.
• Interpreted at various events from Portuguese and Hungarian.

I've had an amazing decade full of world travel and language experiences.

Benny Lewis has traveled half the world. He gives talks at TEDx conferences, leads seminars and a wonderful site "Learn a language in three months". This person is amazing and inspires to learn languages. Benny has his own methods and useful tips. They will be discussed below.

Is it about ability?

You have to be born with a genetic predisposition to learn foreign languages- that's what most people think. But really, it's just an excuse.

A few years ago, I was a terrible student when it came to learning languages. I was the worst in my German lessons at school. And at the age of 20 I could only speak English. Even after 6 months of my stay in Spain, I could hardly ask a passer-by for directions.

But then a turning point came and I changed my approach to learning languages. I received a C2 (Advanced Proficiency) degree from the Instituto Cervantes, worked as a professional translator and even appeared on Spanish radio to give advice to those who want to travel.

Since then, I have learned several more languages ​​and now I speak 10 languages ​​at different levels - from conversational to fluency. The point is, stop making excuses and telling yourself you don't have the time or ability. Just get started and work. Find time and energy to be proud of the result later.

1. Learn the right words

Many people give up learning a foreign language because there are so many words to learn from scratch. But in order to form a working vocabulary, it is not necessary to know all the words.

In fact, with the right approach, 20% of your efforts to learn a language will allow you to understand 80% of the material. This is the so-called Pareto principle. In English, as in most others, each text has about 300 identical words.

You can use special ready-made cards with words, as well as special programs to learn the words you need. The main advantage of such programs is that you will not, as in the case of a dictionary, learn words in a certain order.

For example, the Anki program generates cards with words on the topics you need and gives them to you at different intervals for repetition.

2. Communicate or at least speak out loud from day one

Give yourself the right to make mistakes - you are just starting to learn a language. Talk to native speakers on Skype or Chatroulette, translate some texts aloud. Agree to learn the language with someone with whom you can communicate every day. This way you won't have the fear of mispronouncing words or forgetting something when it's time to use your knowledge.

3. Learn Useful Phrases First

Imagine you are studying Spanish and suddenly you have to go to Spain. What to be afraid of, you have already spent time learning the language. What will you need first? Phrases that will help you navigate the city, order food or a hotel room, meet the right people, buy what you want in the store.

4. Listen to the radio

This is an even more effective way to get used to the language and understand it faster than watching TV shows in the original. You hear an impromptu speech, lively, as if you are communicating with the host yourself. Benny recommends TuneIn for radio broadcasts from all over the world.

5. Tell us about yourself

This is the first thing you should know when learning a language. Write a short text about yourself, translate it yourself or with a native speaker, and add details as you study. This, by the way, perfectly illustrates your level of progress.

6. Do not rush to enroll in courses

Working in large groups is rewarding and fun. But this stage certainly should not be the first. It is effective, according to Benny, to communicate with native speakers, listen to the language, read in this language. And only then study a more general program in groups.

7. Use the limitless possibilities of the Internet

Do you think that it is very expensive to communicate with a native speaker individually? Wrong! Because there are plenty of online resources to help you become a polyglot. Benny recommends duolingo.com and italki.com, the latter connecting you directly with a native speaker.

8. Be prepared to spend a lot of time studying

Benny Lewis assures that devoting 6-8 hours a day to the language, you can speak the language at B2 level in two months. That is, those people who can practice 1-2 hours a day will be able to demonstrate remarkable results in a year! We just need to start right now.

9. Don't look for excuses

It turned out that no special abilities are needed to learn a language. But there are special tools and tricks that will help make it easier and faster.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Find free time, even if you think you don't have it. Chat with native speakers via Skype. Listen to audiobooks on the road, read a phrase book in line at the supermarket. And in a month or two you will notice that the new language is becoming more and more interesting, easy and understandable for you.

10. Do not immediately strive for the ideal

Many beginners at the first stages cannot show the results they expect. As a result, learning simply ends before it has even begun. Allow yourself to make mistakes, be behind schedule, or just laugh at your own mistakes, but never give up! And then everything will work out for sure.

Do not forget that the advice of polyglots is of great value for those who are learning languages. All the experience that took them years and decades, you can apply today!

In 1676, Isaac Newton admitted that "if I have seen further than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants."
Writing in 1676, Isaac Newton admitted that “if I have seen a little further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

If you're an English student, you've certainly heard of the polyglots who managed to learn 5/10/30/50 languages. Which of us does not have the thought: “Surely they have some secrets, because for years I have been learning only one and only English!” In this article, we will present the most common myths about those who successfully learn foreign languages, as well as tell you how polyglots learn languages.

A polyglot is a person who can communicate in multiple languages. Some of the most famous polyglots in the world are:

1. Cardinal Giuseppe Mezzofanti, according to various sources, spoke 80-90 languages.
2. The translator Kato Lomb spoke 16 languages.
3. Archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann spoke 15 languages.
4. Writer Leo Tolstoy spoke 15 languages.
5. Writer Alexander Griboedov spoke 9 languages.
6. Inventor Nikola Tesla spoke 8 languages.
7. Writer Anthony Burgess spoke 12 languages.
8. Luca Lampariello
9. Sam Jandreau
10. Ollie Richards is contemporary and speaks 8 languages.
11. Randy Hunt is a contemporary, speaks 6 languages.
12. Donovan Nagel is a contemporary and speaks 10 languages.
13. Benny Lewis is a contemporary, speaks 11 languages.

It should be said that basically all polyglots know 2-3 languages ​​at a high level, and the rest they speak at the level of "survival", that is, they can communicate on simple topics.

Another interesting feature is that the first foreign language is always the most difficult and takes a long time to learn, while subsequent ones are mastered much faster and are easier. It is especially easy to learn the languages ​​of one group, for example: Italian, French and Spanish.

7 common myths about polyglots

Myth #1: Polyglots are people with a special aptitude for languages.

Some people believe that polyglots do not need to strain at all: languages ​​themselves are assimilated in their heads without effort and practice. There is an opinion that those who know many languages ​​have a different brain structure, they easily perceive and reproduce information, grammar is given to them without studying, by itself, etc.

Truth:

A polyglot is an ordinary person who likes to learn several languages ​​and does his best to do so. There is no such person who could not become a polyglot, because this does not require any special knowledge or mindset. All you need is hard work and dedication.

Don't be in a hurry to be fluent (you'll frustrate yourself). Just enjoy the process. It's slow and not always easy, but it can be enjoyable if you take the pressure off yourself.

Don't rush to freehold right away (you'll only get upset). Just enjoy the process. It will be slow and not always easy, but it can be fun if you don't push yourself.

Myth #2: Polyglots have unique memories

It is believed that all polyglots have a phenomenal memory, so any language is easily given to them. People believe that polyglots memorize the meanings of absolutely all unfamiliar words and grammatical constructions from the very first time, therefore, subsequently, they easily speak the language they are learning.

Truth:

Polyglots do have a good memory, but many people confuse cause and effect: it is the study of languages ​​that develops memory, and not the unique innate abilities that make it possible to learn a language. Indeed, there are people who can boast of a unique memory, but this does not make them polyglots. The fact is that simply memorizing words or phrases for a full-fledged study of the language is not enough.

Myth #3: Polyglots started learning languages ​​at a young age.

Another popular myth goes something like this: “Polyglots are people who were taken to language courses by their parents from childhood. It is easier for children to study, so today these people can easily speak several foreign languages.”

Truth:

For the most part, polyglots are people who are in love with foreign languages. And this love came already at a conscious age. Those who learned foreign languages ​​in childhood do not have any advantages over adult learners. Most linguists and psychologists are convinced that languages ​​are even easier for adults, because an adult, unlike a child, consciously takes this step, understands why you need to read texts or translate sentences. Read the article "", you will see that adults have their own advantages over children in learning foreign languages.

Myth #4: Polyglots can learn any language in 3-5 months

The question of the need to learn English and other languages ​​is especially relevant today, so almost every day we read another article or watch an interview with a polyglot. These people sometimes claim to have learned a foreign language in 3-5 months. At the same time, many polyglots in their interviews or articles immediately offer you to buy a language course that they themselves invented for money. Is it worth spending money on it?

Truth:

In fact, polyglots rarely specify what they mean by the phrase "I learned the language in 5 months." As a rule, during this time a person manages to learn the basics of grammar and basic vocabulary in order to explain himself in everyday communication. But in order to speak on more complex topics, for example, about the life and structure of the Universe, any person needs more than 5 months. Those who speak several languages ​​really well will tell you that they have been studying them for years, constantly improving their knowledge. Therefore, if you plan to move beyond the level of “reading, translating with a dictionary”, get ready not for 3-5 months, but for at least 1-2 years of learning the first foreign language “from scratch”.

Myth #5: Polyglots have a lot of free time.

When we read articles about polyglots, it seems that all they do is give interviews from morning to night and tell how they managed to achieve success in the field of learning foreign languages. From this arose the myth that those who do not work learn languages, they say, they mastered English simply “from nothing to do”.

Truth:

To confirm our words, watch this video by polyglot Ollie Richards, he talks about life hacks that will help even the busiest people learn the language:

Myth #6: Polyglots travel a lot.

Many people believe that “really” learning a foreign language is possible only abroad, in the country of native speakers of this language. There is an opinion that abroad you can completely “immerse yourself” in the subject being studied, create an ideal language environment, etc. It turns out that in order to become a polyglot, you need to constantly travel around the countries.

Truth:

In fact, most polyglots say that they communicate a lot with native speakers of the language being studied, are interested in their way of life, culture, etc. However, this does not mean at all that people who study foreign languages ​​travel 365 days a year. Technology allows each person to communicate with people from any country without leaving home. Visit the language exchange sites listed in this article. On them you can find an interlocutor from the USA, Great Britain, Australia, any other country. Polyglots use the same opportunity and successfully learn new languages ​​for themselves. In the article "" we have given 15 tips for creating a language environment for learning English in your native country.

You can recreate an immersion environment at home, by streaming movies, listening to podcasts, playing music, and reading in your target language... all you need is an internet connection.

You can immerse yourself in the language environment at home by watching movies, listening to podcasts and music, reading in the language you are learning... all you need is an internet connection.

Myth #7: Polyglots have a lot of money

This myth is closely related to the previous two: people believe that polyglots do not work, but only travel. In addition, people think that polyglots constantly spend large sums on learning materials: they buy self-study books and dictionaries, take expensive lessons from native speakers, travel abroad for language courses. People believe that polyglots have a lot of money and therefore opportunities to learn foreign languages.

Truth:

At the time of this writing, "millionaire" and "polyglot" are not identical concepts. As we have already found out, polyglots are not on a continuous journey, and among them there are many ordinary working people like you and me. It's just that those who want to know many languages ​​use every opportunity to gain knowledge. It should be said that we have a lot of such opportunities: from various courses to thousands of online learning resources. For example, you can learn English online for free, and to make it easier for you to find the sites you need, we constantly write articles with collections of tips and useful resources for developing certain skills. Subscribe to our newsletter and you will not miss important information.

Secrets of polyglots: how to learn foreign languages

1. Set yourself a clear goal

Learning a foreign language "because everyone is learning it" won't last long, so decide why you need to know it. The goal can be anything from serious, like getting a position in a prestigious company, to entertaining, like “I want to understand what Sting is singing about.” The main thing is that your goal motivates you and in every possible way strengthens the desire to learn English. To strengthen your desire to learn a language, we advise you to read our articles "" and "".

2. Take at least a few lessons from a teacher at the beginning of your studies

We've all read about how polyglots learn any language on their own. However, many polyglots blog and often indicate that they started learning the language with a teacher, and after learning the basics, they moved on to self-study. We recommend that you do the same: the teacher will help you lay a solid foundation of knowledge, and if you wish, you can build the next “floors” yourself. If you decide to follow this advice, we suggest you try it with one of the experienced teachers of our school. We can help you "advance" English to any level of knowledge.

3. Speak out loud from day one of learning a new language

Even if you are learning your first ten words, say them out loud, so you will better remember the vocabulary. In addition, you will gradually develop the correct pronunciation. From the very first day, look for interlocutors for communication. For beginners, a professional teacher will be an ideal “partner” for the development of oral speech, and from the level you can look for an interlocutor on language exchange sites and hone your speaking skills with a native speaker. Please note: almost all polyglots claim that the most effective and interesting method of learning a new language is communication with native speakers. At the same time, polyglots say that during communication, words and grammatical constructions are easier to remember: you do not force yourself to study them, but remember them in the process of an interesting conversation.

My absolute favorite language learning activity is talking to people! And it turns out, that’s pretty convenient, because that’s the whole reason we learn languages ​​anyway, right? We learn the language in order to use it. And since language is a skill, the best way to learn it is by using it.

My favorite activity in language learning is talking to people! And it turns out that this is quite convenient, because this is the reason why we learn languages, right? We learn a language in order to use it. And since language is a skill, the best way to improve it is to use it.

4. Learn phrases, not single words

Watch this video by Luca Lampariello, he tells how to learn new words (you can turn on Russian or English subtitles in the settings).

5. Don't get into theoretical grammar

But this advice must be understood correctly, because recently the opinion that English grammar is superfluous knowledge has been actively discussed on the Internet. Allegedly, for communication it is enough to know three simple tenses and a lot of words. However, in the article "", we explained why such an opinion is fundamentally wrong. What do polyglots mean? They urge us to pay less attention to theory, and more to practical exercises, the use of grammatical structures in speech and writing. Therefore, immediately after getting acquainted with the theory, proceed to practice: do translation exercises, grammar tests, use the studied constructions in speech.

6. Get used to the sound of a new speech for you

I love to listen to podcasts, interviews, audiobooks or even music in my target language while walking or driving. This makes efficient use of my time and I don't feel like I'm making any particular kind of effort.

I like to listen to podcasts, interviews, audiobooks, or even music in the language I'm learning when I'm walking or driving. This allows me to use my time effectively without feeling like I'm putting in any special effort.

7. Read texts in the target language

While reading texts, you see how the studied grammar “works” in speech and new words “cooperate” with each other. At the same time, you use visual memory, which allows you to remember useful phrases. On the Internet you can find texts in any language for beginners, so you need to start reading from the very first days of learning the language. Some polyglots are advised to practice, for example, to read the text in parallel in Russian and English. So you see how sentences are built in the language being studied. In addition, polyglots claim that this allows you to unlearn the habit of translating speech verbatim from your native language into the target language.

8. Improve your pronunciation

9. Make mistakes

"Get out of your comfort zone!" - that's what polyglots call us to. If you are afraid to speak the language you are learning or try to express yourself in simple phrases in order to avoid mistakes, then you are deliberately creating an obstacle for yourself to improve your knowledge. Feel free to make mistakes in the language you are learning, and if you are so tormented by perfectionism, take a look at Runet. Native Russian speakers write words like “potential” (potential), adykvatny (adequate), “pain and numbness” (more or less), etc. without a shadow of hesitation. We urge you to take an example from their courage, but at the same time try to take into account your own errors and eradicate them. At the same time, polyglots remind us of how children learn to speak their native language: they begin to speak with errors, adults correct them, and over time the child begins to speak correctly. Do the same: learning from your mistakes is okay!

Make at least two hundred mistakes a day. I want to actually use this language, mistakes or not.

Make at least two hundred mistakes a day. I want to use this language, with or without errors.

10. Exercise Regularly

The main secret of polyglots is hard work. Among them there is not a single person who would say: "I studied English once a week and learned the language in 5 months." On the contrary, polyglots, as a rule, are in love with learning languages, so they devoted all their free time to this. We are sure that everyone can find 3-4 hours a week for learning, and if you have the opportunity to study for 1 hour a day, any language will submit to you.

11. Improve your memory

The better your memory is developed, the easier it will be to memorize new words and phrases. Learning a foreign language in itself is a great memory training, and to make this training more productive, use different ways of learning a language. For example, guessing is a fascinating and useful activity for both learning and memory. - another good idea for training: you can learn the lyrics of your favorite hit by heart, so you will remember a few useful phrases.

12. Take a cue from successful people

Polyglots are always open to new ways of learning, they do not stand still, but are interested in the experience of other people who successfully learn foreign languages. We have dedicated several articles to one of the most eminent polyglots, you can read about the experience of learning languages, or study.

13. Moderate your appetite

A variety of materials allows you not to get bored and enjoy learning a foreign language, but at the same time, we advise you not to “spray”, but to focus on some specific methods. For example, if on Monday you took one textbook, on Tuesday you grabbed the second one, on Wednesday you studied on one site, on Thursday on another, on Friday you watched a video lesson, and on Saturday you sat down to read a book, then by Sunday you risk getting "porridge" in the head from the abundance of material, because their authors use different principles for presenting information. Therefore, as soon as you start learning a new language for yourself, determine the optimal set of textbooks, websites and video lessons. There should not be 10-20 of them, limit your “appetite”, otherwise disparate information will be poorly absorbed. You can find ideas for choosing the materials that suit you in our article "", where you can download a list of the "best" materials for learning a language for free.

14. Have fun learning

Among the famous polyglots, there is not a single person who would say: “Learning languages ​​is boring, I don’t like to do it, but I want to know many languages, so I have to overpower myself.” How do polyglots learn languages? These people enjoy not just understanding that they know a foreign language, but also the very process of learning. Do you think studying is boring? Then use interesting language learning techniques. For example, or hardly anyone will find it boring.

Languages ​​are not something one should study, but rather live, breathe and enjoy.

Languages ​​are not something to be learned, but rather something to live, breathe and enjoy.

Now you know how polyglots learn languages. As you have seen, everyone can learn foreign languages, regardless of "giftedness" and the number of banknotes. There is nothing complicated in the advice of polyglots for learning languages, all techniques are available to any person and are easily applicable in practice. Try to follow the given recommendations and have fun learning.

For some, foreign languages ​​seem like an insurmountable barrier, something transcendental and supernatural. But there are a small number of people who have a unique and sometimes phenomenal ability to learn languages. Who are they, the polyglots of our time - read about it below.

Vyacheslav Ivanov himself does not consider himself a polyglot, but he confidently speaks all European languages, and can read more than 100 languages ​​of the world. All his life he has been studying questions of linguistics, semiotics, literary criticism, and anthropology. From 1992 to the present, he has been a professor in the Department of Slavic Languages ​​and Literatures and the Program for Indo-European Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Hungarian polyglot. At the age of 18, he already knew 18 languages. Istvan Dhabi is fluent in Russian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, German, English, French and Lithuanian. And if he spends a few days refreshing the material, he will be able to speak 14 more languages: Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Lusatian, Latvian, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. He worked as a guide, correspondent, simultaneous interpreter.

Can read in 50 languages. Constantly works with 8 languages: English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Czech, Greek and Hindi. Dmitry Petrov is also engaged in simultaneous translation and teaching. He is familiar to many as a TV presenter-teacher of the reality show "Polyglot".

Belgian polyglot. Knows 31 languages. He was awarded the honorary "Babylon Prize", which was presented to him by a jury consisting of Western European linguists. By education - an engineer-architect.

I started learning languages ​​at the age of 21. He speaks fluently more than 10. He is widely known for his criticism of the traditional approach to learning languages. The most difficult thing for him was learning Spanish, but he explains this by the fact that he was in a bad mood :)

Luca is a young polyglot from Italy. He has been passionate about learning languages ​​for over 10 years. Speaks 10 languages. English, French, Spanish and German are native to him. Luca Lampariello is fluent in Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Portuguese and Russian, and speaks Chinese at a conversational level.

(Pictured in the center. To his left is Luca Lampariello, and to his right is Dmitry Petrov)

Richard Simkot knows more than 16 languages, including Russian. Known for teaching his daughter languages ​​on his own. At the age of 4, she already spoke Macedonian, English, French, understood German and Spanish.

There were also many rumors about the superpowers of the Russian poet Willy Melnikov.

He himself claims to speak more than 103 languages. The phenomenal abilities of Willy, who, by the way, is also a researcher at the Institute of Virology, an applied mathematician, and a veterinarian by education, can neither confirm nor deny. Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed polyglot diligently writes poetry in every language he has learned and develops new talents.

Of course, such polyglots as John Bowring, who knew about 200 languages ​​and owned 100, are in the past, but people have always strived to embrace the immensity and are now striving, so we will wait for the emergence of new language geniuses.