Secrets to Fast Language Learning from Polyglots

Overview

• Polyglots master multiple languages quickly.
• Techniques developed by renowned polyglots can be adopted to enhance personal language learning.

Key Polyglot Techniques

1. Jepe Casper Mezzofanti

• Background: Italian cardinal and linguist, fluent in 30 languages.
• Technique: Used the Lord's Prayer to learn new languages by understanding familiar structures and rhythms.
• Modern Adaptation: Tim Ferris’s 12 Golden Sentences technique — translating key sentences to grasp language basics.

2. Kato Lomb

• Background: Hungarian interpreter, spoke 16 languages, understood 30.
• Technique: Language learning equation: Invested Time x Motivation / Inhibition.
  • Three Autos Method:
    • Autolexia: Reading interesting materials.
    • Autographia: Writing about personal thoughts.
    • Autologia: Speaking to oneself about daily life.
• Emphasis on Motivation: Importance of staying motivated and embracing errors.

3. Kenneth Hale

• Background: American professor, spoke 50 languages.
• Technique: Listening with a silent period before speaking.
• Concept: Comprehensible Input Hypothesis by Stephen Krashen — learning through listening until ready to speak.

4. Pow Janulus

• Background: Canadian translator with a Guinness World Record for 42 languages.
• Unique Methods:
  • Intoning: Assigning rhythms to words to aid memory through repetition.
  • Enchanting: Using repeated words to create sentence-building systems, enabling learners to construct numerous sentence combinations.

5. Steve Kaufman

• Background: Canadian polyglot, speaks 20 languages.
• Technique: Vagabond technique — not memorizing but naturally encountering words and grammar across contexts.
• Approach: Exposure to language through varied interactions, allowing the brain to learn passively and naturally.

Conclusion

• These polyglots’ techniques are practical and can be integrated into personal language learning strategies.
• Consistent practice, motivation, and exposure are keys to mastering new languages effectively.