Key Techniques from Polyglots for Fast Language Learning
Overview
Polyglots are individuals known for learning and mastering multiple languages quickly. This lecture discusses various techniques employed by famous polyglots, which can be adopted by anyone to facilitate fast language learning.
Jeppe Casper Mes Ganti
- Background: Italian polyglot from Bologna, spoke 30+ languages.
- Technique: Used the Lord's Prayer in target languages to decode language structure and rhythm.
- Familiarity with the prayer allowed him to quickly understand new languages.
- Inspired the development of the "12 golden sentences" technique by Tim Ferris, focusing on translating key sentences to understand language structures quickly.
Kato Lomb
- Background: Hungarian interpreter, spoke 16 languages, understood 30.
- Technique: Created a language formula: Invested Time x Motivation / Inhibition.
- Advocated for 10 minutes of daily practice using the "three Autos method":
- Auto Lexia: Reading interesting material.
- Autographia: Writing personal daily content.
- AIA: Talking to oneself to practice speaking.
- Emphasized motivation and overcoming inhibition by learning from failures.
Kenneth Hale
- Background: American professor, spoke about 50 languages.
- Technique: Listening and the "silent period" approach.
- Focused on listening to native speakers before speaking.
- Relied on "comprehensible input hypothesis" – learning by receiving slightly challenging input.
- Transitioned to speaking once comfortable, supporting Steven Krashen’s language acquisition theories.
Pow Janulus
- Background: Canadian translator, held Guinness World Record for speaking 42 languages.
- Technique: Use of "intoning" and "ench charting".
- Intoning: Assigning rhythms to words for easier memorization, similar to learning through songs.
- Ench Charting: Creating sentence-building charts to practice forming new sentences.
Steve Kaufman
- Background: Modern polyglot, speaks about 20 languages.
- Technique: "Vagabond technique" for language exposure.
- Avoided rote memorization, favored natural exposure to language through varied contexts.
- Emphasized the importance of interacting with language in different formats to naturally learn vocabulary and grammar.
Conclusion
Adopting these techniques can accelerate language learning by focusing on methods that leverage natural acquisition, motivation, and innovative approaches to understanding and practice.