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 memorize 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.

Learning another language not only allows you to communicate with foreigners, travel and get more money, but also expands the capabilities of the brain, delays senile dementia and increases the ability to concentrate. Read on and you'll understand why.

Notable polyglots

It is known that Leo Tolstoy spoke and read fluently in French, English and German, read in Czech, Italian and Polish, and had a reasonable command of Ukrainian, Greek, Church Slavonic and Latin. In addition, the writer has study Turkish, Dutch, Hebrew and Bulgarian languages.

We assume that he did this not at all in order to boast of his abilities or to be able to talk with a foreigner, but to develop his mental abilities, and simply because he could not remain in idleness, live even a day without mental labor. Until his advanced years, Tolstoy worked, happily communicated with every person and thought deeply about many phenomena.

Other famous polyglots People: Empress Catherine II (5 languages), statesman commander Bogdan Khmelnitsky (5 languages), inventor Nikola Tesla (8 languages), writer Alexander Griboedov (9 languages), Pope John Paul II (10 languages) and writer Anthony Burgess (12 languages).

It should be noted that there are a lot of polyglots among scientists, and especially linguists. The capabilities of the human brain are demonstrated by people who know several dozen languages ​​and dialects. So, our contemporary Willy Melnikov, a researcher at the Russian Institute of Virology, knows more than 100 languages, and Rasmus Konstantin Rask, professor at the University of Copenhagen, linguist Rasmus, spoke 230 languages ​​(and knew their grammar and linguistics perfectly).

English as a brain trainer

In 2013, an experiment was conducted at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) that revealed the ability to concentrate among 38 monolingual and 60 bilingual people under the age of 19 years. It is not clear whether young people learned a language because they were able to concentrate, or whether they acquired this ability because of language, but the fact is that people who know two languages ​​performed better, regardless of when they started learning or in high school.

If theoretically accepted language learning for the cause, and the ability to concentrate for the effect, this can be explained as follows: when the brain needs to readjust to a second language, it must concentrate on the most important and discard the unnecessary. This helps to quickly translate the necessary phrases in your mind and more accurately understand the interlocutor, not being distracted by unfamiliar words, but perceiving the entire phrase as a whole.

But the ability to concentrate is not the only “bonus” for a polyglot. Scientists have concluded that the tension of certain parts of the brain at any age contributes to the formation of new neural connections and their adaptation to existing chains. Moreover, this occurs both in childhood and at a young or mature age.

The above is confirmed by an experiment carried out at the Academy of Translators in Sweden. Newly admitted students were offered learning foreign languages high complexity (Russian, Arabic or Dari). The language had to be studied every day for many hours. At the same time, scientists were monitoring medical university students who were also studying hard. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment (after 3 months), participants in both groups underwent MRI of the brain. It turned out that in students who studied medicine, the structure of the brain did not change, but in those who intensively mastered the language, the part of the brain responsible for the assimilation of new knowledge (the hippocampus), long-term memory and orientation in space increased in size.

Finally, or any other language has a positive effect on the preservation of mental abilities in old age. This was confirmed by the results of a study that lasted from 1947 to 2010. The 853 study participants completed an intelligence test at the beginning and end of the experiment, after 63 years. People who knew two or more languages ​​showed higher mental and psychic abilities than their peers who spoke only their native language all their lives. In general, the state of their brain was better than is usually considered normal at this age.

Important conclusions can be drawn from these studies:

  1. Our brain needs exercise just like muscles and ligaments. If we want to maintain good mental faculties into old age, we must constantly occupy the mind with something. And one of the most effective means is foreign languages.
  2. A well-functioning brain almost always means a fuller and happier life, and certainly success in life. Therefore, if we want to achieve wealth, self-realization and respect for people, we need to learn languages ​​or, if we can already read in a foreign language, start in-depth study of English and learn to communicate freely with its carriers.
  3. It doesn’t matter at all when we start learning a foreign language: at any age, the brain is rebuilt, new neural connections are formed in it, as well as an increase in its individual parts, which leads to a more complete perception of reality, an increase in mental abilities, including memorization and concentration.

According to the academic dictionary of foreign words, POLYGLOT (from the Greek polyglottos - “multilingual”) is a person who speaks many languages. But many are how many? Polyglots themselves believe that in addition to the native one, you need to know perfectly at least four languages: speak them absolutely freely and preferably without an accent, translate sounding speech and written text as accurately as possible, write competently and clearly. There is also an opinion that a person with average abilities can master five languages ​​in a lifetime.


And now I would like to introduce you to the most famous polyglots, some of which you probably knew, but perhaps did not know, that they were fluent in several languages.

Let's start from the beginning: with Buddha and Mohammed. The legend says that the Buddha spoke one and a half hundred languages, and Mohammed knew all the languages ​​of the world.

The most famous polyglot of the past, whose abilities are attested quite reliably, lived in the last century - the keeper of the Vatican library, Cardinal Giuseppe Caspar Mezzofanti(1774 - 1849) There were legends about Mezzofanti during his lifetime. In addition to the main European languages, he knew Estonian, Latvian, Georgian, Armenian, Albanian, Kurdish, Turkish, Persian and many others. It is believed that he translated from one hundred and fourteen languages ​​and seventy-two "dialects", as well as from several dozen dialects. He was fluent in sixty languages, wrote poems and epigrams in almost fifty. At the same time, the cardinal never traveled outside of Italy and studied this unimaginable number of languages ​​​​on his own. The Guinness Book of Records claims that Mezzofanti was only fluent in twenty-six or twenty-seven languages.

Byron wrote of the famous cardinal:
“... This is a linguistic miracle, he should have lived during the time of the Babylonian pandemonium in order to be a universal translator. I tested it in every language in which I know at least one swear word, so it struck me so much that I was ready to swear in English.


Once Mezzofanti was asked: “How many languages ​​can a person know?” He replied, "As many as the Lord God wills." In his time, they still remembered the fate of the Finnish student, who was tried and burned at the stake for the fact that he ... "learned foreign languages ​​​​with incredible speed, which is impossible without the help of evil spirits."


Since then, much water has flowed in the river of time. The world has changed. Polyglots are no longer sentenced to death. But the attitude of many of our contemporaries to such amazing phenomena still gives vent to superstitious conjectures. Science has not yet penetrated the essence of the riddle of polyglots, a riddle that concerns us all.


There were polyglots in Soviet Russia, although not many. Here are two examples.


People's Commissar of Education Anatoly Vasilyevich Lunacharsky, when he was elected a full member of the Academy of Sciences, he began his speech in Russian, continued in German, French, English, Italian and ended, according to tradition, in classical Latin.

First Deputy Dzerzhinsky and Chairman of the OGPU Vyacheslav Rudolfovich Menzhinsky He knew, besides Russian, thirteen more languages, and was fluent in German, English, French and Italian. Dzerzhinsky himself knew three foreign languages, one of which was Russian, which he spoke without an accent and wrote correctly (Polish was his native language).

Leninwas not a polyglot, although for some reason some publications claimed that he knew eleven (?!) languages. All this is complete nonsense. Lenin, like anyone who graduated from a pre-revolutionary gymnasium, knew French and German, and later learned English. He did not know these three foreign languages ​​perfectly, which has already been written about more than once.

By the way, about pre-revolutionary gymnasiums: two foreign languages ​​were taught there, and in the classical school - also Latin and Greek. And they taught, I must admit, quite well.

After Lenin, who spoke three foreign languages, few of the leaders of the Soviet state knew at least one or two languages ​​other than Russian. Stalin knew Georgian, could speak Abkhazian. Khrushchev once boasted that he knew the Ukrainian language. Andropov knew English. Chernenko and in Russian explained somehow.

Knowledge of foreign languages ​​has long been considered an essential feature of high culture. Many historical figures, diplomats and generals were fluent in several foreign languages.

Few people know that Bogdan Khmelnitsky spoke five languages.

empress Catherine II, in addition to her native German and Russian, she was fluent in three more languages.

There were many polyglots among scientists and writers.



Alexander Griboyedov from his youth he spoke French, German, English and Italian, studied Latin and Greek. Later he mastered Persian, Arabic and Turkish.



Writer Senkovsky(Baron Brambeus) was a well-known polyglot: in addition to Polish and Russian, he also knew Arabic, Turkish, French, German, English, Italian, Icelandic, Basque, Persian, modern Greek. Studied Mongolian and Chinese.


Fabulist Krylov He was fluent in French, Italian and German. Later he learned ancient Greek. Studied English.

Lev TolstoyHe was fluent in English, French and German, fluent in Italian, Polish, Czech and Serbian. He knew Greek, Latin, Ukrainian, Tatar, Church Slavonic, studied Hebrew, Turkish, Dutch, Bulgarian and other languages.

Nicholas Chernyshevsky already at the age of 16 he thoroughly studied nine languages: Latin, ancient Greek, Persian, Arabic, Tatar, Hebrew, French, German and English.

Johann Ludwig Heinrich Julius Schliemann German businessman and amateur archaeologist, who became famous for his finds in Asia Minor, in a place that he considered ancient (Homeric) Troy . Studying completely independently, in less than three years he managed to master Dutch, English, French, Italian and Portuguese . He soon began to study Russian language . In just a month and a half, Schliemann could already write to Russiabusiness letters. At that time he was only 24 years old.

Naturally, many linguists were well versed in languages.

Among foreign linguists, the biggest polyglot was, apparently, Rasmus Christian Rusk, professor at the University of Copenhagen. He spoke two hundred and thirty languages ​​and compiled dictionaries and grammars for several dozen of them.

German scientist Johann Martin Schlayer, who invented Volapuk - the language of international communication that preceded Esperanto, knew forty-one languages.

Twenty-eight languages ​​were spoken fluently by Sir John bowring(1792 - 1872) and Dr. Harold Williams from New Zealand (1876 - 1928).

Polyglots around us

Belgian Johanu vandewalle known outside his country as an outstanding polyglot: he knows thirty-one languages. For exceptional achievements in the study of foreign languages, a special European jury, which included well-known Western European linguists, awarded the Belgian an honorary “Babylon Prize”.

Italian linguistic professor Alberto Talnavani fluent in all European languages. He is a member of fifty academies of sciences in the world. Already at the age of 12, the future polyglot spoke seven languages. At 22, he received a graduate diploma from the University of Bologna. Then he knew fifteen languages. Every year a Roman professor masters two or three languages! At one of the linguistic congresses (in 1996) he delivered a greeting in fifty languages.

A translator and writer lived in Budapest not so long ago Kato Lomb, which is fluent in Russian, English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Polish, Chinese and Japanese and translates artistic and technical texts from six other languages. The most interesting thing is that Kato Lomb learned all languages ​​at a fairly mature age and in a short time. Spanish, for example, she learned in just a month. In the gymnasium, she was considered a linguistic mediocrity and generally an incapable student.

In the UK, journalist Harold can be considered an unsurpassed polyglot today. Williams who knows eighty languages. Interestingly, Harold learned Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French and German when he was only eleven years old.

Forty-year-old was recognized as the most important polyglot of the planet in 1997 Ziyad Fawzi, a Brazilian of Lebanese origin who speaks fifty-eight languages. Despite his outstanding abilities, Senor Fawzi is an extremely modest person. Modestly teaches foreign languages ​​at the University of Sao Paulo. Modestly translates. From any of fifty-eight languages. And he wants to translate from a hundred. And - from anyone to anyone. Now he is preparing textbooks in several languages ​​for publication, using his method of quick assimilation of the material.

Famous Russian polyglots:


Vyacheslav Ivanov , philologist, anthropologist - about 100 languages
Sergei Khalipov
, Associate Professor, Department of Scandinavian Philology, St. Petersburg State University - 44 languages
Yuri Salomahin
, Moscow journalist - 38 languages
Evgeny Cherniavsky
, philologist, simultaneous interpreter - 38 languages
Dmitry Petrov
, translator, lecturer at Moscow Linguistic University - 30 languages

Willy Melnikov - Russian polyglot, researcher at the Institute of Virology - speaks more than 100 languages. Nominee of the Guinness Book of Records. He is fond of photography, drawing, architecture, history, speleology.

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

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.



Istvan Daby

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.



Dmitry Petrov

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".



Johan Vandewalle

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.



Benny Lewis

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 Lampariello

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.



Richard Simcote

(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.

Polyglots are perhaps one of the most unusual categories of people. Despite their different origins and even life in different eras, they all have one thing in common: polyglots are able to master a new language in record time. Sometimes a couple of months is enough for them to do this. Moreover, the majority of well-known polyglots, when starting to learn a new language, do it out of love for knowledge, rather than for the sake of practical use.

Kato Lomb - a Hungarian polyglot who surprised the world

Kato is one of the most famous polyglots. Only the lazy did not hear about it. When reading her biography, there is a desire to ask oneself a question - could I also master 16 languages? Kato Lomb managed to do it. And, moreover, she shared her experience with posterity in the book. Kato's work, which has already managed to make life easier for more than one student, is called "How I Learn Languages." The methods offered by Kato for learning a foreign language in this book cannot be called sophisticated. For example, one of her recommendations is to read as much literature as possible in the target language. And if there is no progress in learning the language, the polyglot advises to scold bad textbooks, the complexity of the language, the unfavorable political situation or the weather, whatever the light is. But - do not touch the saint, that is, yourself. After all, self-accusations will not add determination in mastering a foreign language. You need to believe in your intellect. Then success in learning the language is just around the corner.

Video review of Kato Lomb's book "How I Learn Languages"

Nikola Tesla - mad scientist and polyglot

Incredibly, Tesla was a polyglot. The great scientist knew 9 languages ​​- and this opened up almost unlimited possibilities for him in knowledge. Now it is difficult to judge the methods that the famous inventor used in the study of foreign languages. However, there is one assumption in this regard - perhaps his linguistic success was due to the peculiarities of the psyche. Nikola Tesla from childhood suffered from one peculiar feature of his mind (which later played a decisive role for him in invention). The words that Tesla heard acquired distinct forms in his imagination - so that the young researcher sometimes confused the objects of the imaginary world and reality. However, by the age of 17, he realized that this feature could be used to invent new devices.

Video about Nikola Tesla and his achievements:

Lev Tolstoy. Not only the author of "War and Peace"

Those who at school age were able to overcome the epic "War and Peace", and then also "Anna Karenina" to boot, already look like heroes in the eyes of their classmates. What can we say about Lev Nikolayevich himself, who became not only a classic of Russian literature, but also a writer recognized throughout the world. One of Tolstoy's unusual incarnations was that he was also a lover of linguistics. Leo Tolstoy is one of the most famous polyglots in Russia, who knew 15 languages. At the expense of studying foreign languages, he had rather strict principles. Lev Nikolaevich was convinced that only a complete lazy person could fail to learn Greek. And knowing English, you can learn any other European language in just three months. Tolstoy learned the Hebrew language in just one winter. He studied the language almost from morning to night. Thanks to this, he was able to read the Holy Scriptures in the original - and also acquired health problems.

TV show about Leo Tolstoy:

Benny Lewis is a passionate linguist from Ireland

Now let's say a word about the polyglots of our time. Benny Lewis is an Irish polyglot, writer and blogger. Since 2003, he has been fluent in seven languages. Moreover, the modern polyglot is not going to stop at this bar. What is the secret of his success? The most important thing, says Benny, is to overcome unnecessary perfectionism in yourself. Anyone who tries to speak the perfect language is dooming himself to failure. And also the polyglot emphasizes that for daily use you do not need to learn thousands of words. Just a few hundred are enough. To master a new language in a few months, Lewis advises doing the following:

  • From the very first day of training, start speaking out loud. Even if it doesn't work. Even if the speech sounds funny. The point is that the speech apparatus is activated immediately - and this helps to get used to foreign speech very quickly.
  • In the beginning, pay attention to the most mundane phrases. For example, "I want to eat" - "I want to eat." God knows what surprises life has in store for us? For the unfortunate who, by the will of fate, suddenly found himself in a foreign country surrounded by foreigners, words like "development" and "insurance" are unlikely to be useful.
  • Get ready for the fact that learning a language will take the lion's share of your free time. Benny believes that someone who works out for about nine hours a day can reach the B2 level in just three to four months. But if you don't have that luxury, you can reach the same level in about a year - doing an hour a day.
  • Get the perfectionism out of your head. Do not worry about the correctness of the construction of the phrase in relation to grammar - again, at first. The primary task at the initial levels is the development of basic vocabulary, not grammar.

Hacking language learning: Benny Lewis at TEDxWarsaw

Steve Kaufman is an expert in 16 languages

Steve is one of the most talented and famous polyglots in the world. He lives in Canada. The polyglot's YouTube channel has over 100,000 subscribers; he himself speaks 16 languages. He even has a video in Russian, and I must say that Kaufman speaks it pretty well. But this was not always the case - once upon a time, foreign languages ​​​​were given to the future polyglot hard. Until he developed an author's approach in linguistics. Now, after many years of career as a diplomat and entrepreneur, the polyglot is doing what he loves - learning foreign languages.

What are the features of his approach? Kaufman vehemently criticizes the limited grammar-translation method, which involves lengthy textbook work. Grammar is needed, but too much time is spent on meaningless things. For example, Mr. Kaufman considers memorizing numbers as such. The main task, the polyglot believes, should be to expand the vocabulary; Grammar is an auxiliary tool.

Also unjustified, in his opinion, is the approach according to which the topic of the studied vocabulary is determined by the teacher. How can he know in what situation you need a foreign one? Maybe a student spends time learning vocabulary on the topic “How I spent my summer”, while he will need a foreign one to meet girls.

On the one hand, it is impossible not to be surprised by the abilities of these people. On the other hand, there is also such an opinion - the level of knowledge of a single language they may be far from perfect. In other words, a polyglot may speak a dozen languages, but at what level is each of them?

Do you think that everyone is capable of becoming a polyglot? Do you use in your practice those methods that are advised by the most famous polyglots of the world? Share in the comments.

Polyglot Steve Kaufmann in Russian about his method of learning languages. Very motivating!

fun facts

Flamingos pee on their legs to cool themselves off.


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