How to Master Multiple Languages (한글 자막) SNU Researcher & Polyglot Fluency Secrets | Evolve Podcast

Summary

In this episode of Evolve, a polyglot named Town shares her journey of mastering three languages: Korean, English, and Mandarin Chinese. She discusses her early exposure to English and Chinese through education and cultural influences, such as watching Chinese historical dramas. Town reveals how immersion, imitation, and living in Taiwan as an exchange student helped refine her language skills. She also talks about her experience studying in Singapore, where she worked on improving her English. The conversation highlights the importance of cultural immersion and practical use of languages in mastering them.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker is a polyglot who speaks Korean, English, and Mandarin Chinese.
• 😀 The speaker started learning English at the age of 8 through public education in Korea.
• 😀 The speaker became interested in Chinese after watching a Chinese historical drama at the age of 8.
• 😀 The process of learning Chinese was informal at first, with the speaker mimicking pronunciation and memorizing phrases from Chinese dramas.
• 😀 The speaker formally began learning Chinese in middle school and became very passionate about achieving high grades.
• 😀 In Korean schools, there is a strong cultural focus on achieving high grades in subjects like math, English, and Korean, but the speaker prioritized Chinese.
• 😀 The speaker went to Taiwan as an exchange student to immerse herself in the local culture and language, improving her Mandarin skills.
• 😀 Taiwanese Mandarin has a softer accent compared to Mainland Mandarin, with distinctions in how certain words are pronounced.
• 😀 The speaker spent a year in Taiwan, where they focused on speaking and listening to improve their Chinese, and experienced cultural immersion.
• 😀 The speaker's experience of being nervous about language barriers mirrors many language learners’ challenges with speaking in a new language.
• 😀 The speaker learned English fluently through immersion in Singapore, practicing speaking and listening despite initial fears and challenges with understanding accents.
• 😀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of language immersion and practicing speaking with native speakers to improve language skills.
• 😀 The speaker advises not to focus on perfection when learning a new language but to enjoy the process and communicate with others.
• 😀 Similar to the speaker’s experience with Chinese, listening to podcasts and music in the target language (like English and Arabic) was also essential to improving language skills.
• 😀 The speaker notes that the use of context in languages like Chinese and Korean allows speakers to omit subject or object pronouns, unlike in European languages like English or French.

Q & A

How did Town first become interested in learning Chinese?

Town’s interest in learning Chinese began at the age of 8 when she watched a Chinese historical drama with her parents. She was fascinated by the costumes, historical settings, and the cultural differences between China and Korea, which sparked her curiosity about the Chinese language.

What role did imitation play in Town's early language learning process?

Imitation was a crucial part of Town's language learning journey. She would watch Chinese dramas repeatedly, mimicking the pronunciation of characters. This informal learning method helped her become familiar with the language before she even started formal education in Chinese.

Why did Town choose to study Chinese over other languages like Japanese or Spanish in high school?

Town chose to study Chinese because of her passion for the language, which had developed from her early interest in Chinese dramas. She was particularly drawn to the language's cultural aspects and wanted to pursue it academically.

How did Town's time in Taiwan influence her language skills?

Town's year-long stay in Taiwan greatly enhanced her Chinese language skills. Living in Taiwan allowed her to immerse herself in the local culture, interact with native speakers, and practice speaking and listening in a real-world context, which helped her improve her fluency.

What cultural differences did Town observe in how languages are structured?

Town observed that languages like Chinese and Korean have a more flexible sentence structure compared to European languages. In Chinese and Korean, subjects and objects are often omitted if the context is clear, whereas in European languages like English or Spanish, subject pronouns are typically necessary.

What was Town's biggest challenge when she first moved to Taiwan?

Town's biggest challenge was the initial nervousness and fear of speaking Chinese. She was unsure of her language skills and found it difficult to communicate at first, especially since her Chinese wasn’t fluent when she arrived.

What advice does Town give to language learners regarding perfectionism?

Town advises language learners not to worry too much about speaking perfectly. Instead, she encourages them to focus on enjoying the learning process, meeting people, and immersing themselves in the culture. Overcoming the fear of making mistakes is key to improvement.

How did listening to podcasts help Town improve her English?

Listening to podcasts, especially BBC podcasts, helped Town improve her English by providing a passive learning experience. She would listen to these podcasts while doing daily activities like cooking or commuting, which helped her improve her listening comprehension and speaking skills over time.

Why did Town feel nervous about speaking English despite being fluent?

Even though Town was fluent in English, she still felt nervous about speaking it, especially after moving to Singapore for her PhD. She was afraid of making mistakes and struggled with understanding the accent of her supervisor. This shows that confidence in speaking is a major hurdle for many language learners, even at advanced levels.

How did Town handle the cultural and language barriers when interacting with people in Taiwan?

In Taiwan, Town initially felt overwhelmed by the attention she received from locals who were eager to practice language exchange with her. However, she embraced these opportunities, which helped her become more fluent in Taiwanese Mandarin and better understand the local culture.