I’ve learned 20 languages: what keeps me going?

Summary

The speaker shares his personal journey of language acquisition, emphasizing the importance of connections in learning. Starting with French and progressing through Spanish, Italian, and others, he highlights the role of interest, travel, and effort in mastering languages. He discusses the challenges and similarities between languages, such as Mandarin, Cantonese, and Japanese, and explains how historical and cultural ties influenced his learning of Slavic languages and others. The narrative underscores the interconnectedness of language learning and the value of using bilingual dictionaries to build upon known vocabulary.

Takeaways

• 🌱 Language acquisition is a natural process that involves absorbing language through accessible input and forming connections.
• 🏫 The speaker's first deliberate language acquisition was French, influenced by a professor at McGill University which sparked interest and led to living in France.
• 🔗 The ease of transitioning from French to Spanish was facilitated by physical travel and constant conversation, emphasizing the importance of real-world practice.
• 📚 Despite similarities, the speaker highlights the individuality of each language, noting the need for dedicated study, such as using Linguaphone for Italian.
• 🌐 The speaker's language learning journey was influenced by geographical and cultural proximity, moving from Spanish to Italian, and then to Portuguese and Romanian.
• 🎓 Learning Mandarin was challenging due to its distinct pronunciation and writing system compared to Cantonese, despite similar vocabulary.
• 🌍 The speaker's move to Japan and interest in nearby Korea led to learning Japanese and Korean, showing how living in a country can motivate language learning.
• 📖 Reading Dostoyevsky and other Russian literature inspired the speaker to learn Russian, demonstrating the power of cultural interest in language acquisition.
• 🎧 Utilizing resources like Ekho Moskvy radio helped the speaker improve Russian and transition to learning Czech, showing the value of media in language learning.
• 🔄 The speaker's Slavic language learning was further connected by historical ties and personal experiences, such as learning Ukrainian due to political events and Polish due to shared vocabulary.
• 📝 The importance of using bilingual dictionaries is emphasized for making connections between known and new vocabulary, rather than relying on monolingual dictionaries which can be confusing.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the speaker's discussion on language acquisition?

The main theme is the natural process of language acquisition and the importance of connections or linkages between languages and personal experiences in learning them.

What was the first language the speaker deliberately sought to acquire and why?

The first language the speaker deliberately sought to acquire was French because it was taught at school, and he had a lot of exposure to it through grammar exercises and drills.

How did the speaker's experience with French influence his learning of other languages?

The speaker's experience with French led him to live in France for three years, which in turn made it easier for him to connect to and learn neighboring languages like Spanish.

What is the significance of 'connections' in the speaker's language learning journey?

Connections are significant because they provide a sense of purpose and motivation, helping the speaker to immerse himself in the language and culture, thus facilitating language acquisition.

How did the speaker's encounter with Italian happen and what was the outcome?

The speaker's encounter with Italian happened when he hitchhiked to Italy and tried out his Spanish, which led to building up a bit of a sense of Italian through interaction.

What challenges did the speaker face when learning Mandarin and Cantonese?

The speaker faced challenges with pronunciation and the fact that despite similar vocabulary, Mandarin and Cantonese are quite different in their phonetic systems.

Why did the speaker decide to learn Russian and how did he approach it?

The speaker decided to learn Russian due to his interest in Russian literature and a desire to avoid a grammar-focused learning style. He approached it through a lot of input, such as movies and listening to radio stations.

How did the speaker's learning of Slavic languages connect to his personal background?

The speaker's learning of Slavic languages connected to his personal background as his parents were from Czechoslovakia, which motivated him to learn Czech.

What was the speaker's experience with learning Korean and why was it challenging?

The speaker found learning Korean challenging despite the shared vocabulary with Japanese and Chinese characters. He struggled to achieve proficiency due to the language's unique structure and the need for extensive listening, reading, and speaking practice.

How did the speaker's business in Romania influence his decision to learn Romanian?

The speaker's business in Romania provided a practical reason to learn Romanian. Additionally, Romanian's connection to the Romance languages made it easier for him to learn.

What is the speaker's view on using bilingual dictionaries versus monolingual dictionaries for language learning?

The speaker prefers using bilingual dictionaries because they allow for connections to words and concepts he already knows, whereas monolingual dictionaries in the target language might present many unfamiliar words.