Do I really know 20 languages?

Summary

The speaker reflects on the depth of language knowledge, categorizing their proficiency in 20 languages into three groups. They discuss the process of learning and improving in Turkish, emphasizing the importance of listening and reading for vocabulary and grammar acquisition. The analogy of falling in love with a language is used to describe the passion and obsession needed for effective language learning, highlighting the speaker's current focus on Turkish and the joy of language exploration.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The speaker claims proficiency in 20 languages but acknowledges varying levels of fluency.
• 📚 They categorize their language skills into three groups based on their comfort and ability to communicate.
• 🏅 The first group includes English, French, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, Swedish, and German, where the speaker feels quite comfortable speaking.
• 🌐 The second group consists of languages like Italian, Portuguese, Cantonese, Russian, Ukrainian, Persian, and Turkish, where the speaker can communicate but not perfectly.
• 📚 The third group comprises languages that the speaker once knew at a B1 level but are now dormant, such as Korean, Greek, Romanian, Czech, Polish, and Arabic.
• 📈 The speaker emphasizes the importance of listening and reading to improve language skills and mentions using LingQ to enhance comprehension.
• 💡 They believe that knowing a language involves understanding its structure and having a large passive vocabulary, even if not able to produce it correctly all the time.
• 💖 The speaker compares learning a language to falling in love, suggesting that one should be passionate and accepting of the language's intricacies.
• 🌟 They admit to focusing on Turkish currently, likening it to being in love and being willing to learn and imitate the language.
• 📝 The speaker plans to do a longer video in Turkish with subtitles to showcase their progress and engagement with the language.
• 🌍 They acknowledge that language learning is a personal journey with different goals and levels of proficiency for different individuals.

Q & A

What does the speaker mean when they say they 'know' 20 languages?

The speaker means that they have varying levels of proficiency in 20 languages, with some languages being more comfortable to use and others being more passive in their knowledge.

How does the speaker categorize their proficiency in different languages?

The speaker categorizes their languages into three groups: 1) Languages they feel comfortable speaking, with large vocabulary and decent accent (around B2 level), 2) Languages where they can communicate and understand media but need more speaking practice (B1 to B2 level), and 3) Languages they once knew at a B1 level but would need some practice to revive.

Which languages are in the speaker's first group of proficiency?

The first group includes English, French, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, Swedish, and German.

What approach does the speaker take to maintain or improve their language skills?

The speaker focuses heavily on listening and reading to build a large passive vocabulary, and then gradually increases speaking practice to improve their active language skills.

Why does the speaker believe they can say they know 20 languages despite varying levels of proficiency?

The speaker believes that knowing a language involves understanding its structure and having a large passive vocabulary, even if they cannot always produce it fluently. This understanding justifies their claim of knowing 20 languages.

What role does the concept of 'falling in love' play in the speaker's language learning process?

The speaker compares learning a language to falling in love, emphasizing that passion and obsession with the language drive their learning process. They focus deeply on one language at a time, similar to being in love, and this intense focus helps them improve.

What challenges does the speaker mention in learning multiple languages at once?

The speaker mentions that trying to learn Persian, Arabic, and Turkish simultaneously was a mistake because it diluted their focus. They now concentrate on one language at a time to make better progress.

How does the speaker handle languages that are currently dormant for them?

For dormant languages, the speaker acknowledges having a large passive vocabulary and the ability to understand written content but admits they would need a few days to refresh their speaking skills.

What is the speaker's strategy for preparing to use a language when visiting a country where it's spoken?

The speaker increases their speaking practice and continues with input-based learning to improve comprehension. This preparation helps them communicate more effectively when they visit the country.

How does the speaker feel about making mistakes while speaking a new language?

The speaker is not overly concerned about making mistakes. They see it as part of the learning process and believe that consistent effort will lead to gradual improvement in speaking.