Secrets master 30 languages
On a sunny day on a balcony in Berlin, Tim Keeley and Daniel Phrase catapulted various languages from their mouths. First they talked in German, then Hindi, Nepalese, Polish, Croatian, Mandarin, to Thai. Overall, their conversation wears about 20 languages.
From the balcony, I headed for the inside room. There I found small groups whose members spoke with difficult languages. They are preparing for a game that translates two different languages simultaneously. For the laity, games like this will make a headache. "It's a normal situation for us," said a woman named Alisa.
I was attending a polyglot meeting, an event attended by 350 people capable of speaking in various languages, including the Klingon language in the Star Trek film. At this meeting, I learned that there are some people who can master at least 10 languages, like Keeley and Phrase. They are called hyperglot.
One of the most capable language experts I met at this meeting was Richard Simcott. The man who was able to speak in 30 languages was leading a group of polyglot nicknamed eModeration.
Because I only know a little Italian and Danish, I feel inferior among the hyperglot. However, in order to gain knowledge from the hyperglot, I stayed at the meeting and tried to dig up their secrets.
The laity mostly struggle to speak simple phrases in a foreign language.
If you know how the brain works, you will understand that learning a language for some people is difficult.
Every human being has a different memory system, while mastering the language requires all the power of brain memory. In the brain, there is a procedural memory that serves to improve speech and declarative memory capable of remembering new words (a language has at least 10,000 new words plus grammar). The words and structure of the sentence should then be spoken a fraction of a second so that it must be programmed in 'explicit' and 'implicit' memory.
The challenge, if done, is rewarded. Studies show that a person capable of speaking in multiple languages can increase the intensity of attention and memory. This then affects the delay of dementia.
A study of immigrants by Ellen Bialystik at the University of York, Canada, found that the senility of people speaking two languages lasted five years later than those who spoke only one language. Delays are slower if one speaks three languages (6.4 years) and four or more languages (9 years).
Right to photoGETTY
Mastering a foreign language proved to delay senility.
According to the critical period hypothesis, humans have a moment as a child to learn a new language. If the time has passed, a number of nerve experts judge it will be difficult for some people to be able to learn a new language and master it smoothly.
However, as Bialystok found in his study, the assessment was exaggerated. He points out that there is little decrease in the ability to learn new languages as people grow older.
I see for myself the evidence when I met the hyperglot in Berlin. Many of them master other languages as adults, not as children.
Keeley, for example, was big in Florida, USA, so exposed to Spanish while attending school. When he was a boy, he used to play radio broadcasts in a foreign language, though he did not understand a word. "Like music to me," said Keeley.
However, Keeley just learned a foreign language while traveling to various countries as an adult. His first visit was Colombia. There he studied French, German and Portuguese. He then moved to Switzerland and Eastern Europe before heading off to Japan. Keeley now has at least 20 languages fluently. "The critical time hypothesis is nonsense," he said.
The polyglot tends to imitate foreign languages.
Well, the question now is, how can hyperglots master so many languages? And can we try to imitate them?
The short answer to that question is motivation. Like Keeley, most hyperglotes are highly motivated to learn a new language. They love to travel from one country to another while learning the local language.
However, despite the enormous motivation, the ordinary people in fact have difficulty conversing in a foreign language convincingly. Keeley, who is now writing a book on 'social, psychological, and other supporting factors to be a multi-lingual speaking person', is skeptical that the intellectual content is decisive.
"I think that is not the main factor, although it will speed up if it has analytical ability," he said.
Chameleon culture
Instead of intellect, Keeley suggested that we look into each other's personalities. He considered learning a new language causes humans to create new personalities. "You become like a chameleon," he said.
As psychologists have voiced, the language we speak is closely related to identity. Opinions that speak French make you romantic and speak Italian make you excited, it's a cliche. In fact, however, every language deals with cultural norms that influence behavior. Various studies have shown that people who speak multi-language often exhibit different behaviors according to the language they speak.
Different languages can also evoke different memories of life, as did writer Vladimir Nabokov when composing his autobiography. The Russian writer is describing his story in English writing with difficulty. "My memory is set to one key, Russian. However, forced to play on another key, namely English, "he said.
When the autobiography was finally completed, Nabokov decided to rewrite his childhood stories in Russian. As the language flows, the memories open with new details and perspectives.
"The Russian version of his work is so different that he feels the need to re-translate into English," said Aneta Pavlenko, a University of Temple academic in Philadelphia, who wrote a book called The Bilingual Mind.
If someone rejects the process of creating a new personality, Keeley believes that person will have trouble learning a new language fluently. Keeley's opinion is based on a survey he conducted on Chinese people studying Japanese.
Making friends is one of the motivations of people learning foreign languages.
Keeley, who is a professor of cross-cultural management at the Kyushu Sangyo University, Japan, asked respondents whether they can empathize with others? Then, can they change their opinion to suit the people around? According to Keeley, the survey results show people who are able to speak fluent Japanese language fluently.
How can? It is a common fact when you are compatible with someone, the more likely you will imitate it. Well, impersonation and associated memory will stop mixing of newly learned language and mother tongue.
"There must be some kind of room in your mind for every language, culture, and related experience so that the languages can stay active and not mix with each other. The quality of time, in the context of the inclusion of emotions, is an important factor. So, not just the amount of time spent learning language and using it, "said Keeley.
Of all the polyglot, Michael Levi Harris is quite good at demonstrating Keeley's principles. Harris, who is an actor, mastered 10 languages and can understand 12 other languages.
When I met him at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, he spoke in a qualified English accent, even though he was from New York, USA. "I do not consciously change my character. It just happened. But I know I'm suddenly different, "he said.
From Harris, I got tips to get started. The most important thing, he says, is to try to imitate without trying to spell words. "Everyone can hear and repeat," he said. Maybe you will sound redundant, but that is an important part of the process.
"In acting, you try as hard as you can. Then the director says, OK now down. Well, that's tantamount to learning the language, "Harris said.
He then suggested looking at facial expressions because it is important when producing sound. Speaking with your lips forward instantly makes you sound more like a Frenchman, for example.
Finally, you must overcome the embarrassment arising from producing 'strange' sounds, such as throat sounds when speaking in Arabic, for example.
"You will realize that sound is not something strange to us. When you feel disgusted, you can make an 'ugh' sound. If you realize it and give permission to the subconscious to voice it, you can ring it, "Harris said.
Learning a foreign language can use an actor's technique.
It may sound strange, but essentially all the tips Harris suggests are meant for you to overcome routine behavior. "It's all about having that language. It's an actor to let the audience believe that the words belong to you. When you have those voices, you will be more confident, "he said.
However, do not be too ambitious, especially when learning. "If there is a factor that stops people from learning language efficiently, it is a feeling that we should be like native speakers. That is a standard that is not achieved. The important thing for me is to find ease in expressing the purpose, "said Pavlenko from Temple University, USA.
Practicing for 15 minutes, four times a day, is also recommended. Richard Simcott, who taught foreign language techniques, even suggested training conversations or listening to pop music in foreign languages.
In the US, Australia, and Britain there is the opinion that foreign language is not necessary because, anyway, the world uses English. However, the hyperglot denied the assumption. They believe in foreign profits very much, including establishing friendships around the world.
Judith Meyer, the organizer of the polyglot gathering in Berlin, said he saw Ukrainians and Russians and Israelis and Palestinians talking to each other. "Learning a foreign language really opens up a whole new world," he said.
From the balcony, I headed for the inside room. There I found small groups whose members spoke with difficult languages. They are preparing for a game that translates two different languages simultaneously. For the laity, games like this will make a headache. "It's a normal situation for us," said a woman named Alisa.
I was attending a polyglot meeting, an event attended by 350 people capable of speaking in various languages, including the Klingon language in the Star Trek film. At this meeting, I learned that there are some people who can master at least 10 languages, like Keeley and Phrase. They are called hyperglot.
One of the most capable language experts I met at this meeting was Richard Simcott. The man who was able to speak in 30 languages was leading a group of polyglot nicknamed eModeration.
Because I only know a little Italian and Danish, I feel inferior among the hyperglot. However, in order to gain knowledge from the hyperglot, I stayed at the meeting and tried to dig up their secrets.
The laity mostly struggle to speak simple phrases in a foreign language.
If you know how the brain works, you will understand that learning a language for some people is difficult.
Every human being has a different memory system, while mastering the language requires all the power of brain memory. In the brain, there is a procedural memory that serves to improve speech and declarative memory capable of remembering new words (a language has at least 10,000 new words plus grammar). The words and structure of the sentence should then be spoken a fraction of a second so that it must be programmed in 'explicit' and 'implicit' memory.
The challenge, if done, is rewarded. Studies show that a person capable of speaking in multiple languages can increase the intensity of attention and memory. This then affects the delay of dementia.
A study of immigrants by Ellen Bialystik at the University of York, Canada, found that the senility of people speaking two languages lasted five years later than those who spoke only one language. Delays are slower if one speaks three languages (6.4 years) and four or more languages (9 years).
Right to photoGETTY
Mastering a foreign language proved to delay senility.
According to the critical period hypothesis, humans have a moment as a child to learn a new language. If the time has passed, a number of nerve experts judge it will be difficult for some people to be able to learn a new language and master it smoothly.
However, as Bialystok found in his study, the assessment was exaggerated. He points out that there is little decrease in the ability to learn new languages as people grow older.
I see for myself the evidence when I met the hyperglot in Berlin. Many of them master other languages as adults, not as children.
Keeley, for example, was big in Florida, USA, so exposed to Spanish while attending school. When he was a boy, he used to play radio broadcasts in a foreign language, though he did not understand a word. "Like music to me," said Keeley.
However, Keeley just learned a foreign language while traveling to various countries as an adult. His first visit was Colombia. There he studied French, German and Portuguese. He then moved to Switzerland and Eastern Europe before heading off to Japan. Keeley now has at least 20 languages fluently. "The critical time hypothesis is nonsense," he said.
The polyglot tends to imitate foreign languages.
Well, the question now is, how can hyperglots master so many languages? And can we try to imitate them?
The short answer to that question is motivation. Like Keeley, most hyperglotes are highly motivated to learn a new language. They love to travel from one country to another while learning the local language.
However, despite the enormous motivation, the ordinary people in fact have difficulty conversing in a foreign language convincingly. Keeley, who is now writing a book on 'social, psychological, and other supporting factors to be a multi-lingual speaking person', is skeptical that the intellectual content is decisive.
"I think that is not the main factor, although it will speed up if it has analytical ability," he said.
Chameleon culture
Instead of intellect, Keeley suggested that we look into each other's personalities. He considered learning a new language causes humans to create new personalities. "You become like a chameleon," he said.
As psychologists have voiced, the language we speak is closely related to identity. Opinions that speak French make you romantic and speak Italian make you excited, it's a cliche. In fact, however, every language deals with cultural norms that influence behavior. Various studies have shown that people who speak multi-language often exhibit different behaviors according to the language they speak.
Different languages can also evoke different memories of life, as did writer Vladimir Nabokov when composing his autobiography. The Russian writer is describing his story in English writing with difficulty. "My memory is set to one key, Russian. However, forced to play on another key, namely English, "he said.
When the autobiography was finally completed, Nabokov decided to rewrite his childhood stories in Russian. As the language flows, the memories open with new details and perspectives.
"The Russian version of his work is so different that he feels the need to re-translate into English," said Aneta Pavlenko, a University of Temple academic in Philadelphia, who wrote a book called The Bilingual Mind.
If someone rejects the process of creating a new personality, Keeley believes that person will have trouble learning a new language fluently. Keeley's opinion is based on a survey he conducted on Chinese people studying Japanese.
Making friends is one of the motivations of people learning foreign languages.
Keeley, who is a professor of cross-cultural management at the Kyushu Sangyo University, Japan, asked respondents whether they can empathize with others? Then, can they change their opinion to suit the people around? According to Keeley, the survey results show people who are able to speak fluent Japanese language fluently.
How can? It is a common fact when you are compatible with someone, the more likely you will imitate it. Well, impersonation and associated memory will stop mixing of newly learned language and mother tongue.
"There must be some kind of room in your mind for every language, culture, and related experience so that the languages can stay active and not mix with each other. The quality of time, in the context of the inclusion of emotions, is an important factor. So, not just the amount of time spent learning language and using it, "said Keeley.
Of all the polyglot, Michael Levi Harris is quite good at demonstrating Keeley's principles. Harris, who is an actor, mastered 10 languages and can understand 12 other languages.
When I met him at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, he spoke in a qualified English accent, even though he was from New York, USA. "I do not consciously change my character. It just happened. But I know I'm suddenly different, "he said.
From Harris, I got tips to get started. The most important thing, he says, is to try to imitate without trying to spell words. "Everyone can hear and repeat," he said. Maybe you will sound redundant, but that is an important part of the process.
"In acting, you try as hard as you can. Then the director says, OK now down. Well, that's tantamount to learning the language, "Harris said.
He then suggested looking at facial expressions because it is important when producing sound. Speaking with your lips forward instantly makes you sound more like a Frenchman, for example.
Finally, you must overcome the embarrassment arising from producing 'strange' sounds, such as throat sounds when speaking in Arabic, for example.
"You will realize that sound is not something strange to us. When you feel disgusted, you can make an 'ugh' sound. If you realize it and give permission to the subconscious to voice it, you can ring it, "Harris said.
Learning a foreign language can use an actor's technique.
It may sound strange, but essentially all the tips Harris suggests are meant for you to overcome routine behavior. "It's all about having that language. It's an actor to let the audience believe that the words belong to you. When you have those voices, you will be more confident, "he said.
However, do not be too ambitious, especially when learning. "If there is a factor that stops people from learning language efficiently, it is a feeling that we should be like native speakers. That is a standard that is not achieved. The important thing for me is to find ease in expressing the purpose, "said Pavlenko from Temple University, USA.
Practicing for 15 minutes, four times a day, is also recommended. Richard Simcott, who taught foreign language techniques, even suggested training conversations or listening to pop music in foreign languages.
In the US, Australia, and Britain there is the opinion that foreign language is not necessary because, anyway, the world uses English. However, the hyperglot denied the assumption. They believe in foreign profits very much, including establishing friendships around the world.
Judith Meyer, the organizer of the polyglot gathering in Berlin, said he saw Ukrainians and Russians and Israelis and Palestinians talking to each other. "Learning a foreign language really opens up a whole new world," he said.
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