5 polyglot tips for life: how to tackle foreign tongues

I speak 11 languages. I do.

Two of them, Arabic and Hebrew, are dormant, due to the lack of practice at the moment. With others, I am completely comfortable. Every time I switch, is like impersonating a different character and culture. That’s pretty awesome. Yet tricky for most to perceive.

Polyglot they call us. A Greek word. I don’t speak Greek. Just googled it. Stats say that polyglots are those who speak more than 4 languages fluently. They comprise 1% of the world population. I strongly believe polyglot doesn’t presume a gene or a special brain structure, rather an intrinsic and pure passion for experiences.

Polyglot is a label for me already. My friends and acquaintances introduce me to others, not omitting the chance to mention this ability. I try not to focus on that, except for the moments on the tube, when my phone is dead and I overhear conversations in a number of tongues at a time. I try not to do it, I promise.

Some consider me a “prodigy”, some freak out.

The rest think it’s a lie or exaggeration and opt for testing. Always open to that. I am used to escalated interest to this language aspect.

While before, I got furious at instances, when referred to as the “girl who speaks languages” or “ the wunderkid”, like they called me at Uni. I didn’t want people to think of my language skills as the core of my persona or interests. Languages are not my life, they’re just a part of it that helps me interpret reality through a variety of spectra.

Thus, they have made me who I am and the way I see things. Language mastering includes a pack of tricks, which can lead to rapid consumption of new information, acceptance and awareness on the environment one lives in. It takes curiosity, blended with patterned memory and a good deal of listening. Languages have made me not only a good speaker, but a much better listener.

Some sprint tips to boost your language learning:

• Fake it till you make it. Memorise sounds and repeat them constantly. You can have no idea on what you are saying, but be able to put it right. It will break the accent and make you feel at home within the new linguistic territory. Some of us master grammar and vocabularies and live in a country for years, yet are alien to the aesthetics of a given tongue. It’s not about the technique, it’s about the art of replicating through intaking the sounds. Inhale them and they’ll be yours, by the time you exhale. Like this, you can swallow whole cultures and nations.
• Do more with less. No matter how many words you know, you can put them to action. Translate daily situations in your mind. Cooking, buying stuff, talking to friends. Even if not out loud, you can still think in your new language. This allows a high level of cognitive flexibility, which is cool to have for life.
• Read fast. Reading is the best learning tool so far. Original pieces will help you move from phonetics to gaining weight in syntax and unwrapping contexts. Fast reading, even if you miss some of the words and meanings, makes your mind think you are already good at this. All of a sudden, you are.
• Don’t chase details. Grasp the overall picture. Leave those dictionaries and translators alone, unless you truly like them.
• 3 new words a day make the anxiety go away. Spy on the native speakers. Seriously. Zoom in and keep the words. Tomorrow, they are yours.

Languages have an incredible power. They make you be at ease with humans. Exposing your mind to high intensity training, you can handle much more than you think you can. Surprise your brain. It likes to “wow”.

Often I get amazed comments like:

-Wow! Do you ever mix them? Do you have a life? You’re a genius, how did you do that?

-Not really, _I reply _ I’m just a parrot.

Follow through the world and repeat. Nothing more rewarding, trust me!

Sincerely,