I love learning foreign languages. In fact, I love it so much that I like to learn a new language every two years, currently working on my eighth one. When people find that out about me, they always ask me, "How do you do that? What's your secret?" And to be honest, for many years, my answer would be, "I don't know. I simply love learning languages." But people were never happy with that answer. They wanted to know why they are spending years trying to learn even one language, never achieving fluency, and here I come, learning one language after another. They wanted to know the secret of polyglots, people who speak a lot of languages. And that made me wonder, too, how do actually other polyglots do it? What do we have in common? And what is it that enables us to learn languages so much faster than other people? I decided to meet other people like me and find that out.
Encántame aprender linguas estranxeiras. Encántame tanto que me gusta aprender unha nova cada dous anos, actualmente estou coa oitava. Cando a xente coñece isto de min, pregúntanme: "Como o fas? Cal é o teu segredo?" E, sendo sincera, durante moitos anos a miña resposta era: "Non sei, simplemente encántame aprender linguas". Pero a xente nunca estaba contenta coa resposta. Querían saber por que botaban anos intentando aprender unha lingua sen conseguir fluidez, e aquí estou eu, aprendendo unha despois doutra. Querían saber o segredo dos políglotas, xente que fala moitas linguas. E iso tamén me fixo pensar a min Como o fan os outros políglotas? Que temos en común? E que é o que nos permite aprender linguas moito máis rápido ca outros? Decidín reunirme con outra xente coma min e descubrilo.
The best place to meet a lot of polyglots is an event where hundreds of language lovers meet in one place to practice their languages. There are several such polyglot events organized all around the world, and so I decided to go there and ask polyglots about the methods that they use.
O mellor lugar para atopar moitos políglotas é un evento onde centos de amantes das linguas se reúnen para practicar as súas. Hai bastantes eventos así organizados en todo o mundo, polo que decidín ir a un e preguntarlles a políglotas que métodos usan.
And so I met Benny from Ireland, who told me that his method is to start speaking from day one. He learns a few phrases from a travel phrasebook and goes to meet native speakers and starts having conversations with them right away. He doesn't mind making even 200 mistakes a day, because that's how he learns, based on the feedback. And the best thing is, he doesn't even need to travel a lot today, because you can easily have conversations with native speakers from the comfort of your living room, using websites.
E coñecín a Benny, de Irlanda, que me dixo que o seu método era falalas dende o primeiro día. Aprende algunhas frases dun libro de viaxes, vai coñecer falantes nativos e empeza conversar con eles de seguido. Non lle importa ter 200 erros ao día, porque así é como aprende, a partir dos comentarios. E o mellor é que hoxe en día non precisa viaxar moito, xa que podes conversar con nativos facilmente dende a comodidade do salón utilizando webs.
I also met Lucas from Brazil who had a really interesting method to learn Russian. He simply added a hundred random Russian speakers on Skype as friends, and then he opened a chat window with one of them and wrote "Hi" in Russian. And the person replied, "Hi, how are you?" Lucas copied this and put it into a text window with another person, and the person replied, "I'm fine, thank you, and how are you?" Lucas copied this back to the first person, and in this way, he had two strangers have a conversation with each other without knowing about it.
Tamén coñecín a Lucas, do Brasil, que tiña un xeito de aprender ruso moi interesante. Só engadiu cen falantes aleatorios de ruso como amigos en Skype, e logo --en serio-- abriu un chat privado cun deles e escribiu "Ola" en ruso. A persoa respondeu "Ola, que tal?" Lucas copiou isto e púxoo nun chat con outra persoa, que dixo "Estou ben, grazas. E ti?" Lucas copiou isto para a primeira persoa, e desta forma tiña a dous estranxeiros conversando entre eles sen sabelo.
(Laughter)
(Risas)
And soon he would start typing himself, because he had so many of these conversations that he figured out how the Russian conversation usually starts. What an ingenious method, right?
E axiña empezou a escribir el tamén, porque tiña tantas conversas deste tipo que descifrou como adoitan empezar as conversas entre rusos. Que método máis enxeñoso, non si?
And then I met polyglots who always start by imitating sounds of the language, and others who always learn the 500 most frequent words of the language, and yet others who always start by reading about the grammar. If I asked a hundred different polyglots, I heard a hundred different approaches to learning languages. Everybody seems to have a unique way they learn a language, and yet we all come to the same result of speaking several languages fluently.
E logo coñecín políglotas que empezan imitando os sons do idioma, e outros que sempre aprendían as 500 palabras máis usadas da lingua, e outros que sempre empezaban lendo sobre a gramática. Se lles preguntei a cen políglotas, escoitei cen formas distintas de aprender linguas. Todo o mundo parece ter un método único sobre como aprender un idioma, mais todos chegamos ó mesmo resultado de falarmos moitas linguas fluidamente.
And as I was listening to these polyglots telling me about their methods, it suddenly dawned on me: the one thing we all have in common is that we simply found ways to enjoy the language-learning process. All of these polyglots were talking about language learning as if it was great fun. You should have seen their faces when they were showing me their colorful grammar charts and their carefully handmade flash cards, and their statistics about learning vocabulary using apps, or even how they love to cook based on recipes in a foreign language. All of them use different methods, but they always make sure it's something that they personally enjoy.
Mentres lles escoitaba falar dos seus métodos, de súpeto vino claro: o único que todos temos en común é que atopamos xeitos de disfrutar do proceso de aprender linguas. Todos os políglotas falaban de aprender idiomas coma se fose divertido. Teriades que lles ver as caras cando me ensinaban as táboas coloridas de gramática e os cartóns cuidadosamente feitos a man, e as súas estatísticas aprendendo léxico usando aplicacións, e incluso como lles gusta cociñar a partir de receitas noutra lingua. Todos usan distintos métodos, pero sempre se aseguran de que sexa algo que lles gusta persoalmente.
I realized that this is actually how I learn languages myself. When I was learning Spanish, I was bored with the text in the textbook. I mean, who wants to read about Jose asking about the directions to the train station. Right? I wanted to read "Harry Potter" instead, because that was my favorite book as a child, and I have read it many times. So I got the Spanish translation of "Harry Potter" and started reading, and sure enough, I didn't understand almost anything at the beginning, but I kept on reading because I loved the book, and by the end of the book, I was able to follow it almost without any problems. And the same thing happened when I was learning German. I decided to watch "Friends," my favorite sitcom, in German, and again, at the beginning it was all just gibberish. I didn't know where one word finished and another one started, but I kept on watching every day because it's "Friends." I can watch it in any language. I love it so much. And after the second or third season, seriously, the dialogue started to make sense.
Decateime de que así é tamén como aprendo eu. Cando estudaba español, aburríame o texto do libro de clase. Quen quere ler sobre José preguntando direcións na estación de tren, verdade? Eu pola contra quería ler <i>Harry Potter</i>, porque de pequena era o meu libro favorito e lérao moitas veces. Así que conseguín a tradución ao español de <i>Harry Potter</i> e empecei a ler, e por suposto, ao comezo non entendín case nada, mais seguín lendo porque me encantaba o libro, é ó final da novela, podía seguila case sen problemas. E o mesmo pasou cando aprendín alemán. Decidín ver <i>Friends</i>, a miña serie favorita, en alemán, e de novo, ao comezo, era todo un sensentido. Non sabía onde acababa una palabra e onde empezaba a seguinte, pero seguina vendo porque era <i>Friends</i>. Podo vela en calquera idioma. Encántame. E despois da segunda ou terceira tempada, de verdade, o diálogo empezaba a ter sentido.
I only realized this after meeting other polyglots. We are no geniuses and we have no shortcut to learning languages. We simply found ways how to enjoy the process, how to turn language learning from a boring school subject into a pleasant activity which you don't mind doing every day. If you don't like writing words down on paper, you can always type them in an app. If you don't like listening to boring textbook material, find interesting content on YouTube or in podcasts for any language. If you're a more introverted person and you can't imagine speaking to native speakers right away, you can apply the method of self-talk. You can talk to yourself in the comfort of your room, describing your plans for the weekend, how your day has been, or even take a random picture from your phone and describe the picture to your imaginary friend. This is how polyglots learn languages, and the best news is, it's available to anyone who is willing to take the learning into their own hands.
Só me decatei disto ó falar cos políglotas. Non somos xenios nin temos atallos para aprender linguas. Só atopamos formas de gozar do proceso, como transformar o aprender unha lingua dunha materia aburrida nunha actividade pracenteira que non che importa facer a diario. Se non che gusta escribir palabras en papel, podes telas nunha aplicación. Se non che gusta escoitar o contido aburrido dos libros, busca contido interesante en Youtube ou en podcasts para calquera lingua. Se es máis ben introvertido e non imaxinas falar con nativos aínda, podes pór en práctica o de falar contigo mesmo. Podes facelo na comodidade do cuarto, describindo os plans para a fin de semana, como che foi o día ou collendo unha foto aleatoria do móbil e describíndolla ó teu amigo imaxinario. Así é como os políglotas aprenden linguas, e o mellor é que pode facelo todo aquel disposto a aprender pola súa conta.
So meeting other polyglots helped me realize that it is really crucial to find enjoyment in the process of learning languages, but also that joy in itself is not enough. If you want to achieve fluency in a foreign language, you'll also need to apply three more principles.
Coñecer outros políglotas axudoume a ver que é crucial atopar divertimento no proceso da aprendizaxe de linguas, pero tamén que só co divertimento non abonda. Se queres ter fluidez nun idioma estranxeiro, tamén deberás aplicar tres principios.
First of all, you'll need effective methods. If you try to memorize a list of words for a test tomorrow, the words will be stored in your short-term memory and you'll forget them after a few days. If you, however, want to keep words long term, you need to revise them in the course of a few days repeatedly using the so-called space repetition. You can use apps which are based on this system such as Anki or Memrise, or you can write lists of word in a notebook using the Goldlist method, which is also very popular with many polyglots. If you're not sure which methods are effective and what is available out there, just check out polyglots' YouTube channels and websites and get inspiration from them. If it works for them, it will most probably work for you too.
Primeiro, precisarás métodos efectivos. Se intentas memorizar unha lista de palabras para un test mañá, as palabras quedarán na memoria a curto prazo e esqueceralas aos poucos días. Porén, se queres mantelas na memoria a longo prazo, tes que revisalas varias veces ao longo duns poucos días usando a chamada "repetición espacial". Podes empregar aplicacións baseadas neste sistema coma Anki ou Memrise, ou podes escribir listas de palabras nun caderno co método Goldlist, moi popular entre moitos políglotas. Se non estás seguro de que métodos son efectivos e están dispoñibles, busca canles de Youtube e webs de políglotas e colle inspiración deles. Se lles funciona, seguramente a ti tamén.
The third principle to follow is to create a system in your learning. We're all very busy and no one really has time to learn a language today. But we can create that time if we just plan a bit ahead. Can you wake up 15 minutes earlier than you normally do? That would be the perfect time to revise some vocabulary. Can you listen to a podcast on your way to work while driving? Well, that would be great to get some listening experience. There are so many things we can do without even planning that extra time, such as listening to podcasts on our way to work or doing our household chores. The important thing is to create a plan in the learning. "I will practice speaking every Tuesday and Thursday with a friend for 20 minutes. I will listen to a YouTube video while having breakfast." If you create a system in your learning, you don't need to find that extra time, because it will become a part of your everyday life.
O terceiro principio a seguir é creares un sistema adaptado á túa aprendizaxe. Todos estamos moi ocupados e ninguén ten tempo de aprender unha lingua hoxe, pero podemos crear ese tempo se o planeamos un pouco antes. Podes levantarte 15 minutos antes do normal? Sería un momento perfecto para revisar algo de vocabulario. Podes escoitar un podcast mentres conduces de camiño ó traballo? Ese sería un momento xenial para adquirir experiencia auditiva. Hai moitas cousas que se poden facer sen planear sequera ese tempo extra, como escoitar podcasts indo ó traballo ou facendo as tarefas da casa. O importante é crear un plan na aprendizaxe. "Practicarei o oral cada martes e xoves cun amigo durante 20 minutos". "Escoitarei un vídeo de YouTube mentres almorzo". Se creas un sistema para aprender, non precisas buscar tempo extra, porque se volve parte da túa vida cotiá.
And finally, if you want to learn a language fluently, you need also a bit of patience. It's not possible to learn a language within two months, but it's definitely possible to make a visible improvement in two months, if you learn in small chunks every day in a way that you enjoy. And there is nothing that motivates us more than our own success.
Para terminarmos, se queres aprender unha lingua con fluidez, necesitas un pouco de paciencia. Non se pode aprender un idioma en dous meses, pero si se poden facer mellorías visibles en dous meses, se aprendes todos os días en pequenas doses dun xeito que che guste. E non hai nada que motive máis que o noso propio éxito.
I vividly remember the moment when I understood the first joke in German when watching "Friends." I was so happy and motivated that I just kept on watching that day two more episodes, and as I kept watching, I had more and more of those moments of understanding, these little victories, and step by step, I got to a level where I could use the language freely and fluently to express anything. This is a wonderful feeling. I can't get enough of that feeling, and that's why I learn a language every two years.
Lembro vividamente o momento en que entendín a primeira broma en alemán vendo <i>Friends</i>. Estaba tan feliz e motivada que continuei vendo dous episodios máis ese día, e segundo ía vendo máis, tiña cada vez máis deses momentos de entendemento, de pequenas vitorias, e pouco a pouco, cheguei ó nivel en que podía usar a lingua libremente e con fluidez para expresar calquera cousa. É un sentimento marabilloso. Nunca te fartas del, e por iso aprendo unha lingua cada dous anos.
So this is the whole polyglot secret. Find effective methods which you can use systematically over the period of some time in a way which you enjoy, and this is how polyglots learn languages within months, not years.
Así que este é todo o segredo políglota. Buscar métodos efectivos que poidas usar sistematicamente durante algún tempo dun xeito que che dea goce, e así é como os políglotas aprenden linguas en meses e non en anos.
Now, some of you may be thinking, "That's all very nice to enjoy language learning, but isn't the real secret that you polyglots are just super talented and most of us aren't?"
Agora algúns estaredes pensando, "Iso está moi ben, gozar da aprendizaxe, pero o segredo real non será que os políglotas simplemente teñen moito talento e a maioría de nós non?
Well, there's one thing I haven't told you about Benny and Lucas. Benny had 11 years of Irish Gaelic and five years of German at school. He couldn't speak them at all when graduating. Up to the age of 21, he thought he didn't have the language gene and he could not speak another language. Then he started to look for his way of learning languages, which was speaking to native speakers and getting feedback from them, and today Benny can easily have a conversation in 10 languages. Lucas tried to learn English at school for 10 years. He was one of the worst students in class. His friends even made fun of him and gave him a Russian textbook as a joke because they thought he would never learn that language, or any language. And then Lucas started to experiment with methods, looking for his own way to learn, for example, by having Skype chat conversations with strangers. And after just 10 years, Lucas is able to speak 11 languages fluently.
Hai unha cousa que non vos dixen sobre Benny e Lucas. Benny fixera 11 anos de irlandés gaélico e cinco de alemán no colexio. Non os podía falar cando se graduou. Ata os 21, pensaba que non tiña o <i>xene da lingua</i> e que non podía falar outra lingua. Entón empezou a buscar o seu modo de aprender linguas, que era falar con nativos e recibir as súas críticas, e hoxe Benny pode ter facilmente unha conversa en 10 linguas. Lucas intentou aprender inglés no colexio durante 10 anos. Era un dos peores alumnos da clase. O seus amigos facíanlle burla e déronlle un libro de ruso de brincadeira porque pensaban que nunca aprendería ese idioma, nin outro. E Lucas empezou a experimentar con métodos, buscando a súa propia forma de aprender, por exemplo, falando por chat no Skype con estraños. E 10 anos despois, Lucas pode falar con fluidez 11 linguas.
Does that sound like a miracle? Well, I see such miracles every single day. As a language mentor, I help people learn languages by themselves, and I see this every day. People struggle with language learning for five, 10, even 20 years, and then they suddenly take their learning into their own hands, start using materials which they enjoy, more effective methods, or they start tracking their learning so that they can appreciate their own progress, and that's when suddenly they magically find the language talent that they were missing all their lives.
Soa a milagre? Vexo milagres así todos os días. Como mentora de linguaxe, axúdolle á xente a aprender idiomas por si mesmos, e véxoo todos os días. A xente loita para aprender linguas cinco, 10 e 20 anos, e de súpeto toman a aprendizaxe pola súa conta, empezan a utilizar materiais que lles gustan, métodos máis efectivos, ou fan un seguimento da aprendizaxe para poder apreciar o seu propio progreso, e é aí cando de súpeto atopan maxicamente o talento lingüístico que lles faltara toda a vida.
So if you've also tried to learn a language and you gave up, thinking it's too difficult or you don't have the language talent, give it another try. Maybe you're also just one enjoyable method away from learning that language fluently. Maybe you're just one method away from becoming a polyglot.
Así que se intentaches aprender unha lingua e te deches por vencido, pensando que é difícil ou que non tes talento para os idiomas, inténtao outra vez. Quizais esteas a só un método divertido de aprenderes esa lingua con fluidez. Quizais esteas a un método de converterte en políglota.
Thank you.
Grazas.
(Applause)
(Aplausos)