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.
Volim učiti strane jezike. U biti, toliko to volim da učim novi jezik svake dvije godine, trenutno učim svoj osmi jezik. Kada ljudi to otkriju o meni, uvijek pitaju, „Kako to radiš? Koja je tvoja tajna?" Da budem iskrena, tokom mnogo godina moj odgovor bi bio, „Ne znam. Ja jednostavno volim učiti jezike." No ljudi nikada ne bi bili sretni tim odgovorom. Željeli bi znati zašto provode godine pokušavajući naučiti bar jedan jezik, ne postižući tečnost, a ja tu učim jedan jezik iza drugog. Željeli su doznati tajnu poliglota, ljudi koji govore mnogo jezika, I zato sam se i ja zapitala kako to drugi poligloti u stvari rade? Što nam je zajedničko? I što nam to omogućava da učimo nove jezike brže nego ostali ljudi? Odlučila sam upoznati druge ljude poput mene i doznati to.
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.
Najbolje mjesto za upoznati puno poliglota je događaj gdje se stotine ljubitelja jezika sastaju na jednom mjestu da bi vježbali jezike. Postoji nekoliko takvih događanja za poliglote diljem svijeta, pa sam odlučila otići tamo i pitati poliglote o metodama koje koriste.
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.
Tako sam upoznala Bennyja iz Irske koji mi je rekao da je njegova metoda početi pričati od prvog dana. On nauči nekoliko fraza iz turističkog vodiča te ode upoznati izvorne govornike i odmah s njima započne razgovore. Ne smeta mu ako napravi i 200 pogrešaka dnevno, jer on tako uči, na temelju povratnih informacija. Najbolje od svega je što danas ne treba mnogo putovati, jer možete jednostavno razgovarati s izvornim govornicima iz udobnosti svoje dnevne sobe, koristeći web stranice.
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.
Upoznala sam i Lucasa iz Brazila koji je imao jako zanimljivu metodu za učenje ruskog. Jednostavno je nasumce dodao stotinu ruskih govornika na Skypu za prijatelje, otvorio je prozor za razgovor s jednim od njih i napisao „Bok" na ruskom. Osoba je odgovorila, „Bok, kako si?" Lukas je to kopirao i stavio u razgovor s drugom osobom, i ta osoba je odgovorila, „Dobro sam, hvala, a kako si ti? Lukas je to kopirao natrag prvoj osobi, i na taj način su dva stranca razgovarala međusobno bez da su tog bila svjesna.
(Laughter)
(Smijeh)
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?
Uskoro je i sam počeo tipkata, jer je imao toliko ovakvih razgovora da je shvatio kako razgovori na ruskom obično započinju. Koja genijalna metoda, zar ne?
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.
Zatim sam upoznala poliglote koji uvijek započinju imitirajući zvukove jezika, i ostale koji uvijek nauče 500 najčešćih riječi jezika, i druge koji uvijek započinju proučavajući gramatiku. Da pitam stotinu različitih poliglota, čula bih stotinu različitih pristupa učenju jezika. Čini se da svatko ima jedinstven način učenja jezika, a opet svi dođemo do istog rezultata tečnog govorenja nekoliko jezika.
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.
Dok sam slušala te poliglote dok govore o svojim metodama, iznenada mi je sinulo: jedna stvar koja nam je zajednička je da smo jednostavno našli načine kako uživati u učenju jezika. Svi ti poligloti su govorili o učenju jezika kao o zabavi. Trebali ste im vidjeti lica dok su mi pokazivali šarene gramatičke bilješke i pažljivo ispisane memorijske kartice, i njihove statistike o učenju vokabulara koristeći aplikacije, ili čak kako vole kuhati prema receptima na stranom jeziku. Svi oni koriste različite metode, ali uvijek vode računa da rade ono u čemu uživaju.
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.
Shvatila sam da i ja u stvari tako učim jezike. Dok sam učila Španjolski, tekstovi iz udžbenika su mi bili dosadni. Mislim, tko želi čitati o Joseu kako traži upute za doći do željezničke stanice. Zar ne? Radije sam htjela čitati "Harry Pottera", to mi je bila najdraža knjiga u djetinjstvu, i čitala sam je mnogo puta. Pa sam uzela španjolski prijevod "Harry Pottera" i počela čitati, i naravno, nisam razumjela skoro ništa na početku, ali sam nastavila čitati jer volim tu knjigu, i do kraja knjige, mogla sam pratiti skoro bez ikakvih problema. Ista stvar mi se dogodila kad sam učila njemački. Odlučila sam gledati "Prijatelje", moju najdražu seriju, na njemačkom, i opet, na početku mi ništa nije imalo smisla. Nisam znala gdje jedna riječ završava, a druga počinje, no i dalje sam gledala svaki dan jer su to "Prijatelji". Mogu ih gledati na bilo kojem jeziku. Obožavam ih. I nakon druge ili treće sezone, ozbiljno, razgovor je počeo imati smisla.
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.
Ovo sam shvatila nakon što sam upoznala druge poliglote. Mi nismo genijalci i nemamo prečac za učenje jezika. Jednostavno smo našli načine kako uživati u procesu, kako pretvoriti učenje jezika iz jednostavnog školskog predmeta u ugodnu aktivnost koju vam nije teško raditi svaki dan. Ako ne volite zapisivati riječi na papir, možete ih zapisati u aplikaciju. Ako ne volite slušati dosadan materijal iz udžbenika, nađite zanimljiv sadržaj na YouTube-u ili na podcastu bilo kojeg jezika. Ako ste više introvertirana osoba i ne možete zamisliti da odmah razgovarate s izvornim govornikom možete razgovarati sami sa sobom. Možete razgovarati sa sobom u udobnosti vlastite sobe, opisujući svoje planove za vikend, kako ste proveli dan, ili uzeti nasumično sliku s mobitela i opisati sliku imaginarnom prijatelju. Tako poligloti uče jezike, i što je najbolje od svega, to je dostupno svakome tko je voljan uzeti učenje u vlastite ruke.
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.
Upoznavanje drugih poliglota pomoglo mi je shvatim da je ključno pronaći užitak u procesu učenja stranog jezika, ali isto tako sam užitak nije dovoljan. Ako želite postići tečnost u stranom jeziku, trebat ćete primijeniti još tri načela.
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.
Kao prvo, trebat će vam učinkovite metode. Ako pokušate zapamtiti listu riječi za sutrašnji test, riječi će biti pohranjene u vašem kratkoročnom pamćenju i za par dana ćete ih zaboraviti. Ako ih, međutim, želite zadržati dugoročno, trebate ih stalno ponavljati tokom nekoliko dana koristeći takozvano prostorno ponavljanje. Možete koristiti aplikacije bazirane na ovom sistemu poput Anki ili Memrise ili možete pisati liste riječi u bilježnicu koristeći Goldlist metodu, koja je također popularna kod mnogih poliglota. Ako niste sigurni koje metode su učinkovite i što je dostupno, provjerite naš YouTube kanal za poliglote i web stranice i tamo dobijte inspiraciju. Ako njima funkcionira, vjerojatno će funkcionirati i za vas.
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.
Treće načelo je organizirati svoje učenje. Svi smo vrlo zauzeti i nitko u biti nema vremena učiti jezik danas. No, možemo stvoriti vrijeme ako planiramo samo malo unaprijed. Možete li se probuditi 15 minuta ranije nego inače? To bi bilo savršeno vrijeme za ponoviti vokabular. Možete li slušati podcast dok se vozite na posao? To bi bilo odlično da steknete iskustvo slušanja. Toliko stvari možemo raditi bez da uopće planiramo dodatno vrijeme, kao što je slušanje podcasta na putu za posao ili dok obavljamo kućanske poslove. Važno je napraviti plan za učenje. „Vježbat ću razgovarati svaki utorak i četvrtak sa prijateljima po 20 minuta. Slušat ću YouTube video dok doručkujem." Ako organizirate svoje učenje, ne morate pronaći dodatno vrijeme, jer će postati dio svakodnevnog života.
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.
I na kraju, ako želite naučiti jezik tečno, trebate biti strpljivi. Nije moguće naučiti jezik u dva mjeseca, ali je svakako moguće vidljivo napredovati u dva mjeseca, ako svaki dan učite male dijelove u kojima uživate. I ništa nas ne motivira više nego vlastiti uspjeh.
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.
Živo se sjećam trenutka kada sam razumjela prvu šalu na njemačkom gledajući "Prijatelje". Bila sam tako sretna i motivirana da sam taj dan pogledala još dvije epizode, i dok sam gledala, razumjela sam sve više i više, to su bile male pobjede, i korak po korak, došla sam do razine da mogu koristiti jezik slobodno i tečno da izrazim bilo što. To je predivan osjećaj. Ne mogu ga se zasititi, i zato učim jezik svake dvije godine.
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.
I to je cijela tajna poliglota. Nađite učinkovite metode koje možete sustavno koristiti tokom određenog vremenskog perioda i uživati u njima, i tako poligloti nauče jezike tokom nekoliko mjeseci, ne godina.
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?"
Sada, neki od vas sigurno misle, „Jako je lijepo uživati u učenju jezika, ali zar nije prava tajna da ste vi poligloti samo jako nadareni dok većina nas nije?"
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.
Pa, postoji jedna stvar koju vam nisam rekla o Bennyju i Lucasu. Benny je u školi učio irski galješki 11 godina i njemački pet godina. Nije ih uopće znao govoriti kada je maturirao. Do 21. godine, mislio je da nema talent za jezike i da ne može pričati drugi jezik. Tada je počeo tražiti svoj način učenja jezika, koji je bio razgovor s izvornim govornicima i njihove povratne informacije, i danas Benny može lako voditi razgovor na 10 jezika. Lucas je 10 godina pokušavao naučiti engleski u školi. Bio je jedan od najgorih učenika u razredu. Prijatelji su mu se rugali i iz šale mu dali ruski udžbenik jer su mislili da nikad neće naučiti taj jezik, ni ijedan drugi. Tada je Lucas počeo isprobavati metode, tražeći svoj način učenja, na primjer, vodeći na Skypeu razgovore sa strancima. I nakon samo 10 godina, Lucas može pričati 11 jezika tečno.
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.
Zvuči li to kao čudo? Pa, vidim takva čuda svaki dan. Kao jezični mentor, pomažem ljudima da samostalno nauče jezike, i vidim to svaki dan. Ljudi se muče sa učenjem jezika 5, 10, čak i 20 godina, i onda odjednom preuzmu učenje u svoje ruke, počnu koristiti materijale u kojima uživaju, učinkovitije metode, ili počnu pratiti vlastito učenje pa mogu cijeniti svoj napredak, i onda kada odjednom magično pronađu talent za jezik koji im je nedostajao cijeli život.
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.
Ako ste i vi pokušali učiti jezik i odustali ste, misleći da je preteško ili da nemate talent za jezik, pokušajte ponovno. Možda vas samo jedna ugodna metoda dijeli od tečnog učenja jezika. Možda vas samo jedna metoda dijeli da postanete poligloti.
Thank you.
Hvala vam.
(Applause)
(Pljesak)