A polyglot's daily linguistic workout. Professor Alexander Arguelles.

Alex Arguelles is an accomplished polyglot, in fact he is a hyper-polyglot. He has a website on polyglottery and how to achieve it. He speaks a mountain of languages as his bio on Wikipedia explains. Here is a video about how he learns or maintains his languages. I can only look on in awe. I could never do this. I think I am quite a dedicated language learner, and so do those around me, since I usually have some language on the go in my car or on my iPod and at least half of my reading is in a foreign language. But this is still only an hour or two a day. I never write and I avoid grammar. But there is Tiger Woods and the weekend golfer. There is the person who jogs a few times a week, and the iron man. There is your average tennis player and Roger Federer. There are people, like my wife, who has taught herself the piano and plays every day for her and my enjoyment, and does not want a teacher. And there are concert pianists. There is room for all.

What I think is most interesting about what Alex has done is that it is based on hard work. I believe that language learning is based on putting in the time. And as you achieve success, and get more confident, and develop the techniques that work for you, you get better at it. You do not get more talented. There is no language gene. It all depends on your attitude and your interest.

Let Alex be a model, the man who climbed Mount Everest because it was there. But let's hope that more people find success in learning just one more language, and put in just a little more effort into that process, and find the time, and that way that suits them, so that they can enjoy it.

Comments

[ed]

Wow. One thing I notice is that he often jumps from activity to activity in about 15 to 30 minute segments. He is obviously careful not to let himself get distracted by boredom. This is also quite a lot of time and goal micro-management, which probably takes at least 1/2 an our a day to account for.

One thing I am questioning is the pure athleticism of the routine. Where does it validate itself in the world beyond the spectacle? Is there any info meaningful to a person or group that comes from this?

I guess you could ask the same questions of Tiger Woods or any athlete, though, and get a lot of different answers.

My take is that it is more useful to choose languages that have at least some correspondence to my milieu, whether it be French as a Canadian, Japanese as a person married to a Japanese, or German as a person with several German relatives. Not too mention it is more sensible to HAVE a milieu that is not language learning related.

In the end, I think language learning is essentially best left as a secondary and/or tertiary activity. Language arises from living life. Learning a language essentially means a new linguistic code in a context. But if your context IS language learning, it becomes a little too much like navel gazing... like calling someone on the phone and spending the whole time talking about the specifications on the phone that you are using.

[Sjoerd]

I watched a few of his tutorial movies, but I don't understand his shadow methode. I find it a little bit strange...I don't see the value of that particular exercise.

gr. sjoerd

[Min Min]

I created a website for people who are keen to learn Chinese. Check it out if you are interested in learning Chinese

[Sebastian]

I tried his shadowing method and it works quite good for me in russian, even if I do it just relaxing and not walking through the forest or park. It really helps you improving with your pronunciation.
All in all I see Alexander Arguelles also as an inspiration to spend more time on my own language learning, although I don't have the intention to learn as much languages as he do. I also see nothing so much strange about his behavior. And I also don't agree with having language learning necessarily as a secondary or tertiary activity. He has fun spending all the time he has learning languages. There exist people who spend their whole day playing computer games or people spending all their free time writing articles for wikipedia. Your free time should be about doing things you like. You shouldn't necessarily judge it about the profit you get in daily life from it.

[ed]

@ sebastian

The reason I think language learning should not be the main activity in life is that language is for communication. To me this is fundamentally different from playing a game all day or writing for publication. You learn language because you want to THEN do something in or with the language. Knowing a ton of languages doesn't impress me 1/100th as much as being able to hold others' attention with your ideas, wit, or insight. (Or appreciate the same in others). I have no idea if Arguelles can do that. But I feel like if my main goal was to enjoy living life in or through the language I would need to have a main occupation outside of language learning and be a bit more focused and grounded the numbers of languages I am learning. It is just my opinion. In the end Arguelles can do as he wants.

[John Fotheringham]

I think his success just proves that interest is the key to success in any skill-based endeavor. But his success is not necessarily proof of an effective method for you and me.

First of all, his methods seem to be quite academic. While I personally share his love of linguistics, I don't believe that this approach will work for most people, even those who are highly motivated. Most people are not interested in the linguistics of a language; they just want to speak it well enough to communicate.

I think the main shortcoming of his methodology is an over-emphasis on reading and decoding. These activities can help, but they should be secondary to extensive LISTENING and the natural, sub-conscious acquisition that comes with it.

My hat goes off to him, but I encourage people not to confuse "correlation" with "causation."

[Maite]

I've been doing short segment language learning since 2007. For me, mixing it up works.

If the researcher wants to find some fantastic polyglots he should look beyond the academic setting. Multilingual people work in import-export, hotels, in healthcare, real estate and even as ESL teachers.

[Levi]

What's interesting to me about Dr. Arguelles is that he doesn't appear to be learning languages with the primary goal of communication. Nor is he simply learning languages solely because they are inherently interesting.

Instead Arguelles is interested in reading the very best of the world's classic texts in their original language. To quote from his website, "If works are worth reading and rereading, then surely they are worth reading as they were written." This is an admirable sentiment.

More at Arguelles site:
http://www.foreignlanguageexpertise.com/great_books.html

[Sebastian]

@ed

I understand what you mean. But actually Alexander Arguelles does something with his languages. He uses a lot of his languages in dialogs with other people. Of course he can't use all languages this way, as he learned lots of ancient languages like Middle High German, Middle Dutch, Old Norse, Old English, Old Irish, Old Church Slavonic, Ancient Greek, Latin ect., to read old scripts and as Levi mentioned the "Great Books". And NO, in general I see no difference between language learning and other activities. Some of us become happy playing a PC-games to defeat the last boss of the game or your friend beside you. Some persons have fun building small model planes. And some of us get satisfaction in learning languages to finally read a book or to communicate in another language.

I personally would never learn a dead language, because in my opinion it is wasted time. I am not so interested in reading antique or medieval foreign literature in the original. To communicate or to read more "modern" books like Bulgakov or Dostoyevsky is more interesting for me.

[ed]

@ sebastian

After reading his Wikipedia article, I have to take back what I said about Arguelles in particular. As a philologist he actually does operate in an environment where he is using his languages.

The animus for my argument is still there though. I am allergic to language learners who focus on the pure ability to decode a broad swath of symbolic systems (" Hey I can order a burger and a beer in Georgian, Turkish, Tamil, Sanskrit etc etc !") rather than have a nuanced relationship with the culture of a select few.

My thinking is based on the assumption that it is impossible for most people who have families and jobs to really get into more than 3-4 other languages, increasing with the amount of free time you have, and with the accumulated time you have had in life to live and build up your knowledge.

When I say "get into" I mean be able to feel a kinship or connection with that particular language.

This view is based on the assumption that language is for communication.

It is also based on the assumpton that the pure sound and look of the text of a language is not in itself enough of a cultural draw to the langauge.

Finally it is based on the belief that there is no imagery in any given language that can't be found in any other language. Shakespeare would still have been Shakespeare if he spoke creole, although he likely never would have become famous.

As technology progresses, this ability to decode a wide variety texts at a basic level becomes less and less important since the gist of most simple texts can be translated well on Google Translate and the like.

[Igor]

I'm indebted to this person, three years ago he gave me probably the most valuable piece of advice ever (http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2801&PN=0&TPN=2 his user name is "translator2") but honestly, I don't understand his life and language learning philosophy at all, watching him living his monk-like life makes me wanna cry. :(

[Sebastian]

@ed: I think you can get into more than 3 or 4 languages if you are just in the right environment. In Switzerland at some areas are spoken already 4 languages German (Swiss German), French, Italian and Romansh. So from childhood the children grow up with all this languages. If they now just become proficient in English they know already 5 languages. In some parts of Ukraine the people know from childhood, Ukrainian, Polish and Russian. If you whole live in an area with just one language spoken, your estimation with 3 to 4 languages is maybe true.

@Igor: Mhm. His user name is "ProfArguelles" and before it was "Adaschir". So "translator 2" has to be someone else...or does he have two profiles?

[Sebastian]

correction: "If you live your whole life in an area...."

Sorry for that :-)

[Igor]

oops! wrong post,sorry. :o) Yes his name was "Adaschir" it's his son's user name (if I'm not wrong again :o) it was long time ago) :o) than he switch to his own "ProfArguelles".

[illwil]

I'm sure that this comment will come off as negative, but for me it is the "elephant in the room." Other than a video of him shadowing a text, has anybody ever heard this guy speak all of these languages? All of the videos that Ive seen are him speaking flawless English about a program, or about what one should do. Maybe I just havent seen the videos. I like the fact that Steve gives advice, but then offers evidence that he speaks all of the languages. I was excited to see that Steve has given the Prof so much credit . Finally I get to see what the legendary Prof is really about.....huh...another video of him talking in English? Can anybody point me to the videos that show him speaking several languages fluently? I haven't been able to find them.

[Sebastian]

If you watch his youtube channel you can see him reading lots of his languages.
I don't speak all this languages but at I can say for example that his German is nearly perfect (just a bit overpronunced) and his pronunciation of Middle High German also is quite good, even if he makes a few smaller mistakes. Somewhere I heard him reading Russian, also with a very good pronunciation. Of course this is no proof for fluency in this languages but based on all the hints he gave in the "how to learn any language forum", all of his videos on the youtube channel and his other appearances I am sure that all what he claims is true and that he is no cheater like Ziad Fazah for example.

[illwil]

There is no doubt in my mind that Steve Kaufmann can speak several languages fluently. This is the reason that his website has credibility. I agree with you Sebastian (im pulling u into this ...lol). Reading German and offering language tips on a forum doesn't imply SPOKEN fluency in (Arabic, Russian, Mandarin etc...). When the most proficient (online) linguist that I know of crowns the Prof the Tiger Woods of languages....then I want to see him hit a couple golf balls lol. Is that me being negative or practical? I mean Steve is GOOD. This guy is light years better according to Steve. Aren't you guys the least bit curious about how GOOD he really is? Let me state for the record that I stink when it comes to languages. Maybe that makes me all the more skeptical. My suckiness aside, it doesn't change the fact that I have no visual evidence. I'm sure the Prof will promptly make a video where he speaks so many languages that I will retreat back to my cave of mediocrity. Maybe that video already exists. Maybe Steve has it. Until then....the skeptical elephant will continue to tap me on the shoulder.

[illwil]

fyi@Sebastian I continued our discussion as a topic@ that forum you mentioned also (leaving out incriminating evidence lol). It turns out I'm also a member. Its under Polygots. I think Steve is a member also.

[Igor]

Remember his notebooks? If he can write tons of pages like that, than... and the pronunciation, it's really good in Russian, French, Italian.

[illwil]

Thanks Igor. I want to emphasize AGAIN that the Prof comes off as credible. Steve also comes off as credible. Both are salesmen. Both are probably great linguists, but only one has provided evidence of SPOKEN fluency in a BILLION languages (that Im aware of). If I am mistaken please help me out.

[Maite]

I have often wondered how Prof. Arguelles sounds in conversation because I have only heard him reading. Come to think of it, I have only seen samples of his handwriting, not posts written in other languages.

I think it would be neat to hear him converse with other people in German, Korean, and French. His wife is Korean, so perhaps he could speak in Korean with her or with the co-author of his book in Korean.

Perhaps he is more of the reading polyglot type?

He's a great resource on Youtube in any case.

[chris sarda]

"Finally it is based on the belief that there is no imagery in any given language that can't be found in any other language. Shakespeare would still have been Shakespeare if he spoke creole, although he likely never would have become famous."

@ed

I can think of very few things that I could ever completely disagree with (respectfully of course). Shakespeare did something special with our language essentially creating the modern version of it. No, I'm sorry, he is just set apart. Maybe Dean Koontz or Stephen King could have been better examples, but I believe in every language there are those handful of authors that were meant for that language.

[ed]

@chris
You are actually backing up my statement.
My comment was meant to assert that there is nothing inherent to a particular language that makes it more amenable to the expression of such and such figure, image, metaphor etc.

People create imagery through language. The particular language doesn't matter. I agree with your assessment of Shakespeare, but if he had started out as a native speaker of Creole or Macau, his works would have been just as brilliant and formative to that language, although due to the political context he would not be as well known. Indeed who knows what works of genius lie undiscovered in some obscure language.

[Igor]

"Indeed who knows what works of genius lie undiscovered in some obscure language"

Yeah,
Karel Čapek invented the word "robot" in his play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)in Czech language.
Maybe the reason for our existence is explained let say in Abinomn language (from Papua province, Indonesia)??

[Katie]

I heard Prof. Aguelles in an interview on the radio in Spanish, on a topic that had nothing to do with learning languages, so I can vouch that his Spanish is good. I don't doubt his ability; I personally couldn't study like that. It makes my head hurt.

[Kyotocutie]

Isn't going back and forth between languages like this actually bad for you? Especially for such short periods? Or is this used to force a kind of "quick switch" skill in his brain? I can switch back and forth between Japanese and English pretty fast, but I often find that while I have successfully switched from speaking one language to the other, my brain is still functioning in both. Then slowly, the one I am not using will fade out.

[Neil]

I agree completely that learning a language is about hard work and motivation. I would, however, hesitantly disagree with you that there is no language gene. Language has been reasonably scientifically linked as an instinct in children, and it is obvious that some people are better at naturally learning languages than others to varying degrees. Although I doubt that there is in fact a 'language gene' I do believe that our ability to learn a language is influenced by certain genetic predispositions whether we like it or not.

[Steve Kaufmann]

Neil,

There may be individual differences between people, but why are whole nations better at language learning than others? (Swedes versus Brits). I feel that motivation and opportunity are bigger factors than ability.

[Neil]

I certainly agree with you that opportunity, motivation, and the education system plays an enormous role in whether someone will leave school with fluency in a second language or not. These factors do indeed lead to the fact that Swedes can speak at least one other language fluently and most British school leavers (embarrassingly for us British) barely know how to ask where the toilet is.

However I believe if you were to take one Swedish child, and one British child and give them the same opportunities and same environment then it would not necessarily be the Swede who excelled the most in the language. It would be whichever student had the greatest aptitude for language learning.

It is true though that this innate advantage to learn a language pales to negligible when subject to the poor language education and general language learning apathy of the British Isles.

[Steve Kaufmann]

Of course Neil. Language learning is not in the genes, and it is not a "talent" as much as it is a matter of attitude and opportunity. There are undoubtedly many outstanding British polyglots who had the interest to learn.