The Linguist On Language - Having Fun Learning Languages

"Babel No More" by Michael Erard, a book review

Babel No More by Michael Erard  is described on the front cover as “the search for the world’s most extraordinary language learners.”  

The book is well written, like an adventure or treasure hunt. A number of well known speakers of many languages, hyperglots as Erard calls them, from history to the present day, are described or interviewed. “What makes them tick” is the question and there are no simple answers.

Many things are left deliberately unclear. Why call some language learners extraordinary, and others not? Why draw an arbitrary line? Is three 3 languages enough, or 6, or 11, or 50?

It is also not clear what constitutes knowing a language. How well do we need to speak, read and write?

As to whether there is something special about the brains of these super-learners, or their methods, or their mindsets, there are also no conclusions, unless you accept Erard’s statement that “hyperglots persist in repetitious activities that bore most other people.” I don't accept this premise. I am no hyperglot but I enjoy learning languages.

Hyperglots,in fact, are simply people who enjoy learning multiple languages. Their motives vary. How is that different from other interests that people have?

My father-in-law buys old cars and orders great numbers of parts which he carefully catalogues and stores in his garage, and then uses to rebuild these cars. Growing up I had an older  friend who made model sailing ships from small bits of balsa wood, painted them and put them into bottles. I could never ever do these kinds of things, no matter how much you paid me.

No doubt the brains of language learners are different from the brains of non-language learners. But why is that strange? As Erard points out, the brains of pianists, as an example, quickly develop differently from the brains of other people. Which comes first, the brain or the talent? Erard asks the question but does not answer it. Do language learners keep learning because their brains are more plastic, or are their brains more plastic because they continue learning languages?

Erard provides some interesting gems of information. Did you know that we remember much better if we chew gum while studying? Dopamine and the fitness of our hippocampus both help us learn languages. Exercise stimulates both. Maybe that is why pro athletes often seem better at language learning than academics.

One skill that seems to vary depending on the nature of our brains, is the ability to mimic. This suggests that the likelihood that we will achieve close to native-like pronunciation if we take up a language after childhood, varies from person to person, no matter how hard we try.

Erard describes the typical hyperglot as meaning-oriented, pattern-seeking, analytical, somewhat introverted, yet flexible, open and attentive. Furthermore, it is important to be able to get outside one’s own language ego.

So where does this leave the rest of us, the ordinary language learners? Where we were before. We need to want to learn a language, we need to put in the time, and we need to train ourselves to notice the language. We have no way of knowing if we share some of the characteristics of these super-learners. Nor do they have any special insights to offer. If we are interested and put in the time we will learn.

The major activity of language acquisition is using the language, at first listening and reading and eventually speaking and writing. The more languages we learn, the better we get at learning languages. Once we learn one language, learning a related language becomes easier. So if the goal is to rack up an impressive number of known languages, if we have the motivation, and especially if we have the time, our language learning skills will become honed over time. If we want to, we can also become hyperglots, on our own terms of course. But first we have to get that first language under our belts.

Audiobooks galore from China.

I am just back from China and 20% of the weight in my suitcase consists of audiobook CDs that I bought there. History, philosophy, literature, lots!!, in Mandarin and Cantonese. Some even have the text on the CD. My Czech learning has been brought to a halt by the quality of these resources, and the stimulus of being in China for two weeks. More on all of this later.

Nine ideas for reinventing language teaching.

Here is an interesting article that I discovered on how to change language learning. I think it was written by a language teacher too!

Learning Latin online surprisingly popular.

Our poll to determine the next language to add at LingQ has a surprising front runner, Latin. If Latin wins, I will have a chance to listen to Cicero in the original, I guess.

Language politics in Canada, Seven-up and Quebec Health website.

Languages can divide just as much as they can bring us together. In Canada, French-English language hostility is something we have just become used to in our country. The most recent nonsense concerns two unrelated issues. On the one hand a francophone passenger on Air Canada was awarded $12,000 because he was unable to order a soft drink in French on an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Atlanta. (He asked for half a million dollars.)

At about the same time, we have another controversy, as the province of Quebec put up a website with information about government health services in French only, promising that an English translation would be available in months. (Note that Quebec is 80% francophone).

My view is that a lot of people are being very silly. The French rights campaigner who won $12,000 is being silly.  I have seen him interviewed, and he is fluent in English.

Air Canada, as the national carrier,  is just stupid for not being able to provide services in both official languages.

Above all, it is appalling to me that in Canada, where English speaking school kids study French for ten years or so at school, people expect to be hired as flight attendants by the national airline, if they cannot communicate in French.

And the fuss about the Quebec website is also silly. I am sure that the Quebec government could have arranged for translation into English, concurrently with the preparation of their website. We deal with translation into 12 languages at LingQ and we do not have the unlimited means of government.

As with most government undertakings, this website probably cost millions and took years to produce, and so there was ample time to ensure that everything was available in both official languages. The Quebec government just wanted to make a language point.

On the other hand, if the inept Quebec government only has a French language version available, and assuming that the website has useful information, the government might as well put it up and help people, while awaiting the English version.

All in all, just a lot of silliness.

 

The rewards of learning another language.

We have a contest going at LingQ, where we ask people to submit an article no longer than 400 words long, on the greatest rewards of learning another language. I am not going to compete in this, but I am going to add my two cents worth.I will do so after the competition closes on July 20.

If you have not already submitted an article, it is not too late to do so.Check it out here.

When we feel we are not making any progress in our language learning....

We all have the feeling, at times, that we are not progressing, despite our efforts. I often feel this way, but I don't mind since I enjoy interacting with the language while learning, while reading, or listening or whatever I am able to do in the language. I know that I understand books, and movies, and radio interviews much better than before.Yet I still make the same mistakes when I speak, and still struggle to find the right word. I am not as fluent as I would like.

Sometimes I think we are all too hard on ourselves. Here is a discussion with one of our LingQ learners, Angela, on this subject.

Academic English

I have never bought into the idea that we can teach or study academic English, or business English or any other kind of English as a special subject. English is English.  

If we are interested in a subject, we will read on it, listen to audio content about it, perhaps even talk about it and write about it, and in this way we will acquire the vocabulary and turns of phrase that we need. We will acquire these skills incidentally, as we pursue a subject of interest. As Krahen says "students acquire an enormous amount of academic language through extensive reading, probably the most powerful tool for reaching advanced levels of English competence."

Read the original education expert's article on the Education Week blog and then read Stephen Krashen's common sense rebuttal in the comments section.

Language and culture

Language and culture are at the core of education, or should be. With all the debate about language learning methods, the definition of "linguist", input versus output versus grammar, the role of the Internet etc. it is sometimes useful to take step back.

What is the most useful thing we learn at school and in life? Language and culture. If we have a deep understanding of our own language and culture we feel secure. If we read well, and are good listeners, with a wide range of vocabulary and general knowledge, and if we express ourselves confidenty, in our own language, we will do well in the tasks that we face as life long learners.

If we can do the same in one or more foreign language and culture, we expand our range of experience,  increase our knowledge of the human condition, and make friends of people from many more backgrounds and origins.

So it is not a matter of technology or method. It is a matter of acquiring advanced skills in language and culture. Like so many other things, this boils down to interest and motivation.

I have never been that interested in learning Arabic, or learning about Arab history. I mean we can only do so many things. I have acquired skills in the language and culture of China, Japan, Russia and various European countries. But I have just finished a very interesting book called The Great Arab Conquests by Hugh Kennedy. Fascinating. I had a sense of the Roman Empire, the Russian Empire, the development of China, the modern history of Europe, but I had little exposure to the storied saga of Arab expansion and the development of this international cultural space. Now I have a start. Can the language be far behind?

 

Six Steps to Effective Self-Learning - the podcast

Six Steps to Effective Self-Learning has now been recorded and added to the LingQ English library. Here is the podcast.

Effective self-learning