Do you ever wonder why polyglots can speak so many languages, while you are barely able to keep up with one? We will explore how polyglots study and get tips on how to learn French with minimal effort. Having these tips on your side will help you not only speak French, but any language for that matter.
Most people dream of learning a foreign language and put barriers before they even begin. A common myth is that one is ‘too old,’ or ‘too busy,’ or the most common one, not have the ‘gene’ to study another language. Well, we found what polyglots think about having a gene for languages, and we discovered they don’t believe in it.
We will get a behind-the-scenes look at their processes and techniques so that you can apply them on your own journey and master French just like they do.
In this article, we will introduce you to five polyglots and their unique tips and techniques to master French and any other language.
The Polyglot Way: Tips and Techniques
1. Luca Lampariello (The polyglot dream)
Meet the Italian man who speaks 12 languages with an extraordinary accent.
The philosophy of Luca is to “learn in snippets, not buckets”. It’s for this reason that he encourages his students to spend just 15 minutes to 1 hour tops every day practicing their language skills. The key thing is to work on it daily (or five times a week).
He emphasizes the importance of audio courses accompanied by written materials. He suggests digesting the material in several phases. Listening to audio-only, practicing the pronunciation, then following along with the written text, and finally translation.
Luca is a firm believer in translating the dialogues into your native language and then vice versa. He says you’ll get a better understanding of nuances in two languages by translating back to the target language. As you observe the two languages, you notice how different they are. As a result, learning becomes more substantive and impactful than simply memorizing grammar rules and vocabulary words.
TOP 3 TIPS TO LEARN LANGUAGE FROM LUCA LAMPARIELLO
Step 1: Get the Right Resources
Step 2: Get Organized
Step 3: Reflect on Your Progress Every Day
2. Olly Richards ( I Will Teach You A Language)
The man speaks eight languages so far, and counting! But his greatest achievement is creating the Story learning method that helps people learn languages through stories. Olly is a good example of how you can learn a language without entering the country where it is spoken.
Psychology is a large part of Olly’s methods. His focus on mindsets is crucial because it determines whether a language expedition succeeds or fails. When the going gets tough, different people react differently. Learning a language is very difficult to begin, but it is very easy to give up. His teaching style is thus focused on motivating and understanding his students. The “No English for 1-Hour Rule” is one of Olly’s language hacks. It is pretty self-explanatory.
You abandon your first language for 60 minutes (which can even be shortened to 5 minutes if you are a beginner) Writing mini-speeches and practicing them repeatedly are other techniques he uses to learn a paragraph in the target language smoothly.
Consequently, you could be memorizing a whole paragraph in French about your hobbies. Studying a coherent paragraph gives you the opportunity to put everything in context. You are more likely to remember the vocabulary and notice the grammar rules. In addition to that, you are learning how to use longer forms of speech rather than simple phrases.
TOP 3 TIPS TO LEARN LANGUAGE FROM OLLY RICHARDSON
- Learn a language through stories
- Do not use your Native language when learning a new language
- Write a mini-speech and rehearse
3. Elisa Polese (Speak from Day One with Elisa)
The Italian polyglot, Elisa Polese, has a contagious passion for languages, she teaches 13 languages and has studied 25. Her mission is to help people learn their target language and achieve their full learning potential from day one. ( Even her site is called Speak from Day One With Elisa.)
When it comes to learning languages, Elisa might seem like a prodigy. But like everyone else, she had to deal with challenges and difficulties in learning languages. For Elisa, pronunciation is the most difficult aspect when she begins to learn a new language.
Elisa is known to help people learn multiple languages at once. Because, why would you aim only for one, right? Her methods explore the ways to efficient multiple language learning, which he has tested by herself.
TOP 3 TIPS TO LEARN LANGUAGE FROM ELISA POLESE
- Speak from day one
- Focus on listening input
- Have a clear and strong WHY for learning French
4. Benny Lewis (Fluent in three months)
The Irish polyglot spoke only English at the age of 21 – now he speaks more than 12 languages. He turned out to be a bestselling author of Fluent in 3 Months today!
Benny explains how “Fluent in Three Months” is about having specific goals in a language. He believes unsuccessful language learners have general goals such, “I want to learn French.” According to him, that’s not very helpful. The most important thing is to find a goal that’s realistic and fits your lifestyle.
Find out what do you actually want to speak about, with whom, where, in what way. The more specific you are, the better direction you’ll have and therefore better results. Benny points out, “Aim for something you know you can achieve, but be very specific about it.”
In response to a question about how he picked languages, he replied, “I choose cultures. Not languages.”
TOP 3 TIPS TO LEARN LANGUAGE FROM BENNY LEWIS
- Set a specific and realistic goal
- Learn by doing
- Relax in the target language
5. Stephen Kaufman
A former Canadian diplomat and (hyper)polyglot with more than 20 languages under his belt, Steve Kaufmann speaks more than 20 languages! His videos about languages have inspired thousands, including other polyglots.
If there were one best language-learning tip Stephen Kaufman puts on the first place, that is enjoying yourself! All polyglots have one thing in common: they love learning new languages. It makes them happy to learn languages. It interests them, and they find ways to make it interesting. Those who love learning with flashcards, use those, others who prefer podcasts, choose the content they prefer, the voice they enjoy. In summary, it’s all about enjoying yourself.
According to Stephen Kaufman, grammar is something that you read when you’re curious or when you know it will benefit you.
TOP 3 TIPS TO LEARN LANGUAGE FROM STEPHEN KAUFMAN
- Recognize patterns before rules
- Immerse yourself into the language
- Enjoy the content you read, listen and watch
5 Different Ways Polyglots Learn Language
To sum up how to learn like a polyglot, keep these 5 key tips in mind:
- Luca Lampariello: Reflect on Your Progress Every Day
- Olly Richards: Learn French with stories
- Elisa Polese : Start speaking French from day one
- Benny Lewis: Set a specific and realistic goal
- Steve Kaufmann: Keep learning fun and enjoyable.
They are not really “polyglot secrets” after all. There is nothing complicated about those pieces of advice, and they can easily be put into practice. Remember, polyglots don’t have any magical powers that allow them to learn languages more easily or quickly than other people. They just know how—and how not—to approach learning!