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Role model?

  Tags: Ideal | Polyglot
 Language Learning Forum : Polyglots Post Reply
renaissancemedi
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Greece
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 Message 1 of 6
20 January 2013 at 8:04pm | IP Logged 
I searched for this topic, but didn't see a thread. If it exists please tell me.

Do you have a role model in terms of language learning? It could be a histolical person, a modern polyglot or your dad. Or maybe a sort of ideal in your head.

In my case, I was always impressed by people who had mad communication skills, that didn't necessarily mean too many languages, or languages as an end in itself.

I mean, I see my attempt in language learning as a means to an end, which is to read litterature that I admire in its native form. Also, an immersion to some cultures I am interested in, or an approach to a mood of certain historical eras.

I saw the film Lawrence of Arabia again last night, and I thought that what he was doing was definitely and absolutely defined by the fact that he could communicate in so many languages. I don't admire him at all, I am just saying. The power of knowledge!

Anyway, I don't have a particular role model myself, but what about you?
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sillygoose1
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 Message 2 of 6
20 January 2013 at 9:12pm | IP Logged 
Luca & my first French professor who speaks 6 languages and teaches 3 of them in schools/universities across the US & Europe were my role models when I was first starting out. I wouldn't call them role models anymore though. I do still watch Luca's videos sometimes and keep in contact with my professor.
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Jenne:)
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 Message 3 of 6
21 January 2013 at 2:53pm | IP Logged 
I do not have any role models, although I am impressed by some of the polyglots I have come across on Youtube. I admire their skills, but I do not see them as examples, as I do not know them and what their exact skills are. I am motivated by an ideal I have had since I was a small child: to learn to speak fluently as many languages as possible. It's a personal ideal I am working for and I am motivated by the fact that I know achieving this goal would make me happy and proud of myself.
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beano
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 Message 4 of 6
23 January 2013 at 2:52pm | IP Logged 
Like many British people who dabble in languages for the first time, I tried evening classes at the local college. My first tutor was from Belgium and spoke fluent Flemish, French, German and English. I remember being very impressed at this and wondered how someone could know so many languages.

Now of course, I realise that certain countries do provide frequent multi-lingual exposure and it's not uncommon to find someone from the low countries who speaks 2,3 or even 4 languages. Nonetheless, it is still an impressive feat to have such a good command of them all.

Australia does not have a good reputation for languages but many kids excel in several sports because the climate and facilities are right. Sporting achievement is vigorously promoted within the education system and reinforced solidly at home. So I think a lot does depend on the influences and expectations around you as you are growing up.

Edited by beano on 24 January 2013 at 3:36pm

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renaissancemedi
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 Message 5 of 6
23 January 2013 at 3:09pm | IP Logged 
I was reading about the Heinrich Schliemann method of learning languages just now, and I admit I never knew about it. I knew about Heinrich Schliemann the archaeologist, but not about the languages aspect of his life. I am very impressed with his method. Is there a name for it, or a book or something?

Edited by renaissancemedi on 23 January 2013 at 3:12pm

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Ogrim
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 Message 6 of 6
23 January 2013 at 4:43pm | IP Logged 
At university I had a professor of Italian who I sort of admired. He was a leading expert on Dante and other medieval writers, but apart from that he would also teach Romanian language and literature if anyone was interested (which did not happen often in Oslo at that time), and he also gave a course in Romansh. I was his only Romanian and Romansh student at the time. In addition he spoke French, German, English and Spanish, could dabble pretty well in Hungarian (from what he told me) and read Latin and Classical Greek without much need for a dictionary.

I will not call him exactly a role model, but he was the first person I met who opened my eyes to "polyglottery". He actually described himself as a "polyglutton". He had a big appetite for languages.



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