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Polyglot after 20? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Polyglots |  | |
 jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6721 days ago 4250 posts - 5710 votes  Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 25 of 57 29 September 2009 at 6:35pm | IP Logged | ||
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Just have a look at Luca and Richard Simcott (a.k.a. Torbyrne). While they may have had a few languages under their belts before the age of 20, I'm pretty sure that they have learned most of their languages as adults. As have been mentioned already on page one, ProfArguelles (a.k.a. Ardaschir) has indeed learned many languages after the age of 20. (see his Language Learning Biography)
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| doviende Diglot Senior Member Canada languagefixatio Joined 5798 days ago 533 posts - 1245 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Spanish, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Hindi, Swedish, Portuguese | Message 26 of 57 29 September 2009 at 7:11pm | IP Logged | ||
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Thanks for revisiting this thread, Fasulye. I actually think the whole idea of "children learn languages better" is overblown. On this topic, i love the way that Khatsumoto expresses it on his AJATT site: If a little kid is exposed to ~10000 hours of a language in context before they start speaking, why would you ever think that you could just whip through 100 hours of studying and expect to be awesome at the language?
I think it's just comparatively rare to find someone who has the motivation to put in so many hours of their adult life into learning a language, when most adults are just putting their time in as overtime at work while they pay off a giant mortgage on a house or something. (at least in my experience here in canada) I also like Khatsumoto's insistence that excellence in language learning is like excellence in anything else. It's not a matter of "innate talent", but we all have the ability. What matters is the thousands of hours of practice that are required for excellence in anything. 8 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| m32amir Heptaglot Groupie Canada youtube.com/user/m32Registered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5462 days ago 53 posts - 184 votes Speaks: Kazakh, Russian*, English, French, Spanish, German, Italian Studies: Turkish, Mandarin | Message 27 of 57 13 October 2009 at 2:34am | IP Logged | ||
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I started learning German and Portuguese after I turned 20. I'm really looking forward to see what will happen.
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| str0be Senior Member Korea, South Joined 5416 days ago 103 posts - 148 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Dutch, Korean | Message 28 of 57 13 October 2009 at 5:45am | IP Logged | ||
Leosmith, I'm interested to know your level of Japanese -- do you speak like a native? And do you still actively study? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
 Fasulye Heptaglot Winner TAC 2012 Moderator Germany fasulyespolyglotblog Joined 5659 days ago 5460 posts - 6006 votes 1 sounds Speaks: German*, DutchC1, EnglishB2, French, Italian, Spanish, Esperanto Studies: Latin, Danish, Norwegian, Turkish Personal Language Map | Message 29 of 57 13 October 2009 at 10:31am | IP Logged | ||
You have a good example: I started learning Dutch at 22 (= your age) and now I speak and write it on a (near-) native level. Fasulye Edited by Fasulye on 13 October 2009 at 10:32am 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| zerothinking Senior Member Australia Joined 6184 days ago 528 posts - 772 votes Speaks: English* | Message 30 of 57 17 January 2010 at 3:30am | IP Logged | ||
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If you live to 75 years of age then that means you have 55 years in which to study
languages. That's 35 more years of study than someone has had at the age of 20. Edited by zerothinking on 17 January 2010 at 3:32am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Owen Newbie United Kingdom Joined 5168 days ago 10 posts - 10 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French, Russian | Message 31 of 57 28 March 2010 at 3:14am | IP Logged | ||
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I realise I'm late to this thread, but for what it's worth I'll tell you what I tell anybody who says they "wish they'd learned a musical instrument when they were younger". It's never too late to start! Never.
I certainly hope not, anyway, because I'm 22 ;) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| dolly Senior Member United States Joined 5602 days ago 191 posts - 376 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Latin | Message 32 of 57 28 March 2010 at 3:31am | IP Logged | ||
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I'll never be a polyglot but I'll just say this: I didn't start my first foreign language until I was 41, I'm on my second, and I plan on starting my third in a year or so. Edited by dolly on 29 March 2010 at 5:24am 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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