Davis Psychiatrist

Interesting facts about polyglots
One of the most famous polyglots, Giuseppe Mezzofanti, spoke 38 languages.
According to the US Foreign Service Institute, the most difficult languages are Arabic, Chinese and Japanese.
Sometimes polyglots mistakenly mix several foreign languages in one sentence. For example: Je voudrais (French) un vaso de agua (Spanish), per favor (Italian) — "Give me a glass of water, please."
All the people who could speak 15 languages and more fluently lived several centuries ago. Because of this, experts cannot verify whether they really possessed this skill, or whether these multilingual geniuses are another myth.
The polyglots were Leo Tolstoy (15 languages), Nikola Tesla (9 languages) and Alexander Griboyedov (9 languages).
Today, the polyglot Benny Lewis is popular. He has his own website where he personally tries to learn every new language in three months. Also famous is 75-year-old Steve Kaufman, who knows a total of 20 languages.

Learn to have fun
You will not be able to learn several foreign languages if you are engaged in boring cramming and force yourself to sit down at textbooks every day. Experts confirm that the very first step to becoming a professional in any business is just to fall in love with it. Fortunately, you can learn the language with pleasure: I listen to songs, watching TV shows and reading books. It is important not only to strive for results, but also to enjoy the process. Luca Lampairiello, a polyglot with knowledge of ten languages, is sure: — Languages are not created to teach them. This is what you need to live, breathe and enjoy.
But be careful! Do not spray yourself on an unlimited number of websites, textbooks or films, otherwise you risk getting porridge in your head from an overabundance of information. Instead, determine in advance the list of sources from where you will draw knowledge. Too scattered information is poorly absorbed, so first limit yourself to five to ten resources.

Don't neglect pronunciation
The most common mistake that polyglots themselves make is neglect of phonetics. Sometimes speech sounds in different countries overlap, and sometimes there are unique ones among them. Phonetics cannot be taught passively, assuming that you will be able to feel the language after prolonged practice. Without it, it will sometimes be difficult for you to distinguish one language from another. Even an impeccable knowledge of vocabulary and grammar will not help here.
To make it easier for themselves, many polyglots begin to "listen" to the language already at the earliest stages — through songs, podcasts and interviews. Learning to perceive information by ear is important, even if you have no more than 50 words in your stock so far. Practice reproducing the sound you just heard so that learning is more efficient and faster.

Myths about polyglots
Some draw the image of a polyglot as a carefree genius who endlessly travels to different countries and learns a new language just out of interest. It turns out that even such unusual people spend most of their time in their native country, and knowledge of several foreign languages does not guarantee a high level of income. Below we describe the most common misconceptions about polyglots.

Myth 1. Polyglots have innate abilities
Some polyglots really have a tendency to learn foreign languages in childhood. But we are not talking about a phenomenal memory or the ability to master Chinese perfectly in a year. It's just that while some were solving math problems, learning to write poetry or playing in the sandbox, others wanted to speak English, Spanish or Japanese.
Studies confirm that learning multiple languages leads to increased brain activity. A good polyglot memory is the result of years of memorizing words and phrases, not an innate gift. Therefore, if you admire the abilities of these people, remember that with prolonged training you will be able to do the same.

One of the most famous polyglots, Giuseppe Mezzofanti, spoke 38 languages.
According to the US Foreign Service Institute, the most difficult languages are Arabic, Chinese and Japanese.
Sometimes polyglots mistakenly mix several foreign languages in one sentence. For example: Je voudrais (French) un vaso de agua (Spanish), per favor (Italian) — "Give me a glass of water, please."
All the people who could speak 15 languages and more fluently lived several centuries ago. Because of this, experts cannot verify whether they really possessed this skill, or whether these multilingual geniuses are another myth.
The polyglots were Leo Tolstoy (15 languages), Nikola Tesla (9 languages) and Alexander Griboyedov (9 languages).
Today, the polyglot Benny Lewis is popular. He has his own website where he personally tries to learn every new language in three months. Also famous is 75-year-old Steve Kaufman, who knows a total of 20 languages.