That the study of foreign languages ​​is a "threat to traditions", and criticized the idea of ​​the Ministry of Education to introduce a mandatory USE in a foreign language and add a second language to the school curriculum. In the Duma, her position was supported. T&P contacted 6 experts from the fields of neuroscience, psycholinguistics, translation and social psychology to find out what the benefits of learning foreign languages ​​are and what the lack of it can turn into.

"Several languages ​​give several pictures of the world"

Even Ludwig Wittgenstein wrote that "the world of a man is what his language is." Language largely determines how we look at the world and how we perceive it. According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (the hypothesis of linguistic relativity), which is actively discussed in science today, language affects our thinking and the process of cognition. Therefore, when a person knows more than one language, he has several pictures of the world. This is an incomparably richer life. You need to learn foreign languages ​​not because it is useful for traveling - now you can get by with English - but because, penetrating into another language, you penetrate into other worlds. Why do people learn Latin, Ancient Greek, Sumerian? After all, these Sumerians, ancient Greeks and Latins are long gone. And yet, you can imagine what kind of world they lived in by studying their languages. Language proficiency is not a matter of technical well-being when you can go to a store in China and say Right words. It's not about that, it's about expanding your world.

Any training changes the brain. And when the brain learns, it increases the number and quality of neural connections, the efficiency of gray and white matter is growing. Therefore, no matter what this brain is doing, whether it solves simple crossword puzzles, which seems to be a difficult task for a particular person, or proves complex theorems that are suitable for completely different people as mental work, it improves the brain. This is true at any age, because neural network develops every second. The brain is always changing, even at 90. Learning foreign languages ​​in this sense is extremely efficient due to code switching. When you switch from one language to another, it is very hard work. And hard means good.

Of course, the younger the brain, the more plastic it is, that is, the more capable of learning and changing - therefore, the more earlier man whatever one begins to study, the more sense it makes. With respect to foreign languages, this is triple the case. This does not mean that in adulthood it is not worth or impossible to do this - just in childhood such activities are much more effective.

Canadian scientists conducted experiments showing that people who know more than one language postpone memory loss for several years due to the development of neural connections. When a person speaks several languages, his neural network works more intensively. The brain in this case will be more preserved. This postpones the theoretically possible decline in intellectual abilities, including memory loss.

Tatiana Chernigovskaya

Neurolinguist, Doctor of Philology, Doctor of Biology, Professor, St. Petersburg State University

"Rejection of languages ​​will return Russia to a state of savagery"

Knowledge of a foreign language affects the breadth of thinking. In addition, people who study it are much more sensitive to their native Russian language, and, accordingly, to literature. After all, the language is often taught not only with practical purpose but also for reading fiction or non-fiction. From foreign languages, concepts come that cannot be translated, and which do not exist in our reality, so their study significantly broadens one's horizons. It also, of course, has a positive effect on mental abilities. Languages ​​are indispensable to those involved in science, since much of the material is now not translated, and has never been fully translated.

Of course, there are people who are not very capable of foreign languages, but they are not completely incapable. Ignorance of the language limits knowledge in general - both social and scientific, and all the rest. It makes a person more limited. Over the past 20 years in Russia, people have begun to learn the language more and have become involved in a wider range of information. You definitely get a lot more information about life if you know languages.

We all exist in the same world, and foreign language introduces us to other civilizations. These acquaintances do not occur by someone's selection: a person begins to freely navigate in what he wants to know. Translations cannot cover everything, so some things need to be known in the original. Or, say, a person who is engaged in literature will be able to compare what he read in a foreign language with what he read in Russian. This broadens his range of knowledge. And it will be the same in any field. Neither in physics, nor in computer science, nor anywhere else, everything can be mastered only through translations.

Of course, with a certain amount of effort, any text can be translated. But there are many concepts in the world that we do not have and come to Russian first in the form of barbarisms, and later become part of it and, as a result, expand it. You can take any scientific dictionary and you will see how many words we simply borrowed. It seems to us that the word "influence" has always been in Russian, but in fact it was invented by Nikolai Karamzin, and this is a tracing paper from the French "influence". If you stop for a second, you will see how many foreign words exist within Russian. For example, the word "computer". At first, such machines were called "calculating devices", but then their designation in English simply ceased to be translated. When you say "computer" instead of "computer", you spend less life on unnecessary actions. Everything can be translated, but concepts from one language constantly enter into others - first by alien bodies, and then, if it necessary thing, eat into it in its normal form.

The Russian language has absorbed a huge amount of Tatar, Turkic, Latin and Greek words. Usually we do not even suspect that some element of the language is actually a Greek loan, but in Greece, as soon as you can read the letters, you instantly begin to understand the signs. Russian drags words from everywhere. Celtic, Saxon, French, a lot of Danish and even, for sure, there are Dutch - especially if we start talking about the sailing fleet. Under Peter I, we stole from the Dutch many concepts related to shipbuilding. We simply no longer notice that these are words of foreign origin. "Atom", "Jesus Christ", "patriarch" - all these are also foreign words. If no one knew Greek or English, we simply would not have these concepts, and we would again turn into barbarians.

To stop teaching foreign languages ​​means to stop the development of Russian. The Russian language is the main field of all intellectual activity in Russia. If it is artificially limited, cut off from the world by an iron curtain, we will have a mentally retarded country. The rejection of foreign languages ​​will return Russia to a state of savagery.

Viktor Golyshev

Translator of Anglo-American literature, author of classical translations of many works

"The poverty of the language is associated with a lack of mental development"

Today, there are many studies in which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has made it possible to see how the volume of speech-related brain formations increases when learning a second language, even in adults. This suggests that the brain, in principle, has the resources to master several languages. There are studies that have shown a significant development of cognitive (cognitive) skills in people who speak two or more languages. This is not surprising, because concepts are formed on the basis of language, and thinking is nothing but operations with concepts.

It has long been noticed that the poverty of the language correlates with the insufficiency of mental development. This is due primarily to the fact that, in the words of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, "the limits of our knowledge are determined by the limits of our language." Learning languages ​​is one of the most intellectual activities of the brain. After all, this is not just a mechanical memorization of new words, but also the embedding of these words into single system concepts. Like any exercise, learning languages ​​keeps the brain functioning at a high level.

Second, third, etc. languages ​​clearly make the picture of the mental world richer, richer in descriptions of how things and phenomena are interconnected. Thus, each item gets more "hooks" for memorization and subsequent retrieval from memory. Memory becomes stronger, more capacious and more associative. The latter quality is especially important, since it is associations that are the basis of creativity.

Alexander Kaplan

Doctor of Biological Sciences, Psychophysiologist, Head
laboratories
neurophysiology and neurointerfaces, Moscow State University

"Languages ​​affect thought processes, memory and personality"

Learning a foreign language, like any other experience, does not go unnoticed for our consciousness and brain function. Any information that enters the brain from the outside at any moment of its activity modifies neural connections. The consciousness of a person who speaks two or more languages ​​will never be equivalent to the consciousness of a monolingual - a person who speaks only one language. Experiments that have been carried out - they are, for example, described in the works of Judith Kroll (Judith Kroll) - indicate that bilinguals automatically activate both languages ​​in their mental lexicon, even when the language situation unfolds in only one language. For example, when an English speaker hears the word "marker", in addition to English word also activates the Russian "mark" (Marian & Spivey, 2003). To avoid confusion in languages, bilinguals have to constantly "juggle" words and concepts, while suppressing irrelevant for the current speech situation information. Some scientists believe that this mechanism helps bilinguals develop executive functions and show greater cognitive flexibility compared to monolinguals.

The idea of ​​“bilingual cognitive superiority” first emerged in the mid-1980s and has since been developed largely under the guidance of University of Toronto psychologist Ellen Bialystok. Over the past 30 years, scientists have conducted many studies and found that bilingual children and adults are faster and better at tasks that require switching attention, solving cognitive problems. conflict situations, choice between relevant and irrelevant information. Bilingualism also affects the preservation and maintenance of cognitive functions in old age. For example, one 2010 study looked at data from 200 Alzheimer's patients and found that those who spoke multiple languages ​​experienced symptoms 5.1 years later.

Of course, the concept of the cognitive advantage of bilinguals should be treated with skepticism for the time being - after all, a large amount of data remains outside of scientific journals, and we still do not know much about how several languages ​​“get along” in a person’s head, and what mechanisms are responsible for this. But the value of such language knowledge is definitely very large, since languages ​​constantly interact with each other within the framework of the human cognitive system, influence thought processes and memory, and leave an imprint on personal characteristics, not to mention the sociocultural component.

Anna Lukyanchenko

Employee of the Research and Educational Laboratory of Neurolinguistics, National Research University Higher School of Economics, PhD (University of Maryland, USA)

"Without a foreign language, a person is deprived of hands"

A society in which the study of a foreign language is restricted or banned will become one-sided and dull. Languages ​​enrich each other, and without interaction with other systems, Russian will not develop. Indeed, in other languages ​​there are concepts and descriptions of phenomena that simply do not exist in our reality. Without such concepts, without these names, we will not be able to learn anything about unfamiliar or new phenomena. The cultural environment will also be cut off, so that our worldview will suffer greatly.

A person who is unable to express himself in anything other than mother tongue, in communication it turns out to be simply deprived of hands. When he leaves somewhere, he immediately finds himself completely dependent on other people and feels helpless. He needs guides to take him everywhere, he cannot live on his own. Such a person can only find a place for himself in his native country, and as soon as he is taken out of there, he will immediately face a huge number of problems.

A person who is only familiar with one culture may become less tolerant and more suspicious and very limited. IN modern world this, of course, is rare: to be so within the same environment, you need to be born in a closed tribe in the Amazon. Most of the world's population has access to books, television, and often even the Internet, so we constantly encounter other cultures. But the question of how we are able to understand them and are ready to accept them is directly related to the study of languages. Prohibitions in this area hinder the development of culture, primarily in the country where they begin to operate.

Lilia Brinis

social psychologist

“A person who has been forcibly limited to his native language and native culture will be deprived of the opportunity to understand the world»

Everything Scientific research linguists and psychologists unequivocally indicate that the more languages ​​a person knows, the higher his intellectual level and the better his ability to adapt to the world around him and all his cognitive abilities. The reverse has never been observed. Talk about the fact that learning foreign languages ​​can be harmful has no scientific basis. It is clear why such conversations arise: the authors of such ideas do not like the values ​​\u200b\u200bthat stand behind the languages ​​they study. But fighting values ​​is one thing, fighting learning languages ​​is another. This is the wrong way.

A person who has been forcibly limited to his native language and native culture will be deprived of the opportunity to understand the world around him, since language is the key to the perception of a foreign culture. It's like forcing someone to look exclusively at black and white instead of color photographs. The world is diverse, and this is expressed in how different languages ​​are. A person can be deprived of this diversity if he closes the way to their study.

According to the general opinion of all researchers, the earlier we start learning a language, the easier and with less stress it is acquired. In childhood, a person has mechanisms in his head that allow him to master his native language. After six or seven years, these mechanisms fade away. In an adult, they are practically absent. Therefore, when a child begins to learn a foreign language, he does it effortlessly: classes are quite easy for him, and there are special techniques that help children with this. If we miss this deadline, it will be difficult to start as an adult.

It's not that foreign languages ​​are taught so well in our schools - that's out of the question. Why teach them even worse? Among the statements of Irina Yarovaya was a rhetorical question: “Citizens of which country will we educate?”. This question is very easy to answer. By teaching children foreign languages, we will educate the citizens of a modern, strong, competitive country.

Russian like everyone else large tongue, in its history interacted a lot with other languages. From the time of the very first literary monuments and the very first stages of its formation, we see traces of extremely diverse influences. For example, we observe a very early Germanic influence - the so-called Gothic borrowings. The simplest, primordial Russian words: “hut”, “bread”, “glass”, “letter” are very early Germanisms that entered the Russian language even in pre-literate times. There are also a number of Scandinavian borrowings. Greek had a very strong influence on Russian, which was associated with the adoption of Christianity - however, Greek vocabulary turned out to be not only ecclesiastical, but also everyday. For example, “notebook”, “beetroot” or “sail” are all ancient Greekisms. Then a powerful stream of Turkisms poured into Russian, although their influence should not be overestimated. A lot of important areas was affected by them: in particular, the administrative and financial sphere. Say, such words as "money", "customs", "label", "treasury" are Turkisms. There is also a mass of everyday vocabulary: “caftan”, “cap” and others. Then came the Petrine era, and with it came a huge stream of elements from Western European languages. At first these were Dutch words, then German and French, and a little later English. The Age of Enlightenment also brought us many German and French words: “role”, “boulevard”, “piano”, “bridgehead”, “scar” and hundreds of others.

We are used to these words and often do not even realize that they are borrowings. I am not talking about such words as “izba”, which are many hundreds of years old, but who would suspect a foreign word in the less ancient Turkism “hearth” or in the more recent “scar”? This is an absolutely natural process, the language is enriched with the help of borrowings and improves its ability to reflect the world around. From this point of view, there are no problems here - only people with deep complexes can have problems.

Borrowing is not a threat to tradition. It is rather strange to speak of language in these terms. Threats to language are quite different, if they come across it at all, and they lie far apart. There is no need to be afraid of borrowings, and it is pointless to fight them. Language is a natural phenomenon that is difficult to control and manage. We can’t cancel, say, the dative case, can we? In the same way, it would be very difficult to ban a word and instill another in its place. Similar attempts have been made in the past, but their effect has been negligible.

People who describe the study of foreign languages ​​as a threat to tradition are likely to be afraid of the values ​​associated with the culture that expresses itself through these languages. This is a substitution of concepts. A person himself is able to figure out whether these values ​​suit him or not. Why decide for him? In itself, learning a foreign language does not change our consciousness in the way that the authors of such initiatives think. It's just that a person has a choice. He himself can judge everything, having access to texts and other people. In itself, study only develops the intellect, just as physical exercise develops muscles and strengthens health. Depriving a person of access to learning a foreign language, especially in childhood, is like depriving him of movement or color vision. This stupid forced impoverishment spiritual development, not motivated by anything. It is very sad if these ideas prevail.

Vladimir Plungyan

Linguist, specialist in typology and grammatical theory, author of Why Languages ​​Are So Different

Everyone knows that learning a language is prestigious. Every day there are more language courses and more people. who want to learn foreign languages. Any of us thinks before starting to learn a language: “ What is the most needed and important language at the moment?”, “How will learning this particular language help me in the future?”. In our article we will try to answer the questions that arise. Moreover, we will rank the languages.

There are many surveys that are related to the study of foreign languages. And one of these surveys showed that people devote much more time to learning a language than any other activity. But they give not only their precious time to learning the language, but also a lot of effort and money. And people do not feel sorry for either the time or money for this. Yes, this is understandable, because most people teach foreign language for career growth.

Today, knowledge of a foreign language opens up many prospects for you, it serves as a pass to the world of financial success. Now without a foreign language, if you want to be successful, you need to know at least one foreign language. No matter how ridiculous it sounds, even cleaners, builders, waiters need a foreign language. This gives them more benefits. At the same time, many employees do not even realize that, knowing a foreign language, they can get more. International companies agree to pay a lot of money to a person who understands not only the field of his immediate activity, but also speaks a foreign language. Therefore, the importance of knowing a foreign language is very high. And we understand that it is necessary to learn a foreign language, but the question is - which one?

Languages ​​are influenced by geographic proximity and trade-related relationships. It is clear that if the inhabitants of Russia buy Chinese equipment, then people who know Chinese are needed. But if we take into account the fact that Russia's trade relations are developed with many countries, then these relations require knowledge of the languages ​​of almost all countries of the world.

Think carefully when choosing a language. In determining the popularity of a particular language, geographical proximity is very important. If you live on Far East, then it is logical that you need knowledge of the languages ​​\u200b\u200bof those countries that are nearby. Therefore, in this case, knowledge of Korean, Japanese and Chinese will be prestigious. If we take St. Petersburg as an example, then it is desirable for its residents to know the Finnish language, because this city is geographically close to Finland.

But without a doubt, English remains the most important and relevant language. This is the language most people speak. English surrounds us everywhere, in transport, at the airport, on TV, on the Internet. This is an international language. Many organizations have documents in English. Knowledge of English is always highly valued and well paid. Sociologists believe that English is not just a skill, but a necessity of civilization. If we consider Internet requests, then most often people are translators from Russian into English and from English into Russian.

Second in popularity is German. You can call it the language of technology. And this, you understand, is very important. But despite the fact that the German language is valued, the number of learners of it is growing insignificantly. If you know German, be sure that in major city you will find a job. After all, our relations with Germany are strengthening every year.

Another popular language is Italian. It is a very beautiful and melodic language, and its study can be called prestigious. We buy Italian shoes, clothes, many people love Italian cuisine.

Spanish also an important language, because we have trade contacts with countries where Spanish is spoken.

As for French, this language is very beautiful. Previously, almost everyone knew French. But today this language is no longer so important compared to others. But despite this, French is studied at school and at many universities.

Languages ​​such as Japanese, Chinese and Turkish have become popular in our country very quickly. Our relations with these countries have improved, so the knowledge of these languages ​​is very necessary. These languages ​​are difficult to learn, so there is no particular competition for those who speak them.

Rating of foreign languages:

1. English. International language, language business communication.
2. German. The language of technology.
3. Italian. Very melodic language.
4. Spanish. The language that is needed for trade relations with the Spaniards.
5. French. Fashion language.
6. Chinese. The language needed to develop trade relations with China.
7. Japanese. The language of the best technology.
8. Latin. The language of doctors and linguists.
9. Ukrainian. The language of Ukrainians, who are our neighbors.
10. Turkish. Language for business communication with Turkey.
11. Arab. UN language.
12. Finnish. The language of our regular guests.

Of course, you may come across ratings that differ from this one. After all, each rating depends on different factors. But our ranking clearly shows that languages ​​such as English, Chinese, German, Japanese, Italian, Spanish and French are unlikely to ever make it out of the top ten most important languages ​​in the world.

Knowledge of English is the norm for modern man who loves to travel and thinks about moving up the career ladder. And what other foreign languages ​​should you pay attention to so that the employer is ready to pay more? The Village spoke to experts in search of an answer to this question.

Knowledge of a second foreign language really affects the salary. For example, the fixed part of the salary of a sales specialist without knowledge of the language is 50-60 thousand rubles, and for a specialist working with the Chinese market - 150 thousand rubles. The second must be fluent in Chinese and English. But if the company does not need to work with foreign markets, then knowledge of foreign languages ​​will not be a decisive criterion. At the same time, in international companies working with clients, foreign languages ​​are important both for top positions and for interns.

Chinese language will be an advantage if you go to work in the company's head office in China. If they choose a candidate without a language, they will offer less money. Most wanted European languages: German and French.

Recently, there have been more polyglot specialists. As well as those who are fluent in one language (for example, English) and are now in the process of learning another one (for example, German). Specialists in the IT field are trying to diversify, and the study additional languages at the initial stage it is not connected with work, more with personal interest. And only then a note in the resume about the knowledge of several languages ​​can play a very good role in a career.

There is no direct relationship between the level of salary and knowledge of two foreign languages. It all depends on the field of activity. We can only say firmly about the importance of English for a career. It really opens up new doors and allows you to count on working in international companies. But attractive conditions can also be offered to those who speak only Russian. For example, the work of a personal assistant in Russian companies in the oil and gas industry, where you do not need to speak languages, is paid no worse than in international companies, where it is often necessary to speak several languages.

In the IT field, it is also better to choose a second language based on specialization. Developers should pay attention to the German language. The European market is not so saturated with programmers, and many German companies are actively attracting talent from Russia. Knowledge of German in this case will increase the chances of getting a job offer, and it will also be easier to adapt to new conditions in a foreign country.

Knowledge of two foreign languages ​​may also be required for technical support specialists. Some international companies place their technical support centers in Russia and invite specialists with two foreign languages ​​to work. One of them is English, and the second one can be French, German or Spanish. It is not so often that one can meet a graduate of a technical university who, in addition to English, speaks at a good conversational level some other foreign language, and, moreover, has the required set of personal competencies. In such a situation, the company is forced to invite candidates with linguistic education and teach them the basics of technical support. But if, nevertheless, there is a specialist with a technical education and two foreign languages, then his wage will be 20-30% higher than similar positions.

Chinese companies are actively expanding their presence in Russia. But there is no need to rush into learning Chinese. English remains the main language of communication, and it will be enough for successful work. In addition, the Chinese rarely put foreigners in leadership positions, even if they speak the language.

The situation is somewhat different in Arabic. Arab countries, and the UAE in particular, are much more likely to invite employees to work with relocation. Therefore knowledge Arabic in such a situation it will be really in demand and promising.

Another common language in the world is Spanish, but, unfortunately, it is not so easy to apply in work. I myself studied it as a second foreign language at the university, but in the profession I have not yet found application for it.

Pavel Lebedev head of research at the Superjob.ru portal

Knowledge of foreign languages ​​(especially two or more) is in demand only in positions where it is simply impossible to work without them. For example, translators, assistant secretaries, managers of foreign economic activity (FEA). For a translator, a second language increases the salary by 30-40%, for a foreign trade manager - 15-20%).

English leads in demand among employers - in 96% of vacancies where knowledge of a foreign language is required, we are talking about English. Among other foreign languages, the palm belongs to German - it is mentioned in 59% of vacancies where a foreign language other than English is required.

Even rarer are vacancies for applicants who speak French (14%), Italian (11%), Chinese (5%) and Spanish (4%). In some cases, employers require candidates to speak Turkish, Japanese, Arabic and other languages.

During the selection process, applicants generally cannot apply for higher salary only because they speak foreign languages, since the employer first of all pays attention to the personal qualities of the future employee, professionalism and work experience. However, if a potential employee speaks several languages ​​in demand in the company, employers may turn a blind eye to some other points, such as little work experience. As a rule, the higher the position, the more serious the requirements for knowledge of the language.

At the same time, specialists are increasingly required who speak not only English, but also French or German. In second place in terms of frequency of requests are specialists who know Italian, Chinese, Japanese. Typically, such employees are in demand in companies whose head offices are located in countries where these languages ​​are spoken, as well as in companies that do business with these countries.
There are exceptions: sometimes, on the contrary, they prefer that the staff does not speak the native language of top management, most often these requirements arise in Korean and less often in Japanese companies.

The most popular language in our school is Spanish. As a rule, students have two motives: a Spanish boyfriend and the prevalence of the language. In second place in popularity is English. On the third - Italian, which periodically takes first place. Knowing Italian, you won't be left without a job in Moscow. Furniture factories, architectural and design bureaus, fashion houses - those who learn Italian work in such companies. Knowledge of the Italian language is one of the most important criteria for them when applying for a job.

Chinese and Arabic are also popular options. As a rule, they are taught by employees out of necessity. international companies. And often these two languages ​​are taught together. The Arabic or Chinese group cannot be dialed, but the schedule individual lessons painted very tightly. People think that these languages ​​cannot be learned in a group and prefer to study with a tutor. In recent months, a lot of mothers have come to register their child aged five to 17 in Chinese. They are sure that Chinese is the language of the future.

In spring and summer, we have increased the demand for Turkish. Moreover, 99% of the listeners want to marry a Turk and move to Turkey. And only 1% learn it because of work.

Free in the Czech Republic higher education for foreigners, and until 2013 it was our leading language. But last year, the flow of applicants dried up.

Young ladies who learn French can be divided into two groups. The first are those who want to move to Paris, the second are those who learn the language for fun.

Foreign languages ​​are taught mainly by girls. Those who do it for a career are 28–45 years old. Mostly 30-35 years old. Men - 10 percent of clients.

A second language, in addition to universal English, can play into the hands only when it is really needed in a new place of work, as well as when considering employment options abroad. Don't expect a mandatory bonus for poring over a German textbook, it's better to look at the vacancies of German companies, which always give preference to bilingual specialists. One area where knowing multiple foreign languages ​​can improve your chances is the hospitality industry. And this applies to positions at all levels: from receptionists to top staff. Foreign languages ​​in this case can increase the salary by 20-30%.

Recently, the demand for specialists who speak, in addition to English, has increased. oriental languages, in-depth knowledge of Asian culture and business practices. Such employees are needed both in the head offices in Russia and in the local offices.

If you are studying English language, then, of course, you have heard about polyglots who managed to learn 5/10/30/50 languages. Which of us does not have the thought: “Surely they have some secrets, because for years I have been learning only one and only English!” In this article, we will present the most common myths about those who successfully learn foreign languages, as well as tell you how polyglots learn languages.

A polyglot is a person who can communicate in multiple languages. Some of the most famous polyglots in the world are:

1. Cardinal Giuseppe Mezzofanti, according to various sources, spoke 80-90 languages.
2. The translator Kato Lomb spoke 16 languages.
3. Archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann spoke 15 languages.
4. Writer Leo Tolstoy spoke 15 languages.
5. Writer Alexander Griboedov spoke 9 languages.
6. Inventor Nikola Tesla spoke 8 languages.
7. Writer Anthony Burgess spoke 12 languages.
8. Luca Lampariello
9. Sam Jandreau
10. Ollie Richards is contemporary and speaks 8 languages.
11. Randy Hunt is a contemporary, speaks 6 languages.
12. Donovan Nagel is a contemporary and speaks 10 languages.
13. Benny Lewis is a contemporary, speaks 11 languages.

It should be said that basically all polyglots know 2-3 languages ​​in high level, and the rest are at the level of "survival", that is, they can communicate on simple topics.

Another one interesting feature is that the first foreign language is always the hardest and takes a long time to learn, and subsequent ones are mastered much faster and are easier. It is especially easy to learn the languages ​​of one group, for example: Italian, French and Spanish.

7 common myths about polyglots

Myth #1: Polyglots are people with a special aptitude for languages.

Some people believe that polyglots do not need to strain at all: languages ​​themselves are assimilated in their heads without effort and practice. There is an opinion that those who know many languages ​​have a different brain structure, they easily perceive and reproduce information, grammar is given to them without studying, by itself, etc.

Is it true:

Polyglot - a common person who enjoys learning multiple languages ​​and does his best to do so. There is no such person who could not become a polyglot, because this does not require any special knowledge or mindset. All you need is hard work and dedication.

Don't be in a hurry to be fluent (you'll frustrate yourself). Just enjoy the process. It's slow and not always easy, but it can be enjoyable if you take the pressure off yourself.

Don't rush to freehold right away (you'll only get upset). Just enjoy the process. It will be slow and not always easy, but it can be fun if you don't push yourself.

Myth #2: Polyglots have unique memories

It is believed that all polyglots have a phenomenal memory, so any language is easily given to them. People believe that polyglots memorize the meanings of absolutely all unfamiliar words and grammatical constructions from the very first time, therefore, subsequently, they easily speak the language they are learning.

Is it true:

Polyglots do have a good memory, but many people confuse cause and effect: it is the study of languages ​​that develops memory, and not the unique innate abilities that make it possible to learn a language. Indeed, there are people who can boast of a unique memory, but this does not make them polyglots. The fact is that simply memorizing words or phrases for a full-fledged study of the language is not enough.

Myth #3: Polyglots started learning languages ​​at a young age.

Another popular myth goes something like this: “Polyglots are people who were taken to language courses by their parents from childhood. It is easier for children to study, so today these people can easily speak several foreign languages.”

Is it true:

For the most part, polyglots are people who are in love with foreign languages. And this love came already at a conscious age. Those who learned foreign languages ​​in childhood do not have any advantages over adult learners. Most linguists and psychologists are convinced that languages ​​are even easier for adults, because an adult, unlike a child, consciously takes this step, understands why you need to read texts or translate sentences. Read the article "", you will see that adults have their own advantages over children in learning foreign languages.

Myth #4: Polyglots can learn any language in 3-5 months

The question of the need to learn English and other languages ​​is especially relevant today, so almost every day we read another article or watch an interview with a polyglot. These people sometimes claim to have learned a foreign language in 3-5 months. At the same time, many polyglots in their interviews or articles immediately offer you to buy a language course that they themselves invented for money. Is it worth spending money on it?

Is it true:

In fact, polyglots rarely specify what they mean by the phrase "I learned the language in 5 months." As a rule, during this time a person manages to learn the basics of grammar and basic vocabulary in order to explain himself in everyday communication. But in order to speak on more complex topics, for example, about the life and structure of the Universe, any person needs more than 5 months. Those who speak several languages ​​really well will tell you that they have been studying them for years, constantly improving their knowledge. Therefore, if you plan to move beyond the level of “reading, translating with a dictionary”, get ready not for 3-5 months, but for at least 1-2 years of learning the first foreign language “from scratch”.

Myth #5: Polyglots have a lot of free time.

When we read articles about polyglots, it seems that all they do is give interviews from morning to night and tell how they managed to achieve success in the field of learning foreign languages. From this arose the myth that those who do not work learn languages, they say, they mastered English simply “from nothing to do”.

Is it true:

To confirm our words, watch this video by polyglot Ollie Richards, he talks about life hacks that will help even the busiest people learn the language:

Myth #6: Polyglots travel a lot.

Many people believe that “really” learning a foreign language is possible only abroad, in the country of native speakers of this language. There is an opinion that abroad you can completely “immerse yourself” in the subject being studied, create an ideal language environment, etc. It turns out that in order to become a polyglot, you need to constantly travel around the countries.

Is it true:

In fact, most polyglots say that they communicate a lot with native speakers of the language being studied, are interested in their way of life, culture, etc. However, this does not mean at all that people who study foreign languages ​​travel 365 days a year. Technology allows each person to communicate with people from any country without leaving home. Visit the language exchange sites listed in this article. On them you can find an interlocutor from the USA, Great Britain, Australia, any other country. Polyglots use the same opportunity and successfully learn new languages ​​for themselves. In the article "" we have given 15 tips for creating a language environment for learning English in your native country.

You can recreate an immersion environment at home, by streaming movies, listening to podcasts, playing music, and reading in your target language... all you need is an internet connection.

You can immerse yourself in the language environment at home by watching movies, listening to podcasts and music, reading in the language you are learning... all you need is an internet connection.

Myth #7: Polyglots have a lot of money

This myth is closely related to the previous two: people believe that polyglots do not work, but only travel. In addition, people think that polyglots constantly spend large sums on learning materials: they buy self-study books and dictionaries, take expensive lessons from native speakers, travel abroad for language courses. People believe that polyglots have a lot of money and therefore opportunities to learn foreign languages.

Is it true:

At the time of this writing, "millionaire" and "polyglot" are not identical concepts. As we have already found out, polyglots are not on a continuous journey, and among them there are many ordinary working people like you and me. It's just that those who want to know many languages ​​use every opportunity to gain knowledge. It should be said that we have a lot of such opportunities: from various courses to thousands of online learning resources. For example, you can learn English online for free, and to make it easier for you to find the sites you need, we constantly write articles with collections of tips and useful resources for developing certain skills. Subscribe to our newsletter and you will not miss important information.

Secrets of polyglots: how to learn foreign languages

1. Set yourself a clear goal

Learning a foreign language "because everyone is learning it" won't last long, so decide why you need to know it. The goal can be anything from serious, like getting a position in a prestigious company, to entertaining, like “I want to understand what Sting is singing about.” The main thing is that your goal motivates you and in every possible way strengthens the desire to learn English. To strengthen your desire to learn a language, we advise you to read our articles "" and "".

2. Take at least a few lessons from a teacher at the beginning of your studies

We've all read about how polyglots learn any language on their own. However, many polyglots blog and often indicate that they started learning the language with a teacher, and after learning the basics, they moved on to self-study. We recommend that you do the same: the teacher will help you lay a solid foundation of knowledge, and if you wish, you can build the next “floors” yourself. If you decide to follow this advice, we suggest you try it with one of the experienced teachers of our school. We can help you "advance" English to any level of knowledge.

3. Speak out loud from day one of learning a new language

Even if you are learning your first ten words, say them out loud, so you will better remember the vocabulary. In addition, you will gradually develop the correct pronunciation. From the very first day, look for interlocutors for communication. For beginners, a professional teacher will be an ideal “partner” for the development of oral speech, and from the level you can look for an interlocutor on language exchange sites and hone your speaking skills with a native speaker. Please note: almost all polyglots claim that the most effective and interesting method of learning a new language is communication with native speakers. At the same time, polyglots say that during communication, words and grammatical constructions are easier to remember: you do not force yourself to study them, but memorize them in the process of an interesting conversation.

My absolute favorite language learning activity is talking to people! And it turns out, that’s pretty convenient, because that’s the whole reason we learn languages ​​anyway, right? We learn the language in order to use it. And since language is a skill, the best way to learn it is by using it.

My favorite activity in language learning is talking to people! And it turns out that this is quite convenient, because this is the reason why we learn languages, right? We learn a language in order to use it. Since language is a skill, The best way improve it - use it.

4. Learn phrases, not single words

Watch this video by Luca Lampariello, he tells how to learn new words (you can turn on Russian or English subtitles in the settings).

5. Don't get into theoretical grammar

But this advice must be understood correctly, because recently the opinion that English grammar is superfluous knowledge has been actively discussed on the Internet. Allegedly, for communication it is enough to know three simple tenses and a lot of words. However, in the article "", we explained why such an opinion is fundamentally wrong. What do polyglots mean? They urge us to pay less attention to theory, and more to practical exercises, the use of grammatical structures in oral and writing. Therefore, immediately after getting acquainted with the theory, proceed to practice: do translation exercises, grammar tests, use the studied constructions in speech.

6. Get used to the sound of a new speech for you

I love to listen to podcasts, interviews, audiobooks or even music in my target language while walking or driving. This makes efficient use of my time and I don't feel like I'm making any particular kind of effort.

I like to listen to podcasts, interviews, audiobooks, or even music in the language I'm learning when I'm walking or driving. This allows me to use my time effectively without feeling like I'm putting in any special effort.

7. Read texts in the target language

While reading texts, you see how the studied grammar “works” in speech and new words “cooperate” with each other. At the same time, you use visual memory, which allows you to remember useful phrases. On the Internet you can find texts in any language for beginners, so you need to start reading from the very first days of learning the language. Some polyglots are advised to practice, for example, to read the text in parallel in Russian and English. So you see how sentences are built in the language being studied. In addition, polyglots claim that this allows you to unlearn the habit of translating speech verbatim from your native language into the target language.

8. Improve your pronunciation

9. Make mistakes

"Get out of your comfort zone!" - that's what polyglots call us to. If you are afraid to speak the language you are learning or try to express yourself in simple phrases in order to avoid mistakes, then you are deliberately creating an obstacle for yourself to improve your knowledge. Feel free to make mistakes in the language you are learning, and if you are so tormented by perfectionism, take a look at Runet. Native Russian speakers write words like “potential” (potential), adykvatny (adequate), “pain and numbness” (more or less), etc. without a shadow of hesitation. We urge you to take an example from their courage, but at the same time try to take into account your own errors and eradicate them. At the same time, polyglots remind us of how children learn to speak their native language: they begin to speak with errors, adults correct them, and over time the child begins to speak correctly. Do the same: learning from your mistakes is okay!

Make at least two hundred mistakes a day. I want to actually use this language, mistakes or not.

Make at least two hundred mistakes a day. I want to use this language, with or without errors.

10. Exercise Regularly

The main secret of polyglots is hard work. Among them there is not a single person who would say: "I studied English once a week and learned the language in 5 months." On the contrary, polyglots, as a rule, are in love with learning languages, so they devoted all their time to this free time. We are sure that everyone can find 3-4 hours a week for learning, and if you have the opportunity to study for 1 hour a day, any language will submit to you.

11. Improve your memory

The better your memory is developed, the easier it will be to memorize new words and phrases. Learning a foreign language in itself is a great memory training, and to make this training more productive, use different ways language learning. For example, guessing is a fascinating and useful activity for both learning and memory. - another good idea for training: you can learn the lyrics of your favorite hit by heart, so you will remember a few useful phrases.

12. Take a cue from successful people

Polyglots are always open to new ways of learning, they do not stand still, but are interested in the experience of other people who successfully learn foreign languages. We have dedicated several articles to one of the most eminent polyglots, you can read about the experience of learning languages, or study.

13. Moderate your appetite

A variety of materials allows you not to get bored and enjoy learning a foreign language, but at the same time, we advise you not to “spray”, but to focus on some specific methods. For example, if on Monday you took one textbook, on Tuesday you grabbed the second one, on Wednesday you studied on one site, on Thursday on another, on Friday you watched a video lesson, and on Saturday you sat down to read a book, then by Sunday you risk getting "porridge" in the head from the abundance of material, because their authors use different principles for presenting information. Therefore, as soon as you start learning a new language for yourself, determine the optimal set of textbooks, websites and video lessons. There should not be 10-20 of them, limit your “appetite”, otherwise disparate information will be poorly absorbed. You can find ideas for choosing the materials that suit you in our article "", where you can download a list of the "best" materials for learning a language for free.

14. Have fun learning

Among the famous polyglots, there is not a single person who would say: “Learning languages ​​is boring, I don’t like to do it, but I want to know many languages, so I have to overpower myself.” How do polyglots learn languages? These people enjoy not just understanding that they know a foreign language, but also the very process of learning. Do you think studying is boring? Then use interesting language learning techniques. For example, or hardly anyone will find it boring.

Languages ​​are not something one should study, but rather live, breathe and enjoy.

Languages ​​are not something to be learned, but rather something to live, breathe and enjoy.

Now you know how polyglots learn languages. As you have seen, everyone can learn foreign languages, regardless of "giftedness" and the number of banknotes. There is nothing complicated in the advice of polyglots for learning languages, all techniques are available to any person and are easily applicable in practice. Try to follow the given recommendations and have fun learning.

If you are asked what language most people in the world speak, what would you say? Say - in English? And you will be wrong. English, of course, was and remains the most popular language for learning: it is studied in most language schools, it is used by residents of many countries. We have already written about how to choose the best teacher English - in a word, it is really an extremely relevant and necessary language. But it is far from the only and not even the first in the ranking of the most popular languages ​​in the world.

Are you surprised? We are sure that it is English that is the universal means of communication - for example,? In that case, yes. And also for business, study, many areas of professional activity (for example, for lawyers, about English for which). But there are other reasons as well.

Most popular foreign languages

Let's make a reservation right away: these “foreign” languages ​​are for us, we choose them for learning as needed. But for tens and hundreds of millions of people they are native languages. It is this sign - how many people consider a particular language as their native language - that is one of the main ones for determining the popularity of a language in the world. Let's compile the TOP 10 most spoken native languages ​​on the planet in 2017:

Chinese 1320 million people

Hindi and Urdu 490 million people

Spanish 437 million people

English 372 million people

Arabic 295 million people

Bengali 242 million people

Portuguese 219 million people

Russian 154 million people

Japanese 128 million people

German and Korean languages ​​shared an honorable 10th place - they are considered native by 77 million people.

As you can see, although English is among the top five, it is far from the most common in the world according to the principle of “native language”. Like other European languages, Asian ones have left them far behind. It can even be said that the above rating contains the most common spoken languages in the world. Their carriers may know and use several foreign languages, but everyone knows their native language.

Mother tongue is the language that a person speaks from childhood. The first and assimilated in a natural way, without special study. The language in which a person thinks. (Engide Help)

The most popular languages ​​of different countries

The history of mankind regularly makes its own adjustments to life ordinary people, read - native speakers of a particular language. In addition, history has little regard for geography, due to which the same language can be the official state, colloquial and simply the most common in completely different territories that are far from each other.

The conquest of new territories and the colonial policy of Great Britain provided the English language with the first place in the ranking of official languages. different countries. We talked about them in detail. And today we list the most popular languages world, which are state. The rating looks like this:

Language	In which countries is it considered official	The total number of such countries
English	Great Britain, USA, India, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and other Commonwealth countries (the so-called English-speaking world, or “Anglosphere”)
French	France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco, countries of West and Central Africa and others (the so-called francophone countries)
Arab	countries of North Africa and the Middle East ( common name- Arab world)
Spanish	Spain, Equatorial Guinea and Ibero-America (except Brazil, more on that below)
Portuguese	Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and other Commonwealth countries
German	Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Luxembourg
	Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
Italian	Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican
Malay	Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore

With this approach, the most popular languages ​​have changed places, the hierarchy has changed. Please note that the list has Italian language, which was not among the most common on the basis of the native language. And we are happy about it - it is very beautiful and melodic!

Most Popular Languages ​​to Learn

Learning foreign languages ​​in courses in a group, alone with a teacher or on your own is a responsible and difficult task. It will take more than one year for a high-quality and in-depth study of an unfamiliar language from scratch before you can freely use it in speaking and correspondence. Therefore, it is not surprising that most often students of language schools choose to study English - in most situations, it is he who is needed.

However, learning English as a foreign language is not at all necessary for many inhabitants of our planet. Everyone has their reasons. For example, a line of business, a planned emigration, or just a passion for a certain culture. For example, we can give several good reasons for learning English and / or other common foreign languages:

English (English-speaking companies and processes) provides the largest share (approximately 29.3%) of the total global GDP. In second place on this basis is the Chinese language (more than 12.5%), and its share is constantly growing.

More than half of all existing websites use English. You may be surprised, but in second place in terms of the number of sites is Runet (about 6.7% of all sites use the Russian language).

Chinese used by almost half a billion people. And at the same time, it is considered the most difficult language in the world. Why not test your strength and learn Chinese? ;)

According to some linguists and sociologists, after some relatively short time, the Hindi language will overtake Chinese and take the place of the language with the most big amount carriers in the world. Today, the number of its speakers reaches almost half a million people.

French with its relatively modest number of speakers (“only” 150 million people) is official language such international organizations as the European Union, the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations.

In a word, each language is interesting in its own way and reflects the culture of the people who created it. Although only a few languages ​​have the status of a world language. In total, linguists have about 7,000 languages ​​on Earth. So there is something to learn, good luck and inspiration!