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My name is Steve Kaufmann. I grew up in the English-speaking area of Montreal, Canada. I am a graduate of L’Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris, France (1966), and a former Canadian Diplomat.

Currently I am President of KP Wood Ltd, a company involved in the international wood products trade. I am also co-founder (together with my son Mark) of LingQ, an online language learning system and Web 2.0 community, whose members from all over the world help each other learn up to 21 languages.

Until the age of seventeen I spoke only English. Today I know 16 languages and speak at least half a dozen of them quite fluently, and I am determined to add more. You can find my story in my book The Way of the Linguist, A Language Learning Odyssey. I also have a channel on YouTube.

For most of my adult life, I have been interested in languages, history, travel, music, good food and wine, and sports, which I enjoy with my friends and family. Since the age of 55, I have put more effort into learning languages and this has enriched all other activities.

My blog The Linguist on Language is dedicated to this passion. Through the blog I share my language learning experience, day-to-day activities as well as tools and resources that I find useful for successful learning. I believe that learning can be fun and effective with the right approach and attitude.

Join me and enjoy your language learning journey!