Global TV’s program on polyglots was a bit of a disappointment in that it did not point out that anyone can learn another language, and another and another. Here is my video on the subject.
6 May 2012
6 May 2012
Global TV’s program on polyglots was a bit of a disappointment in that it did not point out that anyone can learn another language, and another and another. Here is my video on the subject.
5 Comments
Hi Steve: Thanks for posting this video. I was also disappointed with the show, partially for some of the reasons you mentioned and also because I found it shallow. I went to music school and many musicians and singers could be characterized as "different. I went to business school and everyone agreed that accountants and engineers are different! It is too easy to show how we are different and point this out with a sprinkling of brain science to give credence. I will admit that I am different, and maybe even a little weird but who isn’t! And although a huge number of our species may have had their desire to learn crushed by either well meaning, or not so well meaning educators, parents, and other "know-it-alls," I believe that our ability to learn and communicate, and the love of learning and the desire to communicate is the major part of what makes us human. We could have heard that "you too could learn a new language" if you do some of these things and share in this attitude. I would have loved to have heard more about this but did not. In their characterization of the "hyper" polyglots as outsiders and different, Global TV missed a great opportunity to show us how we could all share in this amazing human ability.
Thank you John for this excellent comment. I am going to send it to the producers of the show.
I appreciate you standing up for the love of learning languages. I agree that anyone can do it, but it comes from desire. The show opens with that fellow who speaks 22 languages. I’m not sure why they chose to overlook how much effort he puts into it.
Cultures are naturally self-centered. It’s no wonder polyglots are looked upon as strange people.
I think that learning makes your IQ go up. Not the other way around.