There seems to be a gap between the way polyglots learn languages and the way they are taught in most language courses. Why is that? And what exactly makes polyglots’ ways of learning languages different?
Lýdia’s mission as a language mentor is to help people learn languages more effectively by applying learning strategies that polyglots use. In this talk, she provides a few insights on where the methods of polyglots and of foreign language teachers seem to differ. She’s helped thousands of Slovaks change their approach to learning foreign languages by applying polyglots’ principles in practice.
Want to learn a new language but feel daunted or unsure where to begin? You don't need some special talent or a "language gene," says Lýdia Machová. In an upbeat, inspiring talk, she reveals the secrets of polyglots and shares four principles to help unlock your own hidden language talent -- and have fun while doing it.
Polyglots are usually very good at learning languages by themselves, without teachers. This ability is often attributed to a special talent that they have, but Lýdia believes it comes down to a different quality – self-discipline. Learning a language from zero to a comfortable B2 level by yourself takes a lot of time and dedication and if you’re doing this by yourself, you need to be either extremely motivated to learn that language, or well-disciplined. That’s why most people find it so difficult and often give up after a few weeks or months. There is, however, quite a simple solution to this problem: learning systematically. If you create a plan in your learning, all you need to do is follow its simple steps, day by day, week by week, month by month. You don’t have to ask yourself “Do I feel like learning today?” over and over again. Lýdia trusts that anyone can turn into a successful autodidact (i.e. learn a language by themselves) if they find the right methods to learn and if they create a realistic plan. In her talk, she’ll give concrete examples of how such a plan may look, based on hundreds of examples of her students.
