As Tyler and I struggle to remember hello and thank you in Thai (sawatdee kaa and khob-kun-ka for me; sawatdee khrab and khob-kun-krub for Tyler), I think back to a recent Economist article on "The Gift of Tongues." Looking at what makes some people become polyglots and others... well, struggle to remember hello and thank you, the article looks at an 18th century secular saint of Bologna named Mezzofanti who was said to speak 72 languages. When two prisoners were due to be executed, this saint learned the language in a night, heard their sins the next morning, and saved them both from the fires of hell.
Different hypotheses explain the language-learning's gift. Some polyglots are near-autistic. Others point to abnormal antenatal exposure to hormones.
The best part, however, comes at the end of the article (as is usually the case):
"At the end of his story, however, he finds a surprise in Mezzofanti's archive: flashcards. Stacks of them, in Georgian, Hungarian, Arabic, Algonquin and nine other tongues. The world's most celebrated hyperpolyglot relied on the same tools given to first-year language learners today. The conclusion? Hyperpolyglots may begin with talent, but they aren't geniuses. They simply enjoy tasks that are drudgery to normal people. The talent and enjoyment drive a virtuous cycle that pushes them to feats others simply shake their heads at, admiration mixed with no small amount of incomprehension."
Empowering, isn't it?
Different hypotheses explain the language-learning's gift. Some polyglots are near-autistic. Others point to abnormal antenatal exposure to hormones.
The best part, however, comes at the end of the article (as is usually the case):
"At the end of his story, however, he finds a surprise in Mezzofanti's archive: flashcards. Stacks of them, in Georgian, Hungarian, Arabic, Algonquin and nine other tongues. The world's most celebrated hyperpolyglot relied on the same tools given to first-year language learners today. The conclusion? Hyperpolyglots may begin with talent, but they aren't geniuses. They simply enjoy tasks that are drudgery to normal people. The talent and enjoyment drive a virtuous cycle that pushes them to feats others simply shake their heads at, admiration mixed with no small amount of incomprehension."
Empowering, isn't it?
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