Repost: Linguist Steve Kaufman who can speak 10 languages

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Exclusive interview with linguist Steve Kaufman: Question: Have you really read Zhuangzi? Shi: No, I can’t read classical Chinese, but I have read some English works on Zhuangzi. Many of the philosophers’ ideas have deeply touched my heart, especially that natural, spontaneous, and casual attitude toward life – which I consider to be the best aspect of Chinese culture. Question: Learning a foreign language requires motivation. When Chinese people learn foreign languages, they often adopt a pragmatic attitude; for example, learning English can help them find jobs. But few people have the motivation to learn a third language other than English. Shi: This is easy to understand. China is not like a **; it’s more like a continent, with 1.3 billion people who can communicate in Chinese wherever they go. The same is true in the United States; if you can speak English, you can travel around the world – why learn other languages? But in countries like the Netherlands and Sweden, many people can speak several languages. It’s not because they are talented; it’s because they have to learn foreign languages since they often need to communicate with people who speak other languages. The most important thing is to arouse their interest in the new language and eliminate their fear. The problem still lies in traditional teaching methods. If 10% of the potential population is willing to learn a foreign language, traditional teaching methods reduce this figure to 1%, especially in the East—countries like China and Japan, where English is taught in a very coercive manner. Question: You say learning a language is like falling in love, but how do you handle the relationship between a new love and an old one? After all, time and energy are limited. Shi: Some people can learn two languages at the same time, but I can’t; I can only focus on one language at a time. For example, right now I also want to learn Portuguese, because I’ve met a friend who speaks Portuguese; I like him very much and talk to him once a week. But my Portuguese skills aren’t improving, as I’m deeply in love with Russian. All my energy is focused on Russian; I can’t pay attention to Portuguese. I carry my iPod with me all day to listen to Russian recordings. However, language is endless; it’s impossible to achieve perfection. When I feel it’s time, I will naturally shift from Russian to Portuguese. I think one must focus on one thing for a while, and then you can move on to a new language or return to an old one, without losing the current language. For example, after studying French for a while, you might find that your English has improved. Question: My biggest obstacle in learning a new language is that if I don’t use it, I’ll forget it over time – isn’t that a waste? Shi: From my experience, a little effort is enough to restore and maintain it. Because when I learn a foreign language, I don’t follow traditional linguistic methods or get stuck on the technical details of grammar. Instead, I focus on \"input\" – listening and reading extensively to build up my vocabulary and phrases, allowing my brain to gradually develop a sense of familiarity with that language and to identify patterns. This approach is much more effective than logic. I have been away from China for 40 years; I went to Japan during that time and worked in the timber business in Europe, so I haven’t had many opportunities to come into contact with the Chinese language. But I have a large collection of crosstalk CDs at my home in Vancouver, audio versions of Chinese novels, and narrated versions of \"Romance of the Three Kingdoms\". Whenever I need to \"repair\" my Chinese skills, I listen to these materials over and over again or watch Chinese TV programs online. A few days of intensive effort might not lead to much improvement, but it also won’t cause any significant decline. Question: Did you never encounter any major setbacks while learning a language? Shi: Of course, there are small setbacks. For example, Chinese tones give me a lot of trouble; just as it’s difficult for Chinese people speaking English to distinguish between \"the\" and \"a\", or between \"he\" and \"she\", because such distinctions don’t exist in that language. When the brain will give you complete certainty depends on its progress; no matter how hard you study, it’s of no use. But even if I make mistakes, it really doesn’t matter; my goal isn’t to be perfect, but to be able to speak, understand, and enjoy.