Polyglot Willy Melnikov and his opinion on studying foreign languages?

Actually we respect those who can speak two foreign languages. If somebody knows three languages we consider him or her a genius. But do you believe that there are people who can speak more than 100 foreign languages quite freely and keep studying foreign languages with pleasure?

Russian polyglot Willy Melnikov is obviously one of them. He can freely speak more than 100 languages of different countries and nations including rarely and “dead” languages, and he systematically supplements his language collection. Such unbelievable inclination for languages became clearly seen after temporal lobe of the skull injury which Willy had had in Afghanistan in 1985. Since then scientists are studying his amazing ability, and Willy goes on learning more and more foreign languages. 

Willy is wary of word “polyglot”. He says that when somebody calls him like this he associates it with a sort of language “gluttony”. Maybe it is partly true; otherwise it would be impossible to know such great deal of foreign languages. 

Some years ago Willy Melnikov wrote a book “Introduction to lingvodiving” where he described his own method and system of studying foreign languages which can help other people get the same incredible results. Maybe you have no aim to be able to speak 100 foreign languages, but some Willy’s advices can be useful. 

In his book Willy writes that we shouldn’t have the goal of language learning as itself. We usually misunderstand the notion “learn a language”. Willy supposes that at the level of senses we don’t acquire a foreign language – it acquires us! That’s why most approaches to language learning aren’t successful today – moreover they discourage any wish for it and persuade people in their inability to languages. Willy insists that there is no person unable for language learning – there are only persons who don’t realize richness and new life perception which they get from languages!

Willy Melnikov believes that any foreign language must be approached like a living being. 
Grammar is like skeleton, conjugations and declensions are like muscles, phraseology and idiomatic are like circulatory system herewith. Each language like each living being is created according to the same scheme but it has its own originality. If we know this scheme we can find successful approach to studying any foreign languages. We are afraid of Chinese, Arabic and Sanskrit, but these languages are not difficult – they just have a different logic. 

If we get rid of the fear of a foreign language we can easily learn 4-6 languages at the level of communication during a year. Willy Melnikov can do it - so can you!  

How to read foreign language texts correctly?

Today let’s talk about such method of language learning as reading and translating foreign texts. What is the gist of this method? How to read foreign language texts correctly?

In general, the essence of the method is reading of different foreign texts (both textbooks and original literature) and studying new words while reading these texts. Grammar skill developing is less important, the main thing is vocabulary. What are the pros and cons of such approach?

Pros first. It is impossible to learn a language without texts and books reading. It is even difficult to improve our native language if we don’t read anything, isn’t it? One more plus of textual method is that we can develop our reading and translating skills – it could be impossible without reading. So, we cannot do anything in language learning if we don’t read foreign texts – no matter if we learn a language deeply or just to be able to speak it a little. 

But minuses are also obvious. How can we learn a language in its entirety just reading and translating texts? What about speaking and talking as well as listening comprehension? We cannot learn a language well just using reading and translating. So, what shall we do?

Firstly, we should not just read and translate texts, but we must surely retell them. Retelling is very useful for vocabulary, grammar and speaking training! Before that we can write down some text thesis in our native language – than we look at them and retell the text. Try to do it loudly and freely – you shouldn’t be afraid of your voice speaking foreign language! 

Secondly, for better foreign speech comprehension we should listen up texts till full and deep understanding. Different text to speech converters can help us do it successfully. You can find some of them here:

http://imtranslator.net/translate-and-speak/

http://www.oddcast.com/home/demos/tts/tts_example.php

http://translate.google.com/?hl=ru&tab=TT
 

With the help of such resources we can listen up our texts for better listening comprehension training. This skill is worth training if we wish to read foreign language texts correctly.

In addition, for successful language learning it is necessary to train all skills as a whole: writing, reading, speaking and listening. Using texts allows us to train them all!

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It is easy to learn foreign words!

The more we learn a foreign language, the more we develop our memory, train our brain and accumulate the skill of foreign words memorization. At least, so the theory says. But in practice, who among us wasn’t tormented by foreign verbs grind, and then not disappointed by noting that we had learnt at least half of all? What to do if our memory doesn’t grow as fast as we would like? How to improve our skill to learn foreign words?

The answer is to help ourselves and our memory to learn material necessary. Fortunately, you do not have to invent your own ways. There are many techniques that allow us to facilitate the work of memorizing words. One of these techniques is the city of words.

The purpose of the method is to create strong associative links with the words you learn. Indeed, the absence of such links is the reason that words are remembered with such difficulty. As long as they are just a collection of sounds for you, you continue to forget them.

Thus, our task is to link words with the associations – it’s a very useful to learn foreign words. To do this, imagine a city that you know well. Imagine its districts, streets, shops and houses. Now let your words settle in this city.

In fact, this method is so simple that it is difficult to give a name for it. Indeed, most of words that are used in a language are connected with reality in one way or another, and most used words are those that refer to objects that we see every day.

Link all the adjectives you learn with a city park. Find a vivid image for each word to visualize the image when you learn this word. A lot of adjectives, such as green, sunny, bright, fragrant, delicious and so on can be easily associated with any object in the park.

Settle the verbs in the sports center of your city. Now such words as run, jump, lift, swim and so on find their places, as well as sounds, smells and senses. Finally, this is our goal – in this way the words cease to be a set of sounds and become words, and we learn foreign words faster and much better.

If in the language you learn the words are divided by genders, mentally break the city into zones of male and female (and perhaps neutral) gender. This is the home only for "female" words, and that is - only for "male" ones. Think of how to differ such zones.

Eventually your city will grow and you'll be surprised how many words you can remember. And then, you may begin to build a new city for another language!