Vladimir Skultety is best known for his viral YouTube video, where he spoke nineteen languages in fifteen minutes. I caught up with him to discuss his journey as a polyglot, his learning methods, and why so many people give up on learning a foreign language.
What motivated you to become a polyglot?
I was lucky to grow up in a multilingual environment, and as I got older, I kept learning languages simply because I enjoyed speaking them. My hometown in Slovakia is just 20 km from the Hungarian border, so I grew up with Slovak and Czech as native languages and attended a Hungarian kindergarten for four years. Later, I spent much of my childhood in the United States while also watching German television. By that time, I spoke English and German at the same level as Slovak and Hungarian.
How did you learn so many languages?
It’s hard to say. I picked up Slovak, Czech, Hungarian, English, and German as a child, so I don’t even remember how I learned them — like most people with their native language. Later, my approach was simple: full immersion. I moved to countries where the language was spoken, deliberately surrounded myself with it, and learned by using it.
How do you retain all your languages?
These days, I don’t do much to maintain them because languages don’t interest me as much as they used to. When I was younger, I listened to foreign news daily and simultaneously interpreted it into Slovak or read books in different languages. Ideally, I would have practiced with native speakers more, but that wasn’t always an option.
Which language was the hardest to learn?
Mandarin Chinese. European languages are closely related, even if people don’t always realize it. Compared to “real foreign languages” like Mandarin, Japanese, or Greenlandic, learning European languages requires much less effort.
What are the best things about being a polyglot?
It’s hard to say because I’ve spoken multiple languages for as long as I can remember. But I’d say the biggest benefits are freedom and having more opportunities in life.
Why do so many people give up on learning a language?
Probably because they don’t enjoy the process and can’t see the “light at the end of the tunnel.” That loss of motivation is usually what stops people from progressing.
What are some common mistakes language learners make?
Many believe that doing enough drills will magically make the language stick. But the key is to actually use the language as much as possible. If you want to get good at something, you have to practice it regularly.
If you could give three pieces of language learning advice, what would they be?
- Learn by using.
- Stay curious.
- Practice, practice, practice.
Are you planning to learn any more languages?
I’m not sure. Serious language learning requires time and effort, and right now, I have other interests. I’ve been dabbling in Latin, but I haven’t made it past the first ten pages of Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic War. If I ever get the chance to live in Korea, I’d like to learn Korean properly.
To learn more about Vladimir Skultety, visit his blog.