How I Learned to Speak 15 Languages in One Year

Today I’m talking about how I learned to speak 15 languages in one year. Am I the world’s greatest polyglot or is this video just massive clickbait? Well, the reality is that it is impossible to learn to speak 15 languages fluently in one year, but I’ll show you how I was able to have basic conversations (and genuine fluency in one case) in these languages after one year. Here are some links to language learning resources I mention in the video:
* Baselang, aka the way I learned to speak Spanish fluently in two months from my NYC apartment (affiliate link): baselang.com/xiaomanyc
* My friend Matt vs Japan’s KZbin channel: / mattvsjapan (he has extremely high level Japanese but learned it in an opposite way from mine)
* Princeton in Beijing, which made me learn Chinese really quickly: pib.princeton.edu/
* Italki, a great way to find language tutors: www.italki.com/
0:00 Is this video clickbait?
1:16 Do you have to be a "genius" to learn languages?
1:55 Why classroom learning is so ineffective
3:32 How I immersed in Chinese in China
5:23 How I immersed in Spanish in New York City
6:43 How I learned my first African language
8:29 Why speaking is so important
9:33 My current, 3-step process for learning languages
11:49 Why this process is actually like chess
12:58 Q&A: What if I can't or don't want to practice speaking?
14:40 Q&A: Should I study grammar directly?
15:20 Q&A: How much time should I study per day?
16:30 Q&A: Should I use notebooks or write stuff down?
16:54 Q&A: Do I review languages I've learned?
17:37 Q&A: Are language courses worth it?
19:34 What to do if you did not enjoy this video...
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[@achan2004]

you should try sign language, and go to a deaf event like a deaf coffee chat! its definitely different than the other languages that you have learned. Love your channel! its very inspiring

[@Lensynth]

I second this! Sign language is awesome. I learned a bit when my kids were babies to help prevent tantrums and my kids still use a bit of ASL 5 years later. There's also like 300 different sign languages and I find that interesting somehow.

[@eyuelyiferu264]

I am born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Coffee originated from Ethiopia.

[@sierradenae579]

Oh yeaa , I live in New Orleans and attended one of these at cafe du monde ‘!!

[@Yellowsnow69420]

I know ASL and it was quite easy. Way easier than any other language I’ve tried to learn. It feels like it’s kind of cheating, though because I can think in English as I sign.

[@Lensynth]

@@Yellowsnow69420 He could try out other sign languages as well as ASL. There's about 300 different sign languages.

[@Ollieblue1]

Xiaoma: learns 15 languages in a year Me: *still struggling with basic japanese after 10 years of trying to learn it.*

[@ryans6141]

Try Tandem?

[@peroporque7651]

Obviously not working hard then are you

[@ryans6141]

@@peroporque7651 booo

[@miguelv490]

Weeb

[@peroporque7651]

@@ryans6141 Ye ye boo the truth all you like

[@sirhamalot8651]

2 tips I got: -I met an Irishman who learned Spanish by watching Soap Operas in Spanish. He said the perfect enunciation of the actors coupled with the emotional over-acting helps to understand what is being said and what it means. -Watch the 'Sesame Street' equivalents of the language you're trying to learn. Children's shows teach you the basics very slowly.

[@budekins542]

Very good advice! I'm watching children's stories in Spanish on KZbin and using a powerful new tool - ChatGPT!

[@taintwasher3703]

yeah i wanted to try opera so i watched Mozart Don Giovanni, had no intention in learning italian but a large amount of words and phrases stuck with me

[@blacksheep1337]

This tips actually works well, i started learning english 05 months ago and now im able to completely understand Xiaoma with any subtitles help. Remembering im not able to keep a conversation or write well yet but living 100% under english culture makes a lot of progression in my hearing skills.

[@chexnfx7161]

Awesome

[@lindalockhart1266]

Unless someone wrote this for you and English is not your first language, you wrote this remarkably well! Great job!

[@Acro_LangLearn]

Immersion moment

[@adeca5052]

How did you choose what was most important to speak? Like the words etc

[@Acro_LangLearn]

@@adeca5052 I guess OP just immersed in English so much, that they probably know most of the common words in English.

[@MaryJBlack]

Woww! Thats interesting. Ain't easy to even speak one language fluently

[@superscribe6651]

Yeah Americans can't even speak American correctly (Intended)

[@bigmanz3415]

@@superscribe6651 🤣😂

[@Alinda1308]

Indeed he doesn't speak them all fluently

[@superscribe6651]

@@Alinda1308 but at least he can have a basic conversation. It's impressive he can do that in 16 languages! As some people can't even speak one language fluently

[@virginsquad3702]

Why this Wakanda girl everywhere! 🤔

[@Pretisy]

Next year's video titles will be: "How I forgot 13 languages after one year"

[@AfroLinguo]

😂😂😂 This got me. And then the year after would be... How I relearned them 13 languages.

[@Xlicty]

Actually would help some people 😂😂😂

[@ponta1162]

LMAO 😂😂😂

[@valvejob4215]

He learned 15 languages in a single year, and this is what happened to his brain. Xiaomanyc is a young man, presenting to the emergency room speaking gibberish...

[@_perza]

@@valvejob4215 XM*

[@StarlingASMR]

You’re a legend!

[@oneseeker2]

He is likable, he is engaging, his eyes lite up, great smile, A+ on personality. He is far far younger than I.

[@fwob773]

Shut up

[@ChocolateVP23]

@@fwob773 lol

[@peteck007]

*Here is some rare tip:* If you're not familiar with the accent and finding it hard to understand (what is being talked on the TV/movies) even though you have practiced a language to the point where you can write good and speak good.. but the only problem you're having is you can't really keep up with the accent of the native speaker. Listen to the songs and memorize them with lyrics. As more as you can.. it'd take on an average 80 or more songs (of your target language) to make the accent very naturalised to your ears.

[@nobytes2]

On the notes on accents, a country can have several accents in different regions. I lived in Northern and Southern Mexico and heard tons of accents. I also couldn't understand a regional accent from someone from Honduras. I had to ask him to slow down. So I think is best to learn the most widely spoken accent and go from there.

[@Acro_LangLearn]

No, not songs but shows and YT videos. Much better, and you get to learn lots of stuff too.

[@chilenapromedioRU]

I would probably need to listen the BBC 24/7. Anyone has a recommendation to what I could listen to improve my English pronunciation? I'm interested only in British English.

[@laterz8260]

@@chilenapromedioRU TV shows, podcasts, movies and with the shows I would reccomend using subtitles that are in your native language

[@nalat1suket4nk0]

Good tip

[@andrewlapensee]

The learning process is the hardest part, once youve mastered your way of learning, then repeat with multiple languages.. practice makes perfect..

[@AfroLinguo]

Exactly. I discovered the language learning technique that works for me and I have used it to learn german, chinese and now korean and it is still working great.

[@AfroLinguo]

@Kepler 186-F Hi sup?

[@AfroLinguo]

@Kepler 186-F Good

[@ichbindynamit9919]

@@AfroLinguo tell us my friend!!

[@rafixalafova164]

@@AfroLinguo Hi. How is it going? So what's your technique? Could you tell me please?

[@BrandonLuisi]

You’ve actually inspired me to learn new languages. In high school I took 4 years of spanish and earned my seal of biliteracy. Now that I’m in college I miss learning languages so 4 weeks ago I began learning Korean :) and I’d say im doing pretty well!

[@Toast_Bros]

How's your Korean coming along?

[@Alex_Eh]

@@Toast_Bros Seems like he gave up :(

[@nanuk1334]

@Brandon Luisi Are you still learning ?

[@the_g9456]

Young man, you are truly amazing. Being able to communicate with people on their level is so important in every part of life. I can see in your videos how you bridge that gap between different cultures. I sincerely wish you well and thanks for your content.

[@Queer_Nerd_For_Human_Justice]

This makes a lot of sense, thank you. Actively coming up with your own phrases and trying to do your own translations work, using those creative muscles, it certainly helps me much faster as well. Plus those roleplays and real-world conversations so there's a real back-and-forth. Two powerful tools.

[@mamatila123]

honestly... this process is very smart, because even people that are fluent in specific languages and work as translators, still need to pass tests to interpret in specific contexts, such as medical contexts for example, because the vocabulary varies. Additionally, as someone who is bilingual, once you can start a conversation your language learning skyrockets because the new vocabulary with just start coming and people will want to help you understand. Great job!!!

[@ChokyoDK]

I remember Laoshu's videos like this. Man. R.I.P. That laugh still rings throughout malls and Chinese restaurants.

[@GorillaFlakes]

Rip😔

[@RJ-ku2mh]

Ive been out of the loop, what happened to Laoshu?

[@ChokyoDK]

@@RJ-ku2mh He died from heart complications. 4th of March 2021

[@szewei85]

gone too soon man my niggah :(

[@Acro_LangLearn]

Still miss him bruh

[@yasminoquendo343]

CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THOSE AMAZING YEARS LEARNING EVERYTHING YOU KNOW

[@MuumipappaJaMeri]

When I started to learn Lithuanian, my first sentences were these: "I love you.", "Nice to meet you." AND "I don't like musrooms." I knew what I wanted to say!

[@superscribe6651]

Haha first phrases I have learned in about 30 languages was "thank you" then "I love you" in 8 cause I lost the motivation haha. But like ask me what's "thank you" in one of the 30 languages I can pull that information. It was like only phrase I knew in that language but still, that was cool lol

[@Kathsings]

I started learning Lithuanian with a Plimseur audio program. By lesson seven I’d learned how to say “ I want something to eat”, “I want something to drink”, “wine”, “beer”, “my place”, “your place”. Those are the Plimseur priorities I guess.

[@clerede6382]

@@Kathsings I'm native Lithuanian speaker and I always wondering why people want to learn Lithuanian language.

[@Kathsings]

@@clerede6382 my grandparents came from Lithuania and it was spoken by their children when we went to visit, but the grandchildren were never taught. I wanted to learn so I started with tapes then went to Lithuanian Saturday school for three years. I’m still struggling, all those tenses and word changes! It is a really difficult language! I’m planning to visit for a couple days in April, and at least should be able to order in a restaurant!

[@demosmemebrewery9916]

i gotta learn "I'm mainly a Touhou fan, not really into much else"

[@driego1922]

Your are amazing Xiaoma, I just find you on KZbin a few days back but i totally love your content and watch it all. As a selftaught english speaker I can tell you you have absolutely right. Got to hear it and speak it, but it's not as easy as is it for you. You have to got the will to do it, the will of persist. Can't wait your next video! Greets from Argentina 👋🏼

[@HumanByProxy]

I had to learn Attican Greek in high school. It left me feeling like I could never learn to speak another language. Yet that is a language no one speaks anymore! Thank you for your take.

[@vasiadaliani2440]

Yeah, at school languages are usually taught in a manner that doesn't help you learn to actually communicate. I studied French for three years at school but the true learning only occurred once I started private lessons. Also, Attican Greek, other than the fact that it's not spoken anymore, is SERIOUSLY hard, even for us native Greek speakers. So it wasn't your fault that you had such a hard time with it. I hope learning new languages is easier for you now.

[@reynaldkloss.r6302]

@@vasiadaliani2440 this is true, I've been "learning" English in school but honestly it doesn't help me to have a proper conversation with someone bcuz they don't force us to pratice our listening, it's just grammar rules and few practical examples to use in day-to-day. Since I started to taught myself English i got so much better!!

[@tomascarignano5002]

Dude you’re so positive and encouraging. Thanks a lot for the tips

[@northwest_rain]

This is exactly what I needed! Thank you!

[@silentone3852]

Xiaomanyc the definition of motivation. Can't wait to see what new languages you learn in the future 👍

[@BamBeatz3]

Here from TikTok I am so impressed and have a dream to learn many languages I started off in Latin too and never remembered any of it. I am now self taught Spanish and loved it! I am hoping to learn many more! U r an inspiration bro! Thank you for sharing!

[@jfoxx1188]

Thank you for sharing your process and tools you used. I love your videos and it’s soo inspiring! It’s so dope you’re tapping into so many didn’t cultures. What’s a great experience !

[@ColeLangs]

Loved this! Practice makes perfect.

[@tylerjackson2654]

My DANISH girlfriend has been trying to learn Danish in Copenhagen for the past 3 months and can NOT get the pronunciation down. I would LOVE to see you try! :)

[@eskilpeskil1586]

Bro you need a potato in your mouth to speak danish

[@alexalika4618]

How is she Danish and doesn’t speak her language? Or do you mean she’s American with some danish ancestors?!? BIG difference @Tyler Jackson

[@someonehere364]

@@alexalika4618 you can be born in a country but raised in another one, so you won't necessarily speak the language of the country you are from

[@SaintErik]

Danish is impossible. /Sweden

[@Damgaard1970]

Danish ist'n more difficult to learn than Swedish .. 🇩🇰 think he can do it 👍

[@pedroboladoronaldo]

Hey, Xiaoma! Huge brazilian fan here. I'm not a teacher or anything like that but I've been speaking English since I was a kid and I also lived in France for 3 years so my french is pretty decent, so if you wanna practice your french and/or brazilian portuguese just hit me up. Love your channel my dude 🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@wizcats5035]

Hey! I’m Brazilian and I speak Portuguese but my grammar is awful 😭 I’ve been trying to get better but when I moved to Cali there’s literally no Brazilians here (,:

[@pedroboladoronaldo]

@@wizcats5035 How did that happen, you left Brazil in a young age? And yeah, brazilians usually go for the east coast when moving to the US lol

[@reynaldkloss.r6302]

@@wizcats5035 a tip is to use Twitter, brazilians are highly active there (from young to old people), you can learn (or remember) most words that we use here, at least the main and most useful ones

[@wizcats5035]

@@pedroboladoronaldo so I was actually born in the east coast but my whole family is from Brasil. Since I moved from the east coast to CA I don’t speak Portuguese as much as I used to

[@pedroboladoronaldo]

@@wizcats5035 Oh ok now I got it. Just keep practicing so can be sure your brazilian portuguese knowledge will never go away. I guess listening to brazilian music and following brazilian youtube channels can help you out. Also brazilian twitter is great for keeping up with new expressions and stuff like that. Well if you ever come to Rio just hit me up, you'll always be a brazilian, after all 🇧🇷❤👊🏼

[@BaileyB1011]

This video was very well put together!! Nicely done.

[@mikeizzano172]

I was very impressed with your videos, this was a great idea to explain to us what works for you. ! We all wondered how you did it , now we know thanks and keep them coming !

[@b.c.4902]

It would be amazing if you learned Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Polish, Croatian, or really any language representing the Slavic group

[@lostpelican1883]

May I suggest Serbian? It is such an under-recognized, interesting language. (though all you've listed are beautiful as well). Would love to see him try out Albanian

[@nanuk1334]

Jakoze on asi na slovany sere :(

[@HistoriaenMapas]

An RUSSIAN!!!

[@andrewshepitko6354]

You mentioned the languages i learn

[@-marija]

@@lostpelican1883 its also pretty similar to croatian so if he learns one of them or bosnian he can easily learn the other

[@jannethacevedo1820]

One of the best videos that I saw. Your experience, your advices, thank you so much 小马 for share the way that you are learning! I envy you when you got Jackie Chan's signature in your shirt 👕 💕 I'm your fan and keep learning, greetings from Bogotá, Colombia! 感谢你！好好学习！加油！😁

[@darrellwong4097]

That’s awesome Xiaoma! I totally agree with you. I have found this type of video that focuses on the process really helpful. Thanks for sharing and I think this is another inspiring video! 👍👍👍

[@jaytubing607]

Thank you so much for this! Your videos really help inspire me to learn languages 🥳

[@NoName-je2kr]

As a Russian subscriber, I recommend you to learn this difficult, but really interesting language. As a native speaker, I think it is harder than Chinese (I know this because I study it). It would be very challenging)))

[@Ryanin2D]

Yeah man. The subtle variations of sh, jj, eh and ah sounds frustrated me a lot in high-school. Dating a Russian helped a lot, but it's difficult. Also, I'd say Russians love quoting literature more than Chinese do.

[@halohalo3029]

Then try Polish or Hungarian - probably two hardest european languages.

[@S0RR1N]

@@halohalo3029 Hungarian isn't hard in my opinion, just time consuming to memorize every single conjugation

[@makuszko]

@@S0RR1N I work with Hungarians and I would love to be able pronounce some basic phrases. Well one day in 2036 I will 😊

[@S0RR1N]

@@makuszko ny and ly are hard for me to pronounce but I just go for it ig

[@cnervip]

I learned english by myself just making all my internet life in english, still today, every time I hear a new word I repeat how it sound in my head a couple a times an speak it out loud a couple more. Now I often get confused if I was reading or hearing something in english or spanish. I've spoke english just once to avoid a college course but to my surprise the teacher said I didn't had the typical latino accent, that motivated me to keep learning and speaking what i wanna write first. Then you motivated me to learn Portuguese just because as a spanish speaker portuguese mais todavia eu à principiante, so I think I will prefer media in english subtitled in portuguese then the other way around, cheers, and tank you

[@sheeliekittie9298]

Loved this video. I agree the speaking is so important!! You are awesome.

[@poopenlicht6448]

Thank you, Xiaoma, very informative as usual! Keep up the good work; It's very inspiring.

[@Brammen]

Xiaoma: 15 languages Laoshu from heaven: Tsssss, good start...

[@haicautrang5304]

rip

[@ctrivera3000]

I miss him so much....

[@OmegaFennec]

I'm planning on learning Swedish, later then Norwegian, them after that Finnish, which would make me able to speak 6 different languages, I cannot tell you how helpful this video is to me and so many other people I'm sure, thank you so much for this

[@Blitzkrieg1976]

Dude, you're still a freaking genius...I love the reactions you get from people! It's so awesome!

[@kokidchaz4790]

Hardworking bro but you gotta love talking I can speak Spanish only cuz I made it my life

[@rishibeauty8889]

This is amazing!! Being in NYC must completely help since it is so diverse. BTW- I LOVE the floor to ceiling windows in your place. Would you ever do an apartment tour? It looks like a beautiful place.

[@ZENRG]

You are a language genius, my respect ! :-)

[@fraserslife8399]

I had a similar experience. I have had classroom French for around 8 years and been learning Spanish with an online tutor for 7 months and almost catching up to my French.

[@user-pq3v2yw3v]

This was a full value, honest interpretation of how to really pick up a language. I learned a lot. Thank you, amigo! - that's French for "friend"! 😉

[@TheJbird858]

Love your content, I’m so glad your channel is blowing up!

[@aisadal2521]

Not only are you huge inspiration, you're also huge motivation! 😄

[@lostpelican1883]

I'd also recommend that when watching a film in your chosen new language ,write down each and every word you hear that you recognize (even if you can't spell it correctly yet). This has been really useful to me, you'd be surprised how much you pick up more & more over time. Learning to 'think' in a new language is easier when you can visualize what you are saying, instead of just seeing the words on the paper (aka the high school class)

[@cloaksandghosts]

That's what I've been doing with Korean. been watching kdramas for like 7-8 months and now I understand so much and can formulate sentences as well

[@MIKEDEE777]

Your almost at 4 Million Subscribers CONGRATULATIONS!

[@laurawatson7182]

Wonderful video. I think you are such a humble man. I enjoy all your videos I have viewed so far. Great advice and you have helped me to think differently while I am learning Spanish. I started learning sometime during the pandemic because I wanted something positive and really fun when life was hard. Keep learning, nice man!!!

[@mntsam1930]

I’ve lived in Montreal for almost 4 years now and I still struggle with French.

[@I_am_Jordan_K]

I really like your method, and I think mine is similar. Basically, I'll learn the grammar point. But I won't just memorize it and say "it works because it works." I'll make sure I understand what exactly is happening and why it's happening the way it is. Then, I apply the logic of the grammar in various contexts. To put it simply, I'm just making sure I know how to word things beforehand, so I don't have to figure it out mid-sentence. Lots of speaking practice definitely helps as well - the brain is a muscle, so recalling and saying a phrase multiple times will develop muscle memory. That being said, I don't know if I could do 15 languages to a basic conversational level in a year haha.

[@fantacmajure]

Can you give me an example of your technique?

[@Keremeos1000]

You are gifted!

[@MotivatorMan775]

love your vids, keep up the good work

[@Indygrandma56]

The first time I watched you I was amazed! My granddaughter is American and Dutch and she lives in the Netherlands and when she wants to ask her mom (American) a question that might embarrass her she does it in Dutch😂

[@JohnBerthoty]

Xiaoma, do you also learn to read and write the languages? That seems like twice as difficult but maybe necessary (for writing things down)? Enjoying your vids a lot!

[@mrv4602]

Love your content bro❤

[@janetharradine4330]

Thank you this is very helpful. I'm learning Mandarin. Love your videos.

[@nickymansor6904]

For native speakers they actually amazed when you can talk in their language and they are willing to help you to learn more vocabs.

[@MellonVegan]

3:50 That's how it's done! I had 2 years of French in school, your average German secondary school course and could barely order food on my own. Right after, I had a Spanish course for a year. Dude came in and spoke almost only Spanish with us from day 1. I was fluent with a basic but working vocabulary within a year. That's the difference between these learning styles. That said, I should really brush up on both. It's been 10 years without exposure since :/

[@cnsmjuju]

Great advice, thank you!

[@J-FLaw]

Having a talent & the way you learn things is indeed intelligent. Plus the hardwork pays off when learning what you want to achieve!!

[@lisasteel6817]

I’m currently learning Mandarin through KZbin, learning basic phrases. I’m hoping to be able to speak with my son who is learning Mandarin at school.

[@Acro_LangLearn]

KZbin is a really powerful language learning tool. Also I recommend you to have a separate account just for Mandarin YT vids, I have one for Japanese and it’s quite effective.

[@ironboiyt]

It's crazy how many languages he can practise and speak in just ONE year!

[@myers4067]

I like him but he doesn't speak 12 languages, he studied 12 languages just one at a great level.

[@MindyMa]

In the beginning of the video he explained that. He is definitely fluent with English. I've watch his Chinese-speaking videos and they are better than my Spanish conversational skills.

[@rorymax]

@@MindyMa pretty sure English is his native language, and he has studied Chinese for over 10 years....what’s the point of your comment?

[@nobytes2]

@@myers4067 he literally said that on a video, how many do you speak, dumbish?

[@NA-xi5hj]

Thank you. Love your content

[@g11131]

Love your videos man!

[@Mike-tk7xw]

You've been given the gift of languages.

[@daveschmarder-1950]

60 years ago I started listening to shortwave radio. Lots of different languages could be heard back then. A couple decades later, since my family heritage was. German, I thought it would be cool to understand a little. I started listening to the West German international broadcaster. I would start with the news as that was the same as in English for the most part. Later on, I started meeting German Amateur Radio operators. on shortwave and began trying to have conversations. That actually worked ok. They could understand me. Later on, I attempted to fix my grammar, the little words between the main words. :) It wasn't a 1 year thing though. I don't think I would do it again. Shortwave radio is now dead anyway, but the internet is better.

[@ImVeryBrad]

Cool story. Must have been fun back then

[@belstar1128]

Learning languages was a lot harder before the internet i don't think i could learn a Asian language back then only English maybe french and German in my region.

[@phreak074]

Inspirational. Thanks for explaining that you are not the superman of languages. You have basically started off as many of us in the states have and discovered the process that they teach us here is trash. I picked up rosetta stone recently after watching your channel. I will also attempt to apply your process along the way. It seems now there are so many resources online as well.

[@GreenRunningLama]

maaaaaaaaaaaaaaan - this is how I learned english - just jumped into the deep water - awesome vid - more vids like that man I would appreciate indeed. regards from UK

[@wesleyfitness2337]

This man going to be sacrificed to the aliens to make peace

[@Acro_LangLearn]

Wtf lol

[@kokidchaz4790]

Cuz he speak different languages lol

[@StudioCuts]

Hey my friend. You inspired me to start learning the languages I’ve always wanted to - started with Russian - 24 hrs in and I’ve already had small conversations!!! 😬 Your methods are THE BEST!!! Thank you!! 🖤✌️

[@poppymac8873]

Man I absolutely freakin’ love this dude! Total legend ❤️

[@LeeRoyMelissa]

Casually falling asleep on my morning commute into Manhattan yesterday when I swear you or your doppelganger sat across from me. 👀 Always been a fan of the videos and I just moved to Brooklyn from Tennessee!

[@HingYok]

One thing I notice about Xiaoma learning languages is that he seems to enjoy the process. Even when he makes mistakes, he seems to find it funny. That's the key to his success in language learning. I think it's also an inspiration for me not to take things too seriously sometimes.

[@lukejackson3901]

This just made me think of the idea of the final "test" of a class being a system where you literally have a conversation with a native speaker, graded on how good the conversation was, how you could express yourself.

[@JW-bh2ud]

Great idea!

[@qintonfitness8064]

So helpful thanks bro!

[@Zill7711]

You are so inspiring. Thank you

[@chilenapromedioRU]

I want this pandemic to end. I've always wanted to take proper Japanese classes. My native language is Spanish, which I feel make it easier to pronounce Japanese, it amazes me how easy is to me to catch the sounds. The classes are most needed because I cannot be self-taught on kanji, I have studied kana by myself but that's about it. All my English is self-taught, way before the internet and apps. My pronunciation is bad I must admit, but I don't really have anyone to practice with. Karaoke apps is like the best option currently. I used to engage in conversation with every single tourist I could find in my youth. I just wanted to practice and I was complimented on my knowledge and even told to not apologise because my English wasn't bad. At least I have been improving my grammar. Cheers!

[@lesego-letsilemagosi4111]

Hello Chilean I can help you with English to improve it.

[@lautreamontg]

A question that I've sort of gathered after watching a lot of these polyglot channels is this: How many languages can someone reasonably become fluent in a "deep" way (i.e., not necessarily native fluency, but enough to give a 15 minute speech on a complicated topic, or read and understand a passage of important literature in that language)? So a bit more than being able to make small talk, ask for directions or talk to a merchant, but not necessarily flawless?

[@L.K.48]

I'd say there's no limit as long as you have the time and motivation

[@SargonofQueens]

Your question is like asking how smart can people be.

[@L.K.48]

@@SargonofQueens no

[@psalmco2425]

Theres was a famed italian priest said to have been extremely fluent in 24 languages and decently fluent in another 9 and having basic knowledge in another 30, he was supposedly able to speak in over 60 languages. So maybe he was the limit?

[@lautreamontg]

@@psalmco2425 I assume you're talking about Athanasius Kircher, who was no doubt a polymathic genius, but was also deeply eccentric and something of a bull artist (i.e. he claimed to have deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics, but did not). Likely he was fluent in many languages, but probably not as much as he claimed to be. As for myself I've met several people who are fluent enough to attend and present at academic conferences in four languages (English, French, German, Chinese plus their cradle language of Danish for one of them) and have comprehension in several more non-living tongues, but that's about the limit of my anecdotal experience.

[@gerhardthen8851]

I just saw your tik tok video....I have to say, that you are gifted....quite entertaining...you have a knack for learning languages... respect, brother....I should be making some effort, myself...you always remind me to get back into Chinese Mandarin... repetition seems to be the key to learning languages....keep up the good work.

[@gamosupremo5703]

you are the boss! thank you for all!

[@jakeisrael7899]

I’m going full smurf mode to speak with my girlfriends family and practicing with a tutor instead of her as a surprise. Thank you so much for the recommendation I never would’ve valued recall so much more highly recognition without this vid

[@RobSquared44]

*Me absolutely triggered by the title of this video* Xiamo: “Let me just say this is clickbait. You cannot learn 15 languages in a year” Also Me: FAIR ENOUGH…

[@elijahpeters4210]

Dude is total scam

[@Paul-yk7ds]

lol

[@theultimatephilosophy9578]

Thankyou it was very helpful 👍

[@simple_naildesigns]

Amazing, great tips!

[@amcc5704]

Hi - I am a native English speaker (living in Australia!) I have been learning Hungarian for 5 years. I have spent a lot of time learning the grammar. My reading is good - slow but I can work it out. In terms of speaking, I copy/shadow from Hungarian learning on KZbin sites. The hardest part is the listening skills - I find that so hard. I tried to listen to talking books on the bus ride to work. Any suggestions on how to improve my listening skills for my target language? Thanks

[@krisztinagaal8437]

Yo, Hungarian here. When I was learning English, I think listening to music helped a lot, so~ If you can stand it, give it a try?

[@driesjansen5001]

definetly watch hungarian movies or watch the news (news can be pretty advanced tho). The more hours the faster you will learn (exponentially!).

[@thewhoaj8245]

I learned Ukrainian while living in Ukraine and my teacher said me and one other student were by far the quickest learners. We were music students who and she was comparing us to people who came to Ukraine specifically to learn Ukrainian. Part of what got me ahead was just talking and not hanging out with foreigners that much (the only foreigners I spoke with were from Latin America so my Spanish improved to). Every day in the dorm I would try and strike up a conversation and integrate what I learned in my class that week. People were also thrilled that a foreigner was learning Ukrainian and not russian. A simple "hi, what are you cooking (привіт, що ти готуєш)" when making dinner in the shared dorm kitchen would spark a conversation that would teach me new things and improve what I already knew.

[@daviddarko5837]

Thank you for the information.

[@sae2705]

All good advice and it is closer to what I've ended up doing and learning in trial and error but there's points there I could be doing better with that I will take on board. I will add that I have a bad memory, so a lot of language learning methods don't do much for me. Your experience with Latin was mine with German. I was a B student and I did really well in my exams. I went to Germany a year later only to find that I forgot almost everything and I spoke broken German. And actually, I hadn't learned good habits, like, in conversation I'd be way too formal and definitely stood out like a sore thumb...but people see that you're making the effort at least, but there's plenty of English speaking Germans and a portion of my experience was them taking pity on me and speaking in English. You mention iTalki, I cannot emphasise enough how good a service like this is. And it's an affordable solution for finding a tutor. And you can find native speakers in the country of the language you want to speak. This is what I've been using to learn Vietnamese, now I can empathise with the socially awkward and socially anxious as one of those people, and I thought I could learn through Duolingo, Rosetta Stone etc. but I am really glad I got over that hurdle to get a tutor on iTalki. I guess it will vary tutor-to-tutor how good it is, but they all seem to get good ratings from students. The advantages are: you get immediate feedback, you can be taught how native speakers talk, you get help with pronunciation (especially useful for a tonal language like Vietnamese) you learn more about the culture, you can get good travel advice, you can make a friend in that country, you get motivation and help when you are struggling, you are accountable (because they'll tell you if you've not booked a lesson), they will get to know what works and what doesn't work for you you get immersion and somebody you can practice speaking with as well as recommendations for material (I've been sent cooking and music videos in Vietnamese & given KZbin channel recommendations that are in Vietnamese), and they'll likely try their best to help you. The guy I have is super friendly, we have a great rapport even though we don't share many common interests, we're planning on meeting up when I do go to Vietnam and he has a whole day planned of stuff he wants to show me that he thinks I might like. And all in all that has been helpful with something like Vietnamese, because it is a challenging language as a native English speaker. Duolingo will never tell me that my pronunciation of their word for "both" sounds like "fuck no" to them. And in the 10+ months I've been learning, my Vietnamese is much better than my German was from spending 5 years with it in school, despite English and German being very close relatives and Vietnamese being one of the hardest languages for an English native speaker to learn.

[@RamenYariman]

HI XIOMA IM LEARNING MANDARIN BECAUSE OF YOU!! k thnx bye ☺️

[@totaramrukhdeo6368]

before i join the C.A.F i wanted to learn alot more languages and you inspired ty

[@DarkarGhostMcfly]

Me impresionas Xiaoma, es visto tus videos desde que ibas hablando chino en diferentes lugares de New York, y tu método de aprendizaje es algo que ya ocupada pero Para aprender otras cosas, como: armar el cubo rubik, hablar inglés, enfermería y cosas que tengan que ver con salud. Pero siento que se me facilita por jugar ajedrez y me encanto tu referencia de los lenguajes con el ajedrez por que tienes razón. La práctica hace al maestro y si tu haces lo mismo repetitivamente te lo vas aprendiendo poco a poco, y cuando menos te das cuenta ya sabes algo. ERES MI ÍDOLO, y cuando termine la universidad mi meta es Aprender muchos idiomas y viajar por el mundo. Greetings from Mexico. 🇲🇽

[@Akashmash]

Keeping the torch going!

[@mycutepussycats]

Wondered how you approached these languages and the methods you use. I only speak 2 fluently and can maybe get by on a 3rd. My husband is finnish, so I have picked up some of that too. I have also studied classics, and decided to study translated texts rather than learn Latin and Greek by rote, kind of cheated lol 😆

[@myers4067]

He doesn't speak 12 languages, man.

[@mycutepussycats]

@@myers4067 his method of learning is my main interest. If it can help with improving my finnish, then it's all good. I know it helps greatly having a native speaker living with me, it would be so much harder to not have anyone to practice with.

[@Gwennwys]

What about retention? I'm very good at learning languages and then forgetting them when I haven't used them for a few years. Any tips? Also, have you ever considered learning Welsh? (Full disclosure: I'm a Welsh language tutor by profession.)

[@davybenhamougmail1376]

I have the same problem, the only way I compensate is using anki and practice aerobic exercise.

[@kokidchaz4790]

You need to talk and listen everyday . I had the same problem. Worry about grammer after 8 months, it's a waste at the start

[@Vaikie]

I find talking to people online through gaming/social media prevents you from forgetting too much and maybe you’ll even learn new things from others. It helped me a lot in becoming fluent in english.

[@belstar1128]

I just started learning welsh on duolingo but i don't think i will be successful because few people speak it.

[@morgan97475]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@eddie2286]

Hi! Love your videos

[@matej_stepan]

I've learned basic German in a day right before the final exam, I have passed with C, so it is possible :D

[@hamedsaharani3530]

As a trilingual, I'm amazed by this kid, he is a polyglot! 😀

[@johnsoran701]

Love watching all your videos. You are truly amazing. Watching you from the Southern Tier of the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York USA

[@sofiasemitsogloutsiapou2188]

Xiaoma, I love languages and I really enjoy your videos :) I am Greek and wondering if you would give Greek a try! Looking forward to that!