Some of us need to take a class

First, I would like to say that I am amazed this blog has been hit over eight hundred times. With only a handful of posts, I find that number to be very impressive. I hope I will continue to post things that my readers would like to read about.

This morning, first order of business, I would like to comment on a video made by another Youtube Polyglot CodylanguagesBlog. He posted a video today updating his progress in the Chinese language.

Many of us in the online polyglot community teach ourselves how to speak different languages. We buy grammar books, study the grammar and do the exercises. We listen to audio cassettes. The key is that we know what to do and how the process works. There are many different programs out there to learn languages. These programs really do work. There is never any single language learning program that works; you must select at least three different programs. Any person can learn another language. If I said it once, I have said it a thousand times – any person can learn languages. The only thing you need is the passion to do so. You do not have to live abroad for a year. Let me repeat myself…YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE ABROAD FOR A YEAR TO BECOME FLUENT IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE.

That being said, this morning I was thinking that even though I have been teaching myself Swedish, I am the kind of person that really needs to take a language class once in a while. I was thinking that if I was back in my home city of Seattle, I would take a course in Swedish at the University of Washington.

Anyway, in Cody´s video he said that he just finished a course in Chinese. During his winter vacation from classes, he is going to use some of his free time to practice his other languages. Cody speaks both English and German fluently. He is now learning Chinese and Swahili.

The reason I decided to write about Cody this morning, is because I like the fact that he discusses the actual language classes he takes. Teaching ourselves language at home is great, in fact, it is necessary when we do not have a University close by, cannot afford the tuition or the University does not offer the languages we want to study. I think the message I am trying to send is this.

Take a class if you can.

If you cannot take a class, then teach yourself at home. If you want, why not do both? One does not have to be a genius to learn more than one language. All it takes is passion and knowing how to learn a language.

Check out Cody´s channel if you have time.