In many places, being able to learn more languages is seen as impressive because it’s not easy. Just mastering one foreign language can be challenging, let alone 6!
@qz_au reached out to WORLD OF BUZZ to share how he and @dhivenya, 2 Malaysian polyglots, are impressively fluent in 6 languages each.
They recently did a video together conversing in a total of 9 different languages, including English, Malay, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Tamil.
Thomas speaks Mandarin, English, Malay, Cantonese, Dutch, French, and a tiny bit of Tamil!
Thomas, 23, born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, revealed that he spoke Mandarin, until he was about 15 years old. Growing up, he realised the importance of English but was always shy and hesitant to speak it.
In 2015, with the rising popularity of YouTube, he became interested in watching vlogs and began learning English from them. Over time, it has now become his 2nd native language.
He then learned Cantonese from watching Hong Kong movies as a kid, but only started speaking it when he began working at 18. He quickly got the hang of it because it’s so useful in Kuala Lumpur.
For him, Malay was harder at 1st, since he only studied it in school. However, his Malay got a lot better after he started working with Malay colleagues.
He always felt awkward and left out whenever people around him spoke in Dutch
During the lockdown in 2020, Thomas spent 61 days studying Dutch with books and TV. After that, he learned French using a similar method, but it was harder. It took 6 months of hard work and a year of listening to podcasts to get good at it.
“I did my university studies in the Netherlands, but the course is conducted in English and almost 100% of Dutch people speak good English, so I never had the need to learn Dutch. However, I always felt awkward and left out whenever people around me was speaking in Dutch.”
He continued to share how he’s able to speak Mandarin, English, Malay, Cantonese, Dutch, French, and a tiny bit of Tamil.
Dhivenya speaks English, Malay, French, Spanish, Italian, and Tamil!
While Dhivenya, 25, from Penang, shared that she can speak 6 different languages, including English, Malay, French, Spanish, Italian, and Tamil.
She explained that she had the opportunity to learn French well while in France, specifically in Tours, where she attended French classes almost every day for a year.
Dhivenya also needed to learn French quickly when she decided to study engineering in France. Learning French first made it easier for her to pick up Spanish and Italian, and she enjoys how these languages sound.
“Learning multiple languages can help boost career prospects and I’m planning to learn more languages, such as Germanic languages, Mandarin, Hindi, and Arabic.”
He met other polyglots too!
Thomas revealed that he met Dhivenya in early January of this year. He explained that he came across one of her videos, which prompted him to send her an email to introduce himself.
“We clicked instantly and decided to meet in person. I was working in Amsterdam at the time, and Dhivenya was in Paris, just a few hours away by bus. We’ve been good friends since then.”
Besides meeting Dhivenya, he also made other polyglot friends at a language cafe event in Paris. He explained that a language cafe is where polyglots and language learners hang out and chat in different languages.
Learning it is one thing but actually using it is another!
Thomas stressed that learning a new language can be challenging. While speaking a new language might seem cool, it takes tons of hours of learning and a lot of guts to actually start using it.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all method for learning a new language. Some people get a tutor or go live in a foreign country, while others, like me, prefer to study from books and practice in social situations,” he added.
Dhivenya also offered advise to aspiring language learners, encouraging them to stay consistent, set clear goals, practice with native speakers, and not hesitate to hire a tutor!
It’s great to see young Malaysians picking up new languages! What’s even more impressive is their willingness to continue learning along the way.
Also read: Meet The 69yo Pak Cik Who Speaks 6 Different Languages And Dialects
