pol·y·glot [pol-ee-glot] –adjective- able to speak or write several languages; multilingual.

Lately I’ve noticed a trend in language blogs and articles pertaining to learning languages where the emphasis in learning is placed on time more so than skill sets or fundamentals. This trend seems to have started among the polyglot set but has been steadily moving out to more conventional language learning venues little by little. Normally I wouldn’t notice such things but lately a few of these self proclaimed polyglots have tackled the Thai language and that’s something I’m deeply interested in.

Some of the more typical blogs in this new niche of language learning are drawing people in by claiming they will learn a specific language in 3, 6 or 12 months, fluently. I’m not going to point out any specific blogs but a quick Google search will head you in the right direction.

I’m all for people challenging themselves and finding new and unique ways to learn languages, we all seem to tackle language learning in our own ways. I am more of a visual learner who really excels when submersed in the natural habitat of native speakers where others find it much easier to learn through auditory repetition or by learning to read  the language before speaking it.

No matter what type of learner you are you will always be interested in different ideas and methods which might help you learn more or even learn faster. It was with this interest in mind that I stumbled upon more than a few of these new language blogs. Call it arrogance, positive thinking or just plain hubris, these authors really believe they will be fluent in the chosen languages they set out to learn in very little time.

The one consistent theme throughout these blogs and articles by polyglots is the word Fluent. They challenge themselves to become fluent in a given language under time constraints that just don’t seem feasible and it would seem that their definition of the word “fluent” is often very fluid and changeable. While, to most of us, fluency is still perceived as a very rigid word, not one used lightly when talking about learning any language much less Thai.

flu·ent [floo-uhnt] –adjective-1.spoken or written with ease: fluent French.2.able to speak or write smoothly, easily, or readily: a fluent speaker; fluent in six languages.3.easy; graceful: fluent motion; fluent curves.4.flowing, as a stream.5.capable of flowing; fluid, as liquids or gases.6.easily changed or adapted; pliant

If you go to one of the many Thai language resources online such as Catherine Wentworth’s Women Learning Thai… and some men too you’ll see the differences in how she and the language learners she interviews perceive word fluency. On Catherine’s blog she has interviewed over 20 Thai language learners/speakers who come from very diverse backgrounds and have studied the Thai language anywhere from a few years to a few decades. Some of these people are polyglots in their own right. But, as you read each interview the same themes take shape time and time again with an emphasis on the fundamentals. Although some of these people have lived in Thailand and have spoken Thai for decades, none of them profess to be fluent in the Thai language.

As most travelers to the Kingdom will tell you, whether they spent 2 weeks or 2 months in Thailand, they came back with a healthy vocabulary of Thai words and phrases and a retention rate that is better than average. I have a theory as to why this is, being in a relaxed environment, exploring your surroundings and generally enjoying yourself is very conducive to not only learning a new language but to retaining what you have learned as well.

To that extent some of these new type language blogs are getting it partly right as in they all subscribe to learning in a native speaking environment to some extent by submersing yourself into the native culture.

I’m not downing these polyglots, I think it’s great that they are challenging themselves and their readers  to learn Thai and other languages. Generally I think they share a great attitude towards learning, but on the other hand I think they are doing a disservice to their readers who are looking to them for more information on learning a language and are being given some tricks and hints that they can supposedly use to become fluent in their chosen language in 3. 6 or 12 months. The readers and supporters of these blogs are doing themselves a disservice as well in many cases because they are looking for the quick fix when there are none when it comes to learning a language fluently.

I myself am not fluent in Thai and am just beginning my journey towards hopefully one day being proficient in the Thai language and I share that goal with many other Thai bloggers who have taken up a second language later in life. While I don’t write specifically about the language it definitely comes up from time to time  as it does on other Thai blogs that I recommend such as My Thai Friend, Beyond the Mango Juice, Behind the Noodle Curtain and quite a few more that can be found on the links page. We share a common thread in that learning the Thai language will enhance a love we already have for the country and it’s culture.

The one thing I think many of us have realized in learning Thai is that it’s not a sprint but a marathon. Slow and steady may not have us fluent in the language in a few months but I think it will give us a deeper appreciation and better understanding of the language and hopefully that will translate well to the Thai’s we communicate with.

I’ve also come to suspect that a lot of these self proclaimed polyglots are just that, “self proclaimed”. Being able to memorize sets of words and a handful of phrases is much different than being fluent and holding a conversation with a native speaker. If this were the case I would definitely be considered a polyglot because I am able to curse people out in at least 6 languages and I am always up to the task of learning even more, but that does not a polyglot make…although, it is good fun in the right situations.

I guess what I am trying to say is, take everything you hear or read regarding language learning with a grain of salt and don’t impose any limits upon yourself or your learning. Find the methods that best suit you and the right atmosphere to learn in and you will be infinitely more happy with your progress and your goals will become more clear.

I have to confess that besides learning the Thai language I have personally taken it upon myself to teach Thai’s what little Spanish I know. While not as rewarding as one might think there is nothing more priceless than hearing a Thai girl sing La Cucaracha for the first time