How Do You Spot Polyglot Talent?

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Smith: I would spend a few minutes each meeting, showing them something, quizzing them. Some of these kids were very inclined to be math genius or good at physics. And my friends knowing me, they would like their children to learn Spanish and Portuguese. But some of them actually, they do pick up very quickly on the words. Smith: Teach your child your language. Speak to her in only German, don't worry. There will be no problem with her learning English.

Vaughn Smith is fluent in eight languages but with a beginner’s grasp of at least thirty-six (and counting). His talents are so remarkable that the Washington Post did a feature story on him and neuroscientists at MIT requested he do a brain scan for them. But for Vaughn his language skills aren’t about attracting attention or monetary gain. “Language is a key to someone's culture, to someone's world,” he explains. Whether it’s watching a client’s face light up when he speaks to them in their native tongue or showing Indigenous children in rural Mexico that their language is valuable and worth preserving, Vaughn views his gifts as a way of connecting with other people.

He joined Tyler to discuss how he began learning languages, the best languages for expressing humor, why he curses in Slovak, why he considers Finnish more romantic than Portugese, what makes Hungarian so difficult to learn, the best way to teach people new languages, how to combat language loss, why he’d like rural Mexicans to have more pride in their culture and way of life, his time as a roadie for a punk rock van, the most rewarding job he’s had, why he wants to visit Finland, how enjoying films from different eras is similar to learning new languages, the future of English, and more.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video.

Recorded May 26th, 2022 Other ways to connect

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