Steve Kaufmann

Steve Kaufmann is a Canadian polyglot. He speaks 11 languages, plus his native English. He writes at The Linguist, and is the founder of LingQ, a language learning system based on the methods he himself uses to learn languages. I would also recommend his Youtube channel.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1945 and moved to Montreal in 1951 where I grew up. After graduating from l’Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris in 1966, I entered the Canadian Diplomatic Service and served in Hong Kong and Tokyo. I entered the private sector in 1974, working for Canadian forest product companies in Japan and Canada until 1987 when I started my own company. In 2002 I established The Linguist Institute to develop an online approach to langauge learning which is now known as LingQ. I am married, have two sons and 5 grandchildren and live in Vancouver.

2. Why did you start studying foreign languages, and how old were you when you started?

I spoke Swedish as my first language but soon after moving to Canada, English became the only language that I spoke. We had French in school, but I cannot say that I spoke French. I got turned on at age 16 and really threw myself into French.

3. What languages are you studying or have studied? What level of proficiency do you have in those languages now? Why did you choose those languages specifically?

Right now Russian and Portuguese.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I consider my Russian and Portuguese skills to be around 6 or so. I can understand the radio and can read but do not speak often, in fact hardly at all, but can express most thoughts although with difficulty. My other languages are French (9), Japanese (9), Mandarin (9), Swedish (8), Spanish (8), German (7), Italian (7) Cantonese (7). I also have a smattering of Korean (4).

French because I lived in Montreal and because a professor inspired me. Chinese because I was assigned to learn Chinese by my employer. Japanese because I lived there. The others out of interest.

4. Do you ever have any problems with language overlap/cognitive dissonance, particularly with relatively closely related languages (Mandarin/Cantonese, Spanish/Italian/Portuguese, etc.)? Do you have any tips for studying multiple language simultaneously?

I do not worry about confusing related languages. It happens mostly when first I first cross over. I am not an accuracy freak. I accept mistakes in my spoken language. I prefer richness of experience and vocabulary over accuracy. It is difficult to achieve both, and I do not try, or at least it takes care of itself.

I prefer to concentrate on one language at a time. I would only do more than one if I was quite far along in at least one of them. Then I would always have a major and a minor and never more than two, other than the occasional review of a third, i.e. reading or listening in a third language.

5. What are you study goals? Do you plan on reaching a certain level of proficiency and then stopping?

My goal is always fluency and I just keep going as long as I remain interested.

6. How do you define fluency? What is the minimum level of proficiency you would consider necessary before saying that you “knew” a language?

Fluency is the ablity to understand the language and to be able to express yourself, although with mistakes, in most situations, and that is the level I feel I need to have before I can say that I know a language. I do not “know” Korean for example.

7. Can you briefly describe your study workflow?

75% just listening on my iPod while doing other chores. 15% reading. 10% reviewing words and phrases.

8. Can you talk a bit about how you review words and phrases? Do you review them as lists, use SRS/flashcard software, etc.?

I mostly use LingQ. I find that reading new content with my previously saved words and phrases already highlighted in yellow is the best way to learn these. I occasionally review lists and flash cards in our Vocabulary section. I am not a fan of SRS systems although LingQ has one. I prefer to control when and how i review words, in texts, in tagged lists, by importance etc.

9. What was the biggest mistake you made or misconception you had when you started studying languages? How did you realize it was a mistake?

I have always had the same approach. I briefly tried to nail down declension tables and the like iin German but soon realized that this was a futile goal.

10. If you could pass on only a single piece of advice to other learners, especially learners just starting out, what would it be?

Plan to enjoy to enjoy the language and you will, and then you will learn.

11. But very few things are fun forever. What do you do when studying a certain language (or languages in general) begins to (temporarily or not) lose its luster? Do you have any advice for regaining that fun feeling?

When I lose interest I stop. I may go on to another language or not study any language. I know the urge will come back. But mostly I just listen or read, so I am motivated by the content of what I am listening to or reading.

12. What are your future language study plans?

As soon as we open up LingQ to more languages, I want to bring my Korean up to the level of the other languages, then decide on the next one.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Steve.

Related posts:

1. Interview with Kelly McGuire
2. You’re doing it wrong
3. Interview with August Flanagan
4. Interview with AJATT’s Khatzumoto
5. How I study foreign languages

Tagged as: languages, learning, lingq, listening, methods, reading, steve kaufmann