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Indonesia’s polyglots: How learning many languages has changed their lives
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Keep learning: Recent studies suggest that learning a new language can boost the functions of the brain. (Unsplash/Jacqueline Brandwayn) (Unsplash/Jacqueline Brandwayn)
M
any learn a second language in pursuit of job and study opportunities. Many others learn a third language as a hobby, but how many languages are too many? Meet Indonesia’s polyglots, many of whom have learned more than nine languages.
It is generally accepted that language correlates with personality. As shown by research funded by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, "language use activates corresponding cultural mindsets, which in turn influence social perception, thinking, and behavior". The statement rings true for Febri "Ebi" Darusman, a native Sundanese speaker who moved from Indonesia to Turkey to teach Spanish and Thai.
"Many even say that every language has its own personality. When someone speaks in a language and then switches to another language, [their] personality may change as well," Ebi, who currently resides in the town of Darica in the Kocaeli province of Turkey, said.
"[Languages influence] how we think and express ourselves. Sometimes it is also easier to express ourselves in one language compared with another. [Speaking several languages] has opened my mind that one thing can be expressed not only in one certain way."
Ebi, who used to teach French and is now planning to teach Turkish, is a polyglot — deriving from Greek poluglōttos via French polyglotte (literally means "many tongues"), it is a term reserved for someone who's able to speak in several languages. How many languages someone must be fluent in before being considered one is a subject of debate.
"There are also those who argue that a polyglot is someone who speaks using the same accents as the natives of the languages he is fluent in. [Therefore, according to these people, to be considered a polyglot] you must not only be fluent in Italian and Spanish, but you also must speak using the same accents as native Italian and Spanish speakers," Ebi explained. "Others say you just need to speak five or more languages [to be considered a polyglot]."
