Hyperpolyglot & Ling Co-Founder Steve Kaufmann on How He Learned 20+ Languages

Steve Kaufmann is a hyperpolyglot who has learned more than 20 languages (!!!) and the co-founder of LingQ, a language learning app and community that helps you acquire languages using content you love. He was my second guest on the Language Mastery Show way back in 2009, and returns 13 years later to offer new insights and encouragement for independent language learners.

Concepts, Methods & Resources Mentioned

• Speaking Chinese in China (Yale Language Series)
• Reel-to-reel audio tape recording
• Remembering the Kanji by James Heisig
• Spaced Repetition Systems (SRS)
• Input hypothesis
• Chinese character radicals (康熙部首)
• MiniDisc (MD) players
• MP3 (MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) audio coding format
• Happy Scribe: AI-Powered Transcription & Subtitles
• LingQ: Learn Languages from Content You Love
• LingQ Importer (Free Chrome Browser Extension)
• italki: Certified 1-on-1 language tutors
• Eikaiwa kyōshitsu (英会話教室)
• Long-tailed distribution
• Français Authentique
• ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)

People Mentioned

• Stephen Krashen
• Paul Nation
• Mark Kaufmann, CEO of LingQ