I recently met with three multilingual translators to learn more about their work. In the first part of this interview,Footnote 1 we saw that multilingual translation can be both challenging and rewarding. The final thought was that this work helps bridge cultures.
But I was curious to know more. How did they come to speak so many languages? How did they manage it? Did they have any special advice for people who are learning a new language?
But first, let me introduce them to you once again:
- Frances Urdininea translates from English, French, Italian and Portuguese into Spanish.
- Kelly Akerman translates from French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German and Haitian Creole into English.
- Efraim Klamph translates from French and Chinese into English.
E. L. Marchand: Why did you decide to learn multiple languages?
Frances Urdininea: My maternal grandfather was my inspiration. At a time when there was no internet, YouTube or even recordings, he became fluent in English, German and French on his own. I learned English and German in school. I fell in love with Russian when my father was posted to Moscow. Then I went to live in Switzerland, where I learned French and Italian. Later I taught myself Portuguese in order to sing the beautiful compositions by Tom Jobim. Last year I started learning Swedish. To me, languages are windows to the vast universe of cultural traditions and human history – and learning them is also a great way to keep your mind sharp!
Kelly Akerman: It’s just something that I love to do, that I spend a lot of time doing. I see myself as somebody who likes to interact with many different kinds of people, and I would prefer to do it if possible in their dominant language. I think learning language is one very important step towards becoming more equitable, more accepting of diversity and more inclusive.
Efraim Klamph: There’s a famous saying that to know another language is to have another soul. In Chinese, there’s this concept of filial piety, which is that you show respect to your elders and your parents. So bringing it into my own personality, I find, has been improving me as a person. I’ve met people, made friendships that I would not have made otherwise. By just throwing text into an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, for example, you get the result but not the process. Learning a language … it’s still very powerful.
E. L. Marchand: True or false? Learning a language gets easier the more languages you learn.
Frances Urdininea: True. The more languages you learn, the more your brain gets used to learning languages. However, you have to decide for what purpose you want to learn a language, because we only have a limited amount of time to devote to a new language. Mastering any language requires constant practice, even your own native language!
Kelly Akerman: I can’t even say true or false. I think within the same language family there are many similarities which could make the language learning easier. But for some people, it actually would make it harder.
Efraim Klamph: I definitely can’t speak for more languages. But I find Mandarin easier to learn the more time you spend with it. I also think it depends on the language. Some languages have a more difficult learning curve, or some may be more learner-friendly.
E. L. Marchand: What would be your tips for anyone wanting to learn a new language?
Frances Urdininea: Choose a language that allows you to access information about a subject you are passionate about. For example, learn Italian because you love opera; learn French because you want to attend a cooking school in Paris; learn English because you are a scientist interested in international conferences on your research topic.
Kelly Akerman: If you have an instrumental motivation for learning languages, then you learn it because it’s needed. It’s maybe a requirement for your job, or maybe you will receive a higher salary over time. If you have an integrative motivation for learning the language, then you are genuinely concerned about integrating into that target language community and helping promote the sociolinguistic vitality. Both contribute to an individual’s motivation. Of course, for those of us who choose to learn more than one language, we probably have aspects of both kinds of motivation.
Efraim Klamph: For a lot of polyglots, while they have their own system for learning language and reviewing vocabulary, one of the key aspects is to do stuff you like. So if you enjoy Harry Potter, then read Harry Potter in the language. If making a social connection with people is important to you, try speaking from day one. Because you’re doing stuff you like, you’ll get motivated, and there’ll be a positive feedback loop.
E. L. Marchand: I hope you have enjoyed learning more about these three multilingual translators and how they came to master so many languages. If you’re also a polyglot, do you have any other tips for learning multiple languages to add to their suggestions?
