Description

KATÓ LOMB was one of the great polyglots of the 20th century. A translator and one of the first simultaneous interpreters in the world, Lomb worked in 16 languages for state and business concerns in her native Hungary. She achieved further fame by writing books on languages, interpreting, and polyglots. Polyglot: How I Learn Languages, first published in 1970, is a collection of anecdotes and reflections on language learning. Because Dr. Lomb learned her languages as an adult, after getting a PhD in chemistry, the methods she used will thus be of particular interest to adult learners who want to master a foreign language.Publication Date: 2011 Quote:I have not found the magic password that springs open the lock on the gate of knowledge. One of the reasons is that there is no such password. If I still wish to relate my experience, I only do so because during this half-century, study has never been a burden for me but always an inexhaustible source of joy.I wouldn’t have written this book if I felt that my relationship with language learning was an individual peculiarity. It is because I believe that my way is viable for all those thirsty for knowledge and ready for intellectual adventures that I would like to transmit the conclusions I have drawn.There are language learners whose lack of motivation or pressing schedule restricts their progress. My book is not for them. I have no doubt that they will be educated by our professional—and competent—teachers. By transmitting my humble experience, I would like to increase the joy of learning and reduce its difficulties for those who are not satisfied by the pace of teachers.