Welcome to Sentivia

Okay, so let me tell you a little bit about myself and how I see language learning. I'm someone who is absolutely fascinated by languages. It's more than just a hobby for me; it's a passion. I get such a thrill out of diving into a new language every couple of years – I’m actually working on my eighth one right now! It’s funny because when people hear about this they always want to know how I do it. They ask me for my "secret", and for years I honestly didn't have a good answer. I'd just say, “I don’t know, I simply love learning them!”

But, you know, that never really satisfied anyone. They were always curious why they struggled so hard, spending years trying to master even one language without getting truly fluent, while I seemed to pick them up one after the other. It made me start thinking about what set people who learn languages easily apart. What did other polyglots, people who speak many languages, do differently? So I decided to go out and find out.

I knew that the best place to meet lots of polyglots would be at one of those language events. I went to one and started talking to people. I met Benny from Ireland, and he’s a great example. He throws himself into speaking from day one. He picks up a few basic phrases and just jumps into conversations with native speakers. He doesn't care about making a ton of mistakes because he believes that feedback is how you learn. And it doesn’t even matter if you don't travel; there are tons of websites now where you can connect with native speakers from home.

Then I met Lucas from Brazil who had this amazing way to learn Russian. He added a bunch of random Russian speakers on Skype and then started this hilarious back and forth with them where two strangers were having a conversation with each other, not knowing it! It was amazing to watch! I talked to others who focus on imitating sounds, or learning the most common words first, and some who study grammar first. Everyone had their own unique approach, which was fascinating. It seemed like each person had their own way of learning, yet we all end up speaking languages fluently.

And while I was listening to everyone explain their methods, it hit me like a ton of bricks - the thing that all polyglots have in common is that we’ve all figured out how to *enjoy* the process of learning a language. Every polyglot I met was talking about language learning like it was fun, they showed me their charts, cards, everything and they were genuinely enthusiastic! They find ways to make learning enjoyable which I realized is exactly what I do! When I was learning Spanish, I got bored with the textbook, so I went to Harry Potter in Spanish instead. I did not understand it at first, but I wanted to read the book, so I kept going. The same happened when I learned German, I watched "Friends" in German. It was gibberish at first but kept going until it made sense.

This whole thing made me realize that we are not geniuses and there is no shortcut. It is about making it fun, and turning it from something tedious into an activity that you look forward to daily. There are many ways to learn. If you don’t like writing, use an app. If you don’t like the content, find something interesting on Youtube. If you are more introverted, then speak to yourself. That is what polyglots do and anyone can do it!

But it’s not just about enjoyment alone. You also need effective methods. Cramming for a test doesn't work; the information just doesn't stick. So you need to revise words repeatedly using spaced repetition. There are apps for this like Anki and Memrise, and even writing out lists. Finally, you have to create a system. It’s like building a habit. Even 15 minutes in the morning, listening to a podcast while you drive, that kind of stuff makes a difference. A few minutes here and there and having a set plan is vital. Lastly, you need patience. It takes time to learn a language, but with small steps done consistently, you will make progress. And those small successes are the most motivating! I remember the first joke I understood in German, I was so excited, and it kept me going. It makes the feeling of fluency worth it.

Now you might be thinking that polyglots are just super talented and it’s some genetic gift that I have. I want you to know that it is just not true. Benny, for example, had years of Irish Gaelic and German in school and he couldn't speak it. And Lucas was one of the worst English students in class. But they both found the method that worked for them, and now they speak multiple languages fluently. I see this everyday, I am a language mentor. People struggle for years until they take the reins and find a way that works for them. Then all of a sudden, they unlock some “hidden language talent”.

So if you’ve struggled before, don’t give up. Maybe you’re just one enjoyable learning method away from becoming fluent. Maybe you're one step from being a polyglot!