So…how is my Pimsleur Hungarian? :)
You picked Hungarian for me to study for one month to try out the Pimsleur method. I finished the 30-day level one Pimsleur Hungarian course and the results are in! 
On 15th April I started my 30-day Pimsleur Hungarian challenge. The course I used was from my local library. It came with a booklet with some words to read halfway through the course. Every day I listened to a new lesson and went through the study programme as prescribed by Pimsleur.
My struggles with the course…
My plan was to have a month where I would have uninterrupted time to go through the course at a set time each day. Life does kick in though and I ended up going to the US and Canada, which meant I started my challenge there and not at home as planned. The other issues I faced were my general commitments for work, study and family. We all know those problems right?
One of the most important things in language is keeping it fun so you stay motivated. It’s always best not to stress. I often changed the times and locations of my lesson to listen to the course, so that it fitted around my life. It’s best to keep encouraging yourself during your study, so you stay pumped and learn more when you’re able.
So what do I think of the course?
I was surprised by how much I could learn in each lesson. The lessons are well thought-out in that you feel that you are getting quite far in the language with relatively few words and little grammar. Hungarian is described by The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK as a Class 2 language.
I was also aware of the type of grammatical structures in the language from studies of language families. So my expectations were that it would be tough to teach it in the way you can teach other languages. Languages with complicated case systems or agglutinative languages often need more sample sentences to build up meaning for more varied conversations. Then the exceptions can kick in to throw a spanner in the works!
I did on occasion find it tough to concentrate on just listening, I have to admit. But that was not a deal breaker for me with Pimsleur. My main real gripe was the lack of writing…I LOVE to write things out when I study a language!
OK, so what level can you expect from Pimsleur’s level 1 course?
Pimsleur say that their course takes you to around an A1 level (when you do the comparisons online). This level is definitely opened to interpretation. After the 30-day course you cannot expect to sit an A1 exam and get 100%, you may not even get near the 60% required for a pass. There would not be enough vocabulary or grammar to use all of the necessary structures for success at that level. You do have a nice introduction to the language though and I feel more confident going back to Hungary in the future now!
What do you achieve after 30 days on Pimsleur?
You get a good grounding in how the language is pronounced. They use a great tried and tested method of teaching how to make the sounds by starting from the end of the word and working back to the front. Then they put them all together, so you can make all of the sounds and then put the sounds together to make the word or phrase and say it in an understandable way.
The fab community on the Speaking Fluently Facebook page seems to agree that clear pronunciation is key to language learning. Whilst a native-like accent is a lovely extra, it is not the be all and end all of the learning process. I agree that speaking in a way that is easily understandable to other speakers of the language is the most important thing. We all know what it’s like to ask people to repeat things 100 times and to be asked to repeat things 100 times just to communicate a basic idea or need. Sometimes we are in situations where the message is important, so it is worth putting in a bit of effort to ensure that is possible.
Pimsleur will help you to get those basics down in an easily understandable way. You do still need to make the effort and not worry about sounding “funny”. The sounds in a new language will always sound a bit strange at first and they can make us feel self-conscious. Those new sounds are part of the language and they are as important, if not more important, that getting the grammar down pat. Even Tarzan gets his point across, right? 
Pimsleur also teaches you some good basic phrases, which you can re-use and substitute for different words to change meaning. This is a handy tool for travel to the country or for a gentle introduction to the language.
So how well do I speak Hungarian after my challenge?
Honestly, I speak it as well as I would expect to speak a language after only listening to it for about 30 minutes a day for a month…not very well! 
It has been a useful and enriching experience though. When I go back to Hungary again, I feel that I can say some basic things and make myself understood more than before. Here is a video of me saying some very basic things in Hungarian with the words, structures and themes presented in the course.
Well, here is a video of me using some of what I learnt…what do you think?
Did you do a challenge too? How did you get on? Or are you planning a challenge in the future? If you speak Hungarian, please do let me know how effective and understandable my Hungarian is after the challenge? Can you understand me?
Vote Speaking Fluently!
Visibility online gets your message out there. Speaking Fluently has been nominated in The Top 100 Language Lovers 2012 competition. Voting has started now!
Please help me to get this site some more views by clicking on the link below and voting for Speaking Fluently:
I enjoy helping to motivate other language learners and to share my experience. You can be a part in helping to grow this site and Facebook Page further with me!
Thanks for your support!
Word Play
On Saturday 5th May 2012 a piece called “Word Play” appeared on Canada’s GlobalTV. It formed part of the 16×9 programme and was hosted by Carolyn Jarvis.
The programme brought together a panel of Canadian polyglots, spoke to linguists and Michael Erard, author of “Babel No More”. As part of the story Tim Doner (a 16-year old from The US) and I were brought together in New York. Tim had already appeared in a number of newspaper articles, since an initial story came out in The New York Times about him. The article has been translated into a variety of languages, including Italian, Russian, Spanish and probably many more.
Tim has also done a TV interview for NBC’s The Today Show in the US and a radio interview for the BBC. All of this media attention has, of course, raised questions about Tim and his ability to speak foreign languages, particularly in the online language community.
When I was offered the chance to meet Tim for the show, I was very excited for a few reasons:
1. He reminded me of how I was when I was 16
2. I always love meeting other extreme language learners
3. I wanted to meet the real Tim
Why so motivated?
It was an honour to be cited as an inspiration of his. My main goal for having a public online presence was always to encourage other learners and to let them know that they are not alone. It was something I didn’t have growing up. When I was young, what I was doing with languages was considered by many around my passion as being a bit odd. Some even said that I would drive myself mad with all of the languages I was studying. Having a community of like-minded people is fabulous!
Meeting Tim
Tim and I first met on camera in Washington Square. The scene of us on the programme is entirely real and that was the goal – to capture that first moment when we met.
Following that meeting, we walked and talked about languages all around New York, interacted with various people in a number of tongues. Whilst it was something that took us both out of our comfort zones a bit (having everything recorded), the experience was really enjoyable. I had some really good talks with Tim about his learning and we discussed many things in different languages. He could certainly hold his own out on the street too!
Quotes in the media
I have been quoted and asked to say things about my language knowledge before, which I don’t always feel comfortable with. I am very cautious about describing my ability to speak languages because I am aware of the issues that can arise from big claims. We only have to look at Ziad Fazah to see how this can play out in extreme cases.
Once the genie is out of the bottle, can you put it back in?
It is tough to backtrack on claims, but an immediate, “that’s not what I said” can go a long way to restoring your public profile. Tim did address some of this publicly by giving a more detailed appraisal of his language skills (see PolyglotPal). I always cite “Chinese Whispers” (“Telephone” if you’re form the US) when I am misquoted!
Some don’t even seem to want to backtrack and still maintain that they have fluency in a number of languages long since discredited. This puzzles me but does not affect me personally, so I leave them be.
If it’s dangerous…Why join in the numbers game?
Wisely Professor Arguelles refused to give a figure for his language speaking ability. Recently he was also quoted in The Guardian as being able to “speak 50 languages”. Prior to that quote he had only ever said “studied”. At first I had thought perhaps there was a change in his position following reactions to him in “Babel No More”. However, he has since corrected that in comments querying this change in position. Of course, the difference in the two (“studied” and “speak”) is important, especially in the online community. I know I made such a correction when I was cited as being able to “speak 30 languages” too.
The difference in experience…
I naturally wince when I see any “I speak 30+ language claims”. I know what it involves to speak and retain 10 to a high level, let alone 20 or 30+. Michael Erard describes what most polyglots know – there are usually a handful of languages at a high proficiency. The rest of the languages on the list tail off in ability until you are talking about languages where you have just a few basic phrases at your fingertips. C3P0 we ain’t!
I was therefore shocked to hear that Professor Arguelles’ quote as I have a great respect for him as an accomplished language learner. I have also had first-hand experience of communication with him in 9 languages.
Whilst some of the quotes from Tim have been put under the microscope, Tim has never made any ridiculously absurd claims, like “I speak 23 languages like a native”. When I spoke to him he had his head screwed on too. He is an extremely mature, kind and generous soul with a HUGE passion for languages. I know only too well the pressures of putting a number on languages spoken can be like and I am not sure how I could have handled myself at 16.
I was aware that Tim would not speak 23 languages fluently. I would not and could not expect that of anyone in all seriousness. I knew there would be some media razzle-dazzle on it to make the story sexy.
So what’s true?
Tim has covered ground in an astonishing number of languages. His ability to discuss linguistics (yes linguistics and not just language) amazed me. I am definitely NOT a linguist, but he really wants to study the subject. This impressed and surprised me.
What else surprised me was his ability to communicate with natives in Chinese, Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew. He could more than hold his own in French and he could talk to me in German too. Sadly our language overlap is not huge. I say all of this and then I have to think…
1. He is a 16-year old in the US
2. He is, for the most part, self-taught
3. He has all of his school work too
Final thoughts…
Tim Doner is an incredible language learner. He has a knack for picking things up and for making connections in his head very quickly. His eyes light up when he speaks about languages and I was fortunate to spend a few days with him on his turf!
Here is the first video we made together following the filming in with GlobalTV – Enjoy!
Start spreading the news…
As you may know, I went to New York recently. This was not a planned holiday for me, though I did get to see some great things! The main reason for my trip was to take part in the 16×9 show on Global TV in Canada.
As part of the show I met up with Tim Doner in New York City.
I am sure most people reading this blog entry have heard of Tim following the article about him in the New York Times and his TV appearance on the Today Show in the United States. For those of you who don’t know Tim, he is a talented young man (just 16), eager to learn many languages. His language ability and repertoire are as varied as they are impressive.
Here is Tim speaking in Farsi at just 15 years old:
You can check out his YouTube channel to see more videos of him speaking in other languages he has studied: PolyglotPal
Carolyn Jarvis of 16×9 invited me to meet Tim in New York and to film our meeting together for the show. The 16×9 team organised interviews with us both and also discussed the phenomenon of polyglots with various linguists and language learners, including Michael Erard (author of “Babel No More”) and Steve Kaufman (founder of “LingQ”).
The show will air on Saturday 5th May 2012 at 7pm (AT|ET|MT|PT) in Canada. If you are not in Canada and you would like to see the show, it will appear on the 16×9 website a day or two later.
The experience has already led to some really interesting meetings for me, which I would like to share and explore with you in coming posts.
I hope you will find it interesting and enjoyable to watch. Most of all, I would like to see this work add to an ever-increasing awareness of not only polyglots, but also language learning as a whole. It should also serve to direct people interested in language learning to the many support channels open to them within our growing online community.
B ready!
I started learning Turkish in September 2011 and I completed the A1 course and exam after three months of study.
The journey from zero to hero in Turkish…
At the end of the A1 course, I had a good grasp of the fundamentals of Turkish and I could make myself understood to native speakers in basic Turkish. I received many encouraging messages after putting out my first video speaking the language. Some people thought that perhaps my level was higher than A1 and that I was being modest.
The problem with CEFR
Since starting the formal courses for the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), I have realised how often the level you can get to at A1 and A2 is often underrated. In part I can understand this confusion from the descriptions give for each level. What is missing in the description is the amount of vocabulary you need to reach each level. In unrelated languages there is a real wealth of vocabulary you need to memorise to pass the exams. It takes time to commit this to memory and use it actively. We have to keep that in mind and no beat ourselves up about it.
Big up yourself sometimes for your real achievements!
My name is Richard. I speak A2 level Turkish and I am proud of the results I have achieved after the effort I have put in!
But keep it real…
There is, of course, a big difference between someone with an A1 diploma, having a pass mark of 61% and someone else closer to 100%. This may account for confusion about the level needed to complete each course/exam.
I can confirm that my previous video containing only grammar and vocabulary used at the A1 level of Turkish and my Turkish in the video contains many mistakes. This is all totally normal and I am glad to put out there a realistic idea of where I was at with the language at that time.
How is my Turkish at A2?
I now feel much more confident when I am expressing myself in Turkish and I here is a video of me speaking Turkish following my A2 exam:
Moving forward…the next goal
The B1 course lasts six months as it take up the whole of the second Yeni Hitit book. I’ll take a break in the summer and hopefully complete the B1 course by December this year. I am happy to do language exchanges over the summer with any Turkish speakers willing to listen to me butcher their language!
What do you think?
What are your thoughts on the CEFR levels? Do you think that sometimes the A and B levels are put down in favour of C1 or C2?
Pimsleur Challenge – You picked Hungarian
Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote on this blog and on my Facebook page. My Pimsleur challenge language will be Hungarian. I will start my 30-day challenge on 15th April and tweet each day (Internet access permitting as I have some trips during that time too) and update here and on Facebook also.
Some people have asked me a few questions about the challenge and I would like to address them in this post. I have paraphrased some also, so please forgive the lack of quotation marks.
Can I join you in the challenge?
Yes, please do and let me know how you’re getting on with it. I would love to hear from you and all about your experiences.
Are you going to be able to just use Pimsleur?
It will be tough to not use any other resources, but I am going to try to stick to just Pimsleur for this challenge. The point is to see how far it gets me in just 30 days. Also I am studying other languages at the moment, so I don’t have the spare time to dedicate to an intensive study of Hungarian right now anyway.
You made negative criticism of Rosetta Stone and I bet you think Pimsleur will be no good…so what’s the point?
Rosetta Stone is a very different beast. That said, if I were to say that I didn’t have any preconceptions, I’d be a liar. Of course, I do. However, I want to see if the claims the course makes are on the money or not. Does it do what it says on the tin? I have not been through a Pimsleur course yet, so I am genuinely intrigued. Also, I don’t feel happy to make comments until I have tried it for myself.
Will you carry on with Hungarian after the challenge?
Hungarian is also a Balkan language, so there is a fair chance that I will continue learning it in the future too.
If you have any other questions that I have missed here, please do let me know and I will do my best to answer them.
Thanks to everyone who has taken part on Facebook so far. I had some messages from people who are not on Facebook, so I wanted to give everyone a chance to have a say in which language I take on for my Pimsleur 30-day challenge. There is plenty of time to vote. I will collate the results from Facebook and the SpeakingFluently.com and post the winning language here, so get clicking to register your vote!
