Powell Alexander Janulus, do you know him?

[kimchizzle]

Also are not savants, really only extremely gifted in one particular area, like music, art, math, but don't have high mental capacities in other areas? I though many savants also had to be looked after by a family member or a caregiver all their life because although extremely gifted in one thing, they still have difficulties with simple tasks. Tammet doesn't really seem to fit this bill.

But then again, if he learned Icelandic in a week using only memory tricks and mnemonics it is still an incomprehensible feat.

[Iversen]

The information about Tammett's pre-savant writings mentioned by pir (and earlier mentioned in an old thread on HTLAL) undermines my confidence in the man - but few outsiders learn to speak Icelandic at all, and even though he spent a week with a dedicated teacher and all the materials he could wish for, he still had to survive that interview. But maybe that also was fake, and then no arguments holds - I have only seen a short clip from it, and even though it definitely was passable Icelandic he spoke there I haven't a chance to know whether he just had memorize a number of answers to preselected questions.

We have even less chance of knowing something substantial about Janulus, who apparently actively tries not to become front line news - and I do understand his reluctance on that point. But I don't believe that anybody can achieve and maintain a nativelike degree of fluency in 42 languages - even Mezzofanti had less active languages (maybe thirty-some). Ability to translate from 42 languages - well maybe (from a language genius), and a limited active communication level might also be achievable, but not 42 languages at a native-like level.

[dampingwire]

The information about Tammett's pre-savant writings mentioned by pir (and earlier mentioned in an old thread on HTLAL) undermines my confidence in the man - but few outsiders learn to speak Icelandic at all, and even though he spent a week with a dedicated teacher and all the materials he could wish for, he still had to survive that interview. But maybe that also was fake, and then no arguments holds - I have only seen a short clip from it, and even though it definitely was passable Icelandic he spoke there I haven't a chance to know whether he just had memorize a number of answers to preselected questions.

I originally saw his feat as part of a BBC Horizon programme some years ago. There have certainly been doubts cast on his ability to learn enough in a week to cope with an interview. But for it to have been faked would have required the Icelandic broadcaster to have been in on it and also his Icelandic personal tutor. Not impossible, but somewhat unlikely. The "he couldn't have done it" theories that I read at the time mostly focussed on the idea that he may have had enough warning of what was coming up (say 6-12 months from when the programme makers first got in touch to when he went to Iceland) that he could have prepared quite a bit.

[Paul Gossen]

I know Powell Janulus personally.

He is alive and well and still studies languages every day.

You can read more here: http://powelljanulus.com/

[janvozenilek]

Hello,
I was really fortunate to know Powell and his family. His dear wife taught me how to speak English when I moved to Canada in 1985. She was the ESL teacher at Edmonds Elementary School in Burnaby and I spent 2 years in her class. I am so grateful for her. She was kind and so lovely and I have nothing but amazing memories of her. She passed away many years ago fairly quickly of a brain tumour.

Through her I got to know Powell and their only son Ivan. I was amazing how Powell could switch from English to my native Czech and not skip a beat. Ivan and I shared many adventures including one, where we told our families we are going camping for the long weekend to a local area near Vancouver, but instead drove to Death Valley California, in search of some heat! Amazing memories!

I heard from a mutual friend years ago, that Ivan too passed away. But I don't know if Powell is still alive.

Anyhow, they have been on mind lately and as I searched, I found this forum. He was a gifted amazing man and I am so grateful for him and his whole family.

Thank you.
Jan