Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

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Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

Postby Kraut » Sat Sep 11, 2021 9:04 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr6F50EhXkw
Richard Simkott on fake polyglots
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Sumisu
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Re: Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

Postby Sumisu » Sun Sep 12, 2021 4:23 am

Kraut wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr6F50EhXkw
Richard Simkott on fake polyglots


As far as I can tell, Richard Simcott is an extraordinary language learner. I plan on watching more of the video later. However, I ended up stopping the video after about 10 or 15 minutes when he spent way too much time, in my opinion, discussing whether it is possible to become fluent in a language in only one or two weeks. The answer to that should be only one word: "No."

EDIT: After watching more, I actually learned a lot from his answer. I think I may have been a little too tired to watch this last night.
Last edited by Sumisu on Sun Sep 12, 2021 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

Postby luke » Sun Sep 12, 2021 4:01 pm

Sumisu wrote:
Kraut wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr6F50EhXkw
Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

I ended up stopping the video after about 10 or 15 minutes when he spent way too much time, in my opinion, discussing whether it is possible to become fluent in a language in only one or two weeks. The answer to that should be only one word: "No."

I enjoyed the video. His answers were very thoughtful. His dealing with the heckler was admirable.

On fluent in a week or two, he answered that well too.

A remarkable individual.
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Re: Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

Postby Sumisu » Sun Sep 12, 2021 6:51 pm

luke wrote:
Sumisu wrote:
Kraut wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr6F50EhXkw
Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

I ended up stopping the video after about 10 or 15 minutes when he spent way too much time, in my opinion, discussing whether it is possible to become fluent in a language in only one or two weeks. The answer to that should be only one word: "No."

I enjoyed the video. His answers were very thoughtful. His dealing with the heckler was admirable.

On fluent in a week or two, he answered that well too.

A remarkable individual.


I had a chance to watch more and ended up really liking his answer to that question in particular. I've definitely felt envy at people who very quickly learned the "small box" of the language.
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Re: Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

Postby Le Baron » Sun Sep 12, 2021 11:33 pm

I took part in that video. :)

I wasn't the heckler.
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Re: Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

Postby einzelne » Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:43 am

So, what’s the verdict?
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Re: Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

Postby Le Baron » Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:08 am

Richard's too nice to say that some internet polyglots are tricksters. The conclusion was that you can have fairly creditable (if not in-depth) conversations with A1-A2 level languages and therefore it is not totally misleading if someone has a collection of these and maybe 1-2 higher level ones. And that if you're happy and gaining communicative value from it, then it's legitimate. That's what it seemed to me.

I think the ire of the chat mob is more about the fact that people make videos where they repeat a minimum of content. There's that guy Xiaoma who speaks very good Mandarin, but started referring to himself as 'a polyglot' on the strength of a smattering of Spanish and a list of 24 hour challenges where he learns a minimum of a language then goes ordering food. He has a method, which involves using conversational devices like saying 'I only speak a bit', 'I only started learning recently', 'he/she speaks better than me'... All of this fills up the video, but for all practical purposes he was 'speaking' the language. Watch what happens when he goes from Mandarin to Fuzhounese, it's generally the same 1 or 2 sentences every time: 'Do you speak Fuzhounese?' 'I only speak a little bit, I'm better at Mandarin.' It's enough for the effect.

Personally I think this fellow has a good ear for languages and the bravery to go out and use them. However he's dropped into the hole of clickbait videos where a language is 'learned' in 12-24 hours and used to buy fried rice...
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Re: Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

Postby einzelne » Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:40 pm

Le Baron wrote:The conclusion was that you can have fairly creditable (if not in-depth) conversations with A1-A2 level languages and therefore it is not totally misleading if someone has a collection of these and maybe 1-2 higher level ones.


Thanks but no thanks.

Le Baron wrote:There's that guy Xiaoma who speaks very good Mandarin


Does he? Just the titles of his videos make my eyes roll...
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Re: Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

Postby Le Baron » Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:50 pm

einzelne wrote:Does he? Just the titles of his videos make my eyes roll...

Not being a Mandarin speaker I'm not an ideal judge, but he studied in Beijing and seems to be the real deal with that particular language. The video titles are annoying, but that's how it goes on youtube when people want to get views.
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Re: Richard Simkott on fake polyglots

Postby einzelne » Mon Sep 13, 2021 1:05 pm

Le Baron wrote:Not being a Mandarin speaker I'm not an ideal judge, but he studied in Beijing and seems to be the real deal with that particular language. The video titles are annoying, but that's how it goes on youtube when people want to get views.


Me neither, but his videos (heavy edited btw) are on A1-A2 level: ordering food, buying a hat... But if today such a level counts as 'being fluent', then he should be okay, I guess.
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