Finally finished Lomb.

Question

It took a few weeks of only reading for about 10-15 minutes per day, but I've finally finished Lomb's Polyglot. That was a truly inspiring book. I'm just working on my third language, but I hope that I'll be able to learn it as well as she did however many she actually spoke. I'd love to have a conversation with her, but alas, it's too late.

Being hungarian I saw her many time on the television . She was a really cllever women and a personality. I like her book very much. - porcupine7, Sep 23, 2011

Answer 1

Lomb has helped me to realise that it'll take a long time to speak another language perfectly, so in the meantime, I should just try to be understood.

Yes. Perfectly acceptable in my opinion but ... being perfectionists ("perfectionist is just another word for "language learner", right?) we are so shy about mistakes that we clam -up and say nothing - well that's my experience anyway. Better to say it badly than not say it at all.

Answer 2

I think one part that I really like about her book is that, like porcupine7 says, it's okay to speak a language badly. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and I've seen some linguaphiles say that you should strive to make no mistakes when speaking another language. Lomb has helped me to realise that it'll take a long time to speak another language perfectly, so in the meantime, I should just try to be understood.

You are tight that is the most important - porcupine7, Sep 23, 2011

Answer 3

I especially liked the witty anecdotes. Below is one of my favourite passages - about something that we can all relate to ...

...I would now like to discuss who one can expect, beyond one’s teacher, to correct language mistakes. My experience is that speakers of minor languages will do it. To them, it’s still a novelty that their language is being spoken by non-natives or “people from the outer world.” They alert one to every single mistake committed, with the zeal of missionaries. A few years ago I had the opportunity to work with some very cordial and cultivated interpreter colleagues in England. Right at the introductions, I asked them to correct my mistakes. Three weeks later, at our parting, I had to reproach them for not having corrected a single error. Had I not made any mistakes? “Oh, indeed you have,” came the reply with a shrug. “But you see, we are so used to it that our ears have developed an automatic error-repairing mechanism. Only corrected forms reach our brains.”

Was there any part of the book that stood out for you, mate?

For my part the favourite : The only thing what i worth to know however badly the languages. - porcupine7, Sep 23, 2011

I keep myself to this axiom I know languages with mistakes - porcupine7, Sep 23, 2011

That's a great quote! After all - Mistakes are not so bad. Very positive - patch, Sep 23, 2011