Medical Daily – Dana Dovey
“Language is our human birthright. Children, barely able to feed or clothe themselves, quickly master the basics of languages they’re exposed to with next to no instruction. But while most can speak (or sign) at least one language, and a few of us may even know two or three, hyperpolyglots — those who can fluently speak about six languages or more — are few and far between. What makes them so special? Not everyone can become a hyperpolyglot, journalist Michael Erard, author of Babel No More: The Search for the World’s Most Extraordinary Language Learners, told Time magazine. He said they’re neither born nor made, but rather born to be made — the fortunate beneficiaries of good genes and disciplined study. Unlike multilinguals who learn languages through exposure from their environment, such as growing up in a bilingual household, hyperpolyglots dedicate their lives to actively learning and mastering languages.”(more)