What's Your Lifestyle Quotient (LQ)?

Your Gadling interview is on Digg as well:

http://digg.com/offbeat_news/Interview_with_Timothy_Ferriss_lifehacker_extraordinaire

Tim, in regards to language acquisition and maintaining fluency, what would you say about people who seem like “natural” polyglots such as Sir Richard Francis Burton, who could speak 29 languages fluently as well as various dialects? Is this a matter of natural talent and ability or something that normal people, given the appropriate materials and process, be able to replicate?

Also, I bet outsourcing your love life definitely ran a bit cheaper and easier on the liver than going to bars and clubs to pick up.

Hi All,

I was long in awe of supposed natural polyglots, but now I’m just skeptical. I’ve met too many people who claim to “speak” Spanish, for example, when they really communicate with a bastard version of Portuguese or Italian. After more than 20 countries, and attempting to find anyone who could really speak distinctly in more than 4 or 5 languages, I have never found a one. They might exist, but I’ve been on a quest to find one and haven’t yet. It might be the case that someone “has” spoken 29 languages — that I can believe — but I woulud bet a million dollars they couldn’t hold conversations with all 29 in the same week.

Outsourcing dating saved my wallet, my liver (from alcohol or coffee), and my sanity 😉

Cheers,

Tim

Just got my copy of the book from SXSW via UPS. Can’t wait to read it!

Hahah, oh dear, my reading skills have gone out the window.

Bozo the monkey.

I have just begun reading Tim’s book. After 50 odds pages it looks very good. I wish he had been around when I started my career 20 years ago. I ended up writing a manual on creative financing tactics used by the Inc 500 entrepreneurs because my insubordinate nature made it difficult to be employed for long. Employing these financing tactics has enabled me to start various businesses which gave me far more free time than most of my peers, but I never took it as far as Tim does with his extensive travel and mini-retirements.

Oh well, better later than never.

Peter

Hi Tim,

I’m loving the blog, I found it yesterday through Yaro Starak’s blog (http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/) and spent about 4 hours reading it and all the links (still working through some of them now!). I’m sold on your ideas, and I can’t wait to read the book. I thought it was interesting to read that you went to Japan for a year and became fluent, as I’ve been in Japan for nearly two years now without becoming fluent and the Kanji is still so difficult. What’s the secret? Actually I think several of my friends out here might know the secret, as some did achieve remarkable results on the Japanese language proficiency test after only 4 months in Japan, and no previous Japanese experience. It seemed to be the people who already spoke English and at least 1 other language fluently who have done well at learning Japanese.

I think there are two main factors affecting their success 1) The knowledge and belief to know that it is possible to speak and learn a second language fluently – People who don’t (like me) often have the opinion that it’s impossible, which becomes self fulfilling “what’s the point in studying anyway” attitude, and 2) The knowledge of what it takes to learn a second language i.e. They’ve studied language and they have a method, they know it’s not just language by osmosis, you don’t pick it up without trying and it takes dedication. But 3-4 months dedication is much better than 1 or 2 years of half arsed learning, don’t you think! What has your approach been Tim? I’m guessing total immersion but with lots of studying? I’d be interested to learn what motivates you when the text books get boring!

So I think you’re right, adults really can learn faster than children and I agree with No. 3 Andrew Tracys comment that “children learn languages in SPITE of the method instead of BECAUSE of it!” I know this being a language teacher my self!

You know if you wanted you could write and sell a book on language acquistion as well. Oh and one on body building – I thought that was and interesting post! And tango, martial arts, acting…. You seem like a nice interesting guy with good things to say and I’d like to meet you one day, let me know next time you’re popping over to Tokyo (or Toyama prefecture..) and I’ll buy you some lunch!

Regarding languages: go to Belgium or Switzerland and you easily find may people who start out with four languages easily – and I do mean reading and writing and the whole lot. PLUS many add another one or two like Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, you name it. So six or even seven is not uncommon. My kids are four years of age and speak three languages, I myself master five plus two half well.

Btw, the human brain develops rapidly until the age of six. The way we physically acquire and store language and the ways we communicate, changes throughout life. The two hemispheres of the brain work more equally till we are about six years old, then all the bridges are made and the halves specialise much more.

Kids also have to learn basic concepts as well as learning the language: to master tenses you need to understand the concept of time first. You need to understand the concept of categories, like apple and pears are fruits to know what the word “fruit” means. Not an easy feat! Adults usually know all that already but we lack the sheer fun, innocence and not being scared to make mistakes, plus the love to imitate which children have.

Btw, a recent study found that being bilingual defers the onset of Alzheimer for approximately 15 years. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11534481

SO all you language lovers out there: go for it and live healthier for longer 😉

Marion

It is unique to look at what my LQ Calculator is and what my number is. I would love to raise that average and lower my days. Now I just need to figure out how to do this without reducing my income. Now the challenge begins.

Good points. Very informative. Keep posting.

Thank you for this link. Got some stuff here.

Very interesting, good job and thanks for sharing such a good blog.