BBC: Learning multiple languages-2

Victoria's parents found it difficult to learn Norwegian in their fifties, but they soldiered on, they continued doing something even though it was difficult. And I love that the family helped each other with their languages, Hannah. 

Yes, so Vic's parents helped them keep their mother tongue, which is Kinyarwanda, when they had to leave Rwanda...and then years later the children helped their parents learn Norwegian. 

And, Hannah, Victoria picked up Norwegian quite easily, even after learning four other languages. Did Victoria have any tips for learning so many languages?

Well, one thing she recommended is trying to immerse yourself in the language. So, she said, go to the market or into the street, a place where you can listen to people using the language. 

Yes, and some learners might be learning English online, and so they don't have the opportunity to go to a market or street and hear the language...but there are other things you can do. For example, listening to 6 Minute English, and you could try other BBC podcasts like What in the World too. 

What in the World is the programme that I work on, and we put out a new episode every weekday. We look at stories from around the world covering news and trending topics to try to help you make sense of the world. 

Time now for the answer to our quiz question. I askedy you, which country has the most officially recognized languages?

I said Zimbabwe. 

And I'm afraid that was the wrong answer. It was in fact Bolivia, which recognizes 37 languages, though of course not everyone speaks all of them. 

Now let's recap the vocabulary that we've learned, starting with polyglot, someone who knows lots of languages, like me. 

If you tune into something, you listen or pay attention to it. 

Juggling several things, like languages, means doing several different things at the same time. 

A brain workout is exercise for your brain. 

If you pick up a skill, you learn it, usually through practice rather than being taught. 

And if you soldier on, you continue doing something even though it is difficult.