With Languages in Mind: Musings of a Polyglot

by Kató Lomb, Ádám Szegi (Translator), Scott Alkire (Edited by)

TESL-EJ is proud to publish this collection of reflections on language by the famous polyglot Dr. Kato Lomb, whom linguist Stephen Krashen called "possibly the most accomplished polyglot in the world." In "With Languages in Mind," Dr. Lomb shares her views on language learning, language evolution, various European and Asian languages, grammar, and vocabulary, along with humorous anecdotes from her career as an interpreter. Dr. Lomb's book will be of particular interest to language learners, linguaphiles, and linguists. "With Languages in Mind" was translated by Adam Szegi and edited by Scott Alkire.

Genres: Nonfiction, Language, Linguistics

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Kató Lomb was a Hungarian interpreter, translator, language genius and one of the first simultaneous interpreters of the world.

Originally she graduated in physics and chemistry, but her interest soon led her to languages. Native in Hungarian, she was able to interpret fluently in nine or ten languages (in four of them even without preparation), and she translated technical literature and read belles-lettres in six languages. She was able to understand journalism in further eleven languages. As she put it, altogether she earned money with sixteen languages (Bulgarian, Chinese, Danish, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Ukrainian). She learned these languages mostly by self-effort, as an autodidact. Her aims to acquire these languages were most of all practical, to satisfy her interest.

According to her own account, her long life was highlighted not primarily by the command of languages but the actual study of them. Through her books, published in Hungarian in several editions as well as in some other languages, interviews (in print and on the air) and conversations, she tried to share this joy with generations.

Reviews

[Independence Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure where to start but perhaps the last page of this witty, striking, and humourous book. Lomb had written, "Maybe it was naive to assume that others would find as much pleasure in words' eternal variety as I do.. I wrote it for myself; it gave me much delight." Of course, I am reading the translated version of her work into English (what a PHENOMENAL job Ádám Szegi has done!) and cannot be happier this work exists.
I am a young person, it has been interesting to see the ebb and flow of language just within English as I have grown up as a digital native, I jokingly call myself an Old Man Zoomer- due to being part of the oldest of my generation. I started studying the Japanese language a decade ago when I was 13, I've had an intense interest in languages, and all they contain. Though I never progressed very far in Japanese, there's a lot of vocabulary I still use regularly as no equivalent exists in English, two examples on the fore of my mind include "yatta!" and "Ganbaru."
This is hands down now one of my favorite books and one that will be carried in my spirit long after I lose the physical production of it. Kató Lomb successfully brings to life the abstract tether between languages and imbeds a sense of wonder for languages and their playfulness like no other. She writes quite a few times on the idea of adult learners struggling to learn languages, others handling of myth to their inability to learn in one instance, and she suggests and gives anecdotes. I think the real reason many people struggle to learn as adults though (as I fumble along in Spanish at 23 years of age) is that unlike children we lose a sense of wonder. This book in its entirety is the answer to this long held question of adult learning of languages outside their mother tongue; No one will learn an additional language as an adult if we do not maintain a childlike sense of wonder for the process, for the words, for the concept of language itself. I often wonder how different the 'adult' world would be if we did not beat, bully, or judge the childlike sense of wonder for life itself out of each other, and out of ourselves.
Lomb's passion for languages is undeniable through each page, I found my favorite part of the book being the immense comparative work of Russian, Hungary, Spanish, Japanese, English, French, German, and a few others sprinkled in. I especially loved her critiques of the oversimplification of the English language in the United States, specifically. I often am told I have a rich vocabulary and have peers older than I comment on my use of "big words." This has always bothered me and I stand confused by these sentiments being shared with me by university graduates and those significantly older than me. I agreed with her sentiments that it is a sad state of affairs and I'm sure the problem is only worse from when she originally wrote this.
The comparisons of language do not start or end at vocabulary and I was gruntled with her discussion on how perspective can also shift through language. I also had a good chuckle at her small lamenting- in a way- over the state of self-proclaimed polyglots who stake a claim that they have the secrets to unlocking languages. This, of course, is only much worse now with the concept of professional polyglots and youtube polyglots looking to make a quick buck off the anxious and unsure learner. I have had a tremendous issue with many of them over the years who learn languages at a rapid pace but neglect pronunciation altogether, there's no such thing as fluency in Spanish if you never even tried to learn to pronounce things properly; remembering vocabulary and grammar rules is not fluency. I've also held disdain for their non-disclosure of the more subtle skill sets and influencers to their ability to learn while claiming anyone can do it. While it is true we all have the ability to learn new skills, some will have more barriers and take more time than others. Things like starting education level, access to funds for solid learning materials, time to study (many of these celebrity polyglots have made a profession out of this so they spend inordinate amounts of time studying compared to working parents for example), knowing how to study, having or not-having learning disabilities, etc.
I cannot go over every wonderful thing about this novel but it has won my heart and I highly recommend it for others who want to learn a language but struggle to find that sense of wonder it requires, I as well recommend this for seasoned language-lovers and abstract thinkers.
Kató Lomb worried she was being naive in thinking that others would have the same propensity for languages as her, I think though she may have underestimated the liminality of space and time. Time and Space have a funny way of connecting people in a non-linear format. I've oft not had an answer when people ask me who in history I would like to meet if I could meet any historical figure, and through this book, I now have an answer.

[Soobie is expired · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be completely honest I did prefer Polyglot: How I Learn Languages. First of all, it was slightly more entertaining. Secondly, there is a bunch of chapters here that are just a new version of chapters previously published on Polyglot. So, I'd say, this one deserves 2,5 stars, rounded up.

I really like the attention the editor and the translator gave to the book: the footnotes are very exhaustive.

As I did with Polyglot, I learn new facts about language and Lomb share some funny stories about her career as an interpreters. This bits are, in my opinion, the best part of the book.

I really hope the team at TESL-EJ decide to translate also the othe works by Lomb. I'll read them for sure. Well, I still have to read the one about the other polyglots but I've already bought it.

[Geoffrey Mandiano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the fact that only a devoted linguist will probably truly enjoy every bit of this book, it is surprisingly entertaining, even for an amateur but passionate language learner.

[Flavia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neste livro, tia Kat nos guia por meio das principais conclusões às quais chegou nos seus quarenta anos de dedicação ao aprendizado de diversas línguas (à época, quarenta anos, mas tenhamos em mente que ela passou pelo menos 65 anos de sua vida aprendendo, conhecendo e masterizando línguas). Para além do seu relato como ávida autodidata, também somos abençoados com alguns episódios de sua atuação como intérprete simultânea - profissão interessante por si só que acaba se tornando quase inacreditável, levando em consideração as escassas ferramentas de que a poliglota húngara lançava mão.
Faço muita questão de ler e divulgar o trabalho de Kató Lomb porque sinto que ela é injustamente muito esquecida; talvez as pessoas, em geral, duvidem que uma mulher húngara nessa época pudesse ter aprendido tão bem tantas línguas. Pergunto-me quanto tia Kat não poderia ter alcançado em termos de pronúncia se tivesse nascido no fim do século XX, já que ela mesma confessa que isso foi um de seus gargalos durante a vida inteira, por ter começado a aprender línguas mais velha, por não ter tido acesso a tantos recursos audio(visuais).
Por mais que eu gostaria de fechar essa "resenha" (risos) apontando apenas os pontos positivos, é necessário passar pelo que não agrada a maioria dos leitores desta obra: a Kató insere, ao fim, excertos modificados de um outro livro seu, o que dá um gosto amargo de autoreciclagem sem sentido; o tradutor nos aterroriza com notas de rodapé imensas que não consigo saber se realmente eram necessárias, talvez para o maior fã de húngaro, sim; os capítulos são desconexos em conteúdo na maioria das vezes, por mais que ela tente amarrá-los (de uma maneira até forçada), junto à infelicidade de ela ter tanto a dizer e mudar de assunto constantemente dentro de um mesmo capítulo também (acredito que a solução seria fazer um extenso livros de vários ensaios de temática comum).
No entanto, em que pese tudo isso, ainda é um livro desses livros de cabeceira para toda pessoa minimamente fã de aprender línguas, fora o senso de humor estupendo da autora, certamente uma das mulheres mais engraçadas que já tive o privilégio de ler - atribuo isso inclusive ao fato de ser poliglota, já que linguistica e culturalmente seu arcabouço referencial era inimaginável (afinal de contas, o humor se constrói no timing e na referência, resumidamente).

[Nina]

First off, I love how Goodreads has so little data on people who've read this book that the only book listed under "Readers also enjoyed" is War and Peace.

This is a weird little book. I received it in the mail, if I remember correctly, from an ex's younger sister (not an ex at the time) whom I'd met once. I hope the sister would chuckle too if she knew that the person I'd date after her brother is from the same town as the woman who wrote this book. In fact, while the premise of this book sounded interesting when I first heard about it, I didn't have it in me to read it until I'd learned at least a little Hungarian -- and to be honest, I can't imagine the circumstances that would have to have arisen for me to have learned Hungarian if I'd stayed with the ex. So when my relationship with the ex ended, I was released from the obligation to tell the sister I hadn't read the book yet, but the end of the relationship enabled the start of another relationship, which then enabled the reading of the book, and now I'm stuck unable to tell the sister that I read the book.

I did find this book somewhat underwhelming -- it really was just musings. I thought some lines were gems and others were ridiculous. I do like the idea that learning a language doesn't take some particular talent. But I don't think that reading a book cover to cover in a language you don't know yet is the best way to learn a language in 2024. I also think some of what she said about pop music was ridiculous. I bet Lomb Kató was a pretty interesting person in real life, though.

[Mapa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about languages, mainly Hungarian, Japanese, Russian and English, and their quirks.

I liked the book as some of the teachings about learning languages can be extrapolated to other subjects. I found some humour in the book, but I don't know if it was me or intended.

Notable things:
Page 131: List of things you shoulnd't do
Page: 138: (french shorthand) manif -> manifestation -> (eng) demonstrate
Page 175: Old man in his anecdotage
Page 205: "I wrote it for myself; it gave me much delight" -Mór Jókai