I’ve Studied Languages for 57 Years — Here’s What Actually Matters

https://polyglotdreams.com/ THERE YOU CAN FIND
📖 A Life in 30 Languages — In my memoir, I share my adventures spanning over 50 years of learning and using languages to deeply experience different cultures and worldviews. I also share insights and practical tips from a lifetime dedicated to language learning.
🌍 The book is available in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (both Traditional and Simplified), Dutch, Russian, and more.
🎧 There are also DUAL-LANGUAGE editions and learning sets with audio, perfect for improving your listening and reading skills in your target languages.

After studying languages for more than 57 years — and using dozens of them for work, travel, and daily life — I’ve learned that most advice about language learning focuses on the wrong things.

People ask about talent, apps, methods, perfect pronunciation, or mastering grammar first.
But in my experience, those things matter far less than most learners think.

In this video, I share what actually makes languages stick — not from theory or research papers, but from a lifetime of learning languages while living, traveling, and working around the world.

You’ll hear why:

Natural “talent” is overrated

Perfect pronunciation comes after speaking, not before

Grammar works best as a tool, not a starting point

There is no single perfect method

Purpose, emotion, repetition, and identity matter far more than apps or systems

I also talk about something rarely discussed in language learning:
how developing multiple linguistic and cultural identities makes switching languages easier — and helps you sound more natural without forcing it.

This video isn’t about learning 30 languages.
It’s about understanding why some languages stay with us — and why others fade away.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, discouraged, or wondered why progress feels slower than it “should,” this video is for you.

📘 Learn more about my journey and language-learning resources:
👉 https://polyglotdreams.com

🌟 About Tim Keeley:
Tim Keeley, a seasoned professor and language enthusiast, brings four decades of experience living in Japan and mastering multiple Asian languages as well as many European languages.

🚀Website: https://polyglotdreams.com/

📧 email: [email protected]

👉Academia: https://kyusan-u.academia.edu/TimDean...

👉 BBC : https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20...

👉Facebook:   / tim.keeley