Become a polyglot might be one of your dreams. But, sometimes, there might be obstacles that prevent you achieve the dream. One of the reasons that could hinder you to become a polyglot is feeling demotivated in your language learning journey.
And, of course, it’s normal to feel demotivated in the process of learning a foreign language.
You can pause the language learning activities for a while, whenever you feel demotivated. Pamper yourself with other enjoyable activities to refresh your brain. After your brain gets refreshed, you can start again with a simple step such as find a new motivation to learning your desired foreign language(s).
Make some inspirational people your role models could be a good option to motivate you in learning languages and become a polyglot. Their fascinating capabilities and remarkable achievements can fuel your spirit. So, here are some inspirational polyglot women to keep you motivated!
Cleopatra
Cleopatra’s native language was Greek because she was originated from the Ptolemaic dynasty, a Greek clan that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great died. Cleopatra was known as a polyglot who spoke nine languages, Greek, Egyptian, Syrian, Persian, Ethiopian, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, and the Medes’ language. Cleopatra’s multilingualism benefited her in political and financial negotiations.
Cleopatra is one of the important women in history. This inspiring polyglot was possibly the first woman ruler in history to rule for more than a decade on her own. Before Cleopatra, women rulers were co-rulers with a male brother, husband, or son.
As a single female ruler, she may also be considered a pioneer in public relations practice. Her leadership demonstrated a mastery of public relations and diplomacy. She used those skills to preventing Egypt’s fall to the Roman Empire.
Cleopatra was an inspirational woman who had no hesitation about learning foreign languages to become an amazing leader and a powerful polyglot.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was a polyglot. She was speaking five languages, Albanian, English, Serbo-Croatian, Bengali, and Hindi. While working in Kolkata as a nun, she learned Bengali so she could communicate with her patients.
Mother Teresa was born in Macedonia to Albanian-immigrant parents. She became well-known during her lifetime as the Catholic nun that devoted her life to caring for the poor and dying people in the slums of Kolkata, India. The world respects her humanitarian work and dedication to the poor’s needs.
This polyglot woman founded the Missionaries of Charity to care for abandoned babies and support the poorest of the poor, once saying that they “lived like animals but died like angels.”
Mother Teresa dedicated her life to serving the poor and giving these people affection, peace, and happiness. As a result of her humanitarian efforts, she got the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Besides, her service to the poor in Kolkata won her the Jewel of India, the highest civilian award in India. People continued to honor this inspirational woman after she passed away with an honored name: Saint Teresa.
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn, the ultimate film and fashion icon, was a polyglot. She spoke six languages: French, Dutch, Italian, German, English, and Spanish. She was born in Belgium to a Dutch mother and an English father. She spent her youth in the UK and the Netherlands where she attended private schools and developed her multilingual skills in English, Dutch, and French. She learned Italian when lived in Rome.
Hepburn later learned Spanish, which she used while working for UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador. This polyglot woman made a difference in the children’s lives worldwide by providing them with compassion and encouragement.
She believed the whole world to be one big family, one that cared for the wealthy and the poor, the old and the young.
Hepburn spent the last years of her life working in the humanitarian sector. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992.
This inspirational woman taught us to love ourselves, others, and to always be grateful for what we have. She taught us that we should always aspire to improve ourselves and the world around us.
Kató Lomb
Kató Lomb is one of the world’s first simultaneous interpreters and one of the greatest polyglots of the twentieth century. She has learned Mandarin, Japanese, Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Slovak, Danish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, English, Hebrew, Latin, and other multiple languages in about two decades.
Lomb was in her late twenties at the time and spoke only Hungarian, French, and a little Latin. She became one of the first interpreters who master 16 languages and acquire a basic understanding of 11 more through self-study over the next two decades.
She began studying most of her languages when she was 30 years old. She learned over 28 languages in total during her lifetime. This inspirational woman strongly recommends using books to learn languages. Also, she wrote the best-selling book “How I Learn Languages,” in which she shared her language learning concepts and methods.
Lomb eventually realized that curiosity and enthusiasm are essential for successful learning as she improved her method and learned more languages.
Iman Abdulmajid
Iman Abdulmajid is an example of an inspiring polyglot woman. She is a Somalian model, actress, and entrepreneur. She speaks Somali, Arabic, Italian, French, and English. She was a translator in the past. However, her career as a translator was ended when she met a photographer on her way to university.
Photographer Peter Beard discovered her when she was a student at the University of Nairobi.
Iman became a popular model in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar during the 1970s and 1980s.
Yves Saint Laurent created a collection called “African Queen” in her honor.
Iman started a cosmetics line and humanitarian acts after retiring from modeling. She launched her makeup collection for women of color in 1994. The rarity of cosmetics for Black skin had long bothered her. In 1999, she collaborated on a lipstick named “Misdemeanor” with rapper Missy Elliott, with a portion of the proceeds going to Break the Cycle, an organization dedicated to stopping domestic violence. This inspirational polyglot woman has also done charitable work in Somalia and continued to be an activist on many fronts.
Inspired to Learning New Languages Now?
So, those are five inspirational polyglot women with their amazing capabilities and achievements. Are you ready to continue your language learning journey now?
Well, walking alone in your language learning journey might be boring and difficult.
Therefore, looking for a language learning friend is the next step after choosing an inspirational polyglot as a role model. And, here, LingoTalk is ready to be your best pal in language learning! We provide you many language course options (English, Korean, French, Japanese, Mandarin, German, Spanish, Arabic, Indonesian, and Thai) online with affordable prices, expert tutors, and a flexible schedule.
Let’s achieve your dream to be a polyglot with us by register here!
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