1. What’s your story? How did you get into all these languages?

Polish is my native one.

Ukrainian: I’ve learned by reading Bible and conversations with native speakers. I had also ritual services for Ukrainian believers. Lately I watch the news from Ukrainian Internet. I also chat with Ukrainian speakers and learners in social media.

Russian: I had at school, but for real I’ve learn it by reading Bible, conversations with native speakers and translating some texts from Polish to Russian. I had also ritual services for Russian-speaking believers. Lately I chat by Internet with Russian learners.

English: I had at school, but it wasn’t effective. I had some contact with English nonnative and native speakers, and the language was a tool to understand each other. Also, I used to watch some English content in the Internet. Occasionally I had ritual services for English-speaking believers. Now I chat with learners and speakers of English in Telegram group of Polyglot Gathering.

French: I studied in Paris during half a year. I’ve learned by heart some songs in French. I started watching the French content from the Internet and occasionally have conversations with the French speakers. Lately I use to get in touch with my new French-speaking friends from PG24 in Prague.

Spanish: First I’ve learned by heart the song of Juanes: „Tengo la camisa negra”. Next I’ve bought a book „Hiszpański w cztery tygodnie” and made some exercises from it. Next I was listening to audio recordings of dialogues from it, reading simultaneously the Polish text of them with my eyes. Next I started reading texts in Spanish and watching Spanish YouTube. Next I went on a lonely bicycle pilgrimage from Śmigiel to Santiago de Compostela. Now I chat with friends in a Telegram group.

Kazakh is the official language of Kazakhstan, where I used to live altogether 13 years. Despite of fact that the majority of Catholic believers were monolingual Russian speakers, I was taking advantage of every opportunity to get in touch with this pretty language. I spoke to the Kazakhs in Kazakh. I was watching Kazakh TV shows, listening Kazakh music. So, I’ve learned the language.

Portuguese: I started learning in January this year to test the application Globott, invented by Konrad Jerzak vel Dobosz and his team from Elemelingua. In fact, I wanted to learn Chinese-Mandarin, but I had a bit fear to pay 1000 PLN for an unknown to me about his method of learning. At this time, Konrad announced a Christmas promotion 50%, so I started learning Portuguese-European. In the beginning of March this year I noticed, that I can read texts in Portuguese with understanding and without struggling. So, I got also an intermediate course of French, beginner course of Chinese and Czech and dialogue exercises of Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese and Turkish.

Chinese-Mandarin: I started leaning in the beginning of April this year. I decided to do this because I was astonishingly delighted with my progress in Portuguese. I can see my constant progress in Chinese.

Czech: my story in this language is the continuation of Portuguese and Chinese story. There are next languages staying impatiently in line.

Belarusian: the only reason, that I learn this language without Globott is, that this application hasn’t got it in its assortment. I chat with Belarusian speakers and learners in the Telegram group of Polyglot Gathering and watch Belarusian content in YouTube.

2. Which language(s) do you wish you could spend more time practising?

Chinese-Mandarin, Kazakh, Belarusian, Portuguese, German, French, Spanish.

3. What are some languages you’d like to learn in the future?

Esperanto, Turkish, Standard Arabic, Hindi, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Silesian, Kashubian, Lower Sorbian Upper Sorbian, Rusyn, Croatian, Interslavic, Italian, Interlingua and Toki Pona.

4. So, let’s be honest, what’s the sexiest language?

I have no clue. One of my female friends says, that French and Russian. Another one claims, that definitely Italian. I, personally, have no preferences. Every language can be beautiful or ugly in dependence of the content, it transfers.

5. What’s the greatest pleasure you get from speaking so many languages?

I love to show me up and to make pleasure to my interlocutors.

6. Some people say the world is really just going to have a few languages left in a 100 years, do you think this is really true?

I don’t think so. But when a language dies, dies also a particular civilization. I want to make every effort to stop the process of dying languages.

7. What is your message to young (and not so young) people out there who are interested in studying multiple languages?

Do not listen to your fears. Listen to your dreams. Listen to people, who encourage you. Make friends among language freaks, who are able to understand you. Learn languages and have much joy.