Hello, we are here in Inhotim, it's a place near BH, Belo Horizonte and today I am here with Jimmy Mello.
Jimmy has a language school and his own language learning method, mellomethod.com
So, how much time have I spent here?
3 months as you said, 3 months and a little.
And now we will see how your Portuguese is like after 3 months.
Very good, let's go!
First, why Portuguese Jan?
I used to live in China for 2 years and I learn the language there.
After China I wanted to learn more about an other important country in the world.
That was Brazil, yes for that reason.
What do you think is more difficult to learn Chinese or Portuguese?
Which language is easier to learn? - Which one was more difficult?
Chinese, but for me, when I was in China...
I got to know many people there, I also stayed there for quite some time so I learned Chinese in a very natural way.
And when it's natural it's not difficult.
Yes, now you mention this...
What is the most important factor, what is the key for you when learning a language?
There are people that think it's the method, others think it's the teacher. What do you think it is, how do you do it?
The method is important but the most important thing for me is that you connect with the local people.
An emotional connection right?
So since I have stayed here in Brazil for 3 months now I got to know many people and I found out that it's easy to communicate with the people here..
Even if you don't speak the language well.
So, now I have a connection with the people, with the country. That helps right?
This gave me a lot of motivation to learn and to practice as well right?
So you think that you should create a connection somehow.
An emotional connection.
How many languages do you speak Jan?
Ok, so I can communicate in 7 languages without problems, well sometimes I do have problems. But smoothly...
Yes, that's always the case with speaking foreign languages.
I speak 2 more languages but I don't speak these well, I only know the basics of Japanese and Indonesian.
Tell me, a thing that is very difficult for polyglots or for people that learn languages is, how do you keep all these languages ''active''.
I can imagine that it's difficult to maintain 9 languages, how do you do that?
It's important to practice.
Every day I practice one language for one hour.
Everyday one language, for one hour?
Yes, here in Brazil I practice more Portuguese.
Yes, you emerge yourself in Portuguese.
Yes, exactly, but normally I think that you should practice all the language that you speak at least once per..
Once every two weeks? - Yes, Once every to weeks.
It can be less if you already have a very high level but...
But constantly having contact... is important.
How do you make those contacts?
I have traveled quite a bit so I already know many people that are native in the language (that I want to learn).
So it's easy to contact them by Skype for example.
But if you don't know many people that speak the language that you want to learn you can find people on the internet, Italki, Sharedtalk...
So there are many ways, there are no excuses to say: I can't practice with anyone so how can I practice?
Therefore we have the internet, right?
Yes, this what....? This excuse doesn't exist.
Nice, what we will do now is what we call a ''batibola'' in Brazil.
I will say a word... yes ''batibola''.
I will say a word and you tell me the first thing that comes in your mind. Don't think too much.
A language...
Portuguese.
A Polyglot.
Richard Simcott.
A country.
Holland.
A future destination.
South Africa.
A language that you don't like.
Hungarian and Finnish.
The Brazilian people are...
''Open''
The Portuguese language is...
Smooth.
In order to learn a language you need to...
To connect with the people.
Inhotim is...
Beautiful, - it's beautiful.
Jan, I am a language teacher, I teach Portuguese to foreigners as well.
I can tell you that your Portuguese is very good.
I have a school myself and if my students would be capable of learning what you learned in 3 months, I would be out of business.
I am hope that you my students, or someone that is watching and want to learn a language themselves...
That you can get the motivation, the connection that Jan has with Portuguese, and no doubt that you will improve.
Congrats with your Portuguese, it's very good.
That you very much Jimmy - a pleasure. Also thanks a lot for this interview as well and where will see each other next time in... where? Berlin?
In Berlin, in New York, all over the world.
Who knows...
Next time we will speak only in Portuguese (again).
Ok, thanks Jan!