Whispers Across Time
What History’s Polyglots Can Teach Us Today
Image by: Thomas Shockey
By Hanyu Tales (12th April 2025)
A “polyglot”, as we all know, is someone who has reached a high level in several languages. YouTube is full of language-learning gurus who include this term in video titles as a way of validating their insights, and rightfully so! Learning several languages to an advanced level takes a great deal of work, even with the wealth of resources we have access to in the modern day. However, polyglots have been around for a long time; there have been a multitude of polyglots throughout history who learned several languages in surprising ways. In this article, we will look at nine of these polyglots from the past, and share the techniques they employed to earn this coveted title.
1: Jean-François Champollion
A French scholar, born 1790 in Figeac. He was known as the founder of Egyptology and the decipherer of Egyptian hieroglyphs.By his early twenties, he had studied or mastered Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Classical Chinese, Persian, Demotic Egyptian (script on the Rosetta Stone) and more. 
Champollion’s language-learning techniques included:
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- Oral Repetition: Champollion valued oral repetition, which is universally recognized as excellent for improving pronunciation.
- Immersion and Total Focus: He swamped his brain with the language, to the extent that he claimed: "I dream in Coptic [...] I speak Coptic all alone to myself."
- Translation: While deciphering the hieroglyphic scripts on the Rosetta Stone is not necessary to learn a language, it seems that many classic polyglots developed their skills through translation.
2: C. V. Runganada Sastri
Sastri was an Indian civil servant, jurist, polyglot, and reformer. His accomplishments include becoming the first native Indian judge in the Small Claims Court. 
In terms of his status as a polyglot, he achieved this using the following ways:
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- Debates: He practiced his Arabic and Persian by engaging in philosophical and legal debates—nothing tops practical learning.
- Private Tutoring: He learned English through a private tutor, which, if you can afford it, is always a good investment.
- Immersion: With a huge personal library of over 3000 texts, court experience, and hours spent reading classic texts, Sastri was able to fully immerse himself in his target languages without needing to always be in the country the language originated from.
3: George Borrow
An English writer and linguist born in Norfolk in 1803, George Borrow grew up constantly moving due to his father’s military career. Before the age of 20, he could already speak Irish, Latin, Welsh, Armenian, and many other languages. He achieved this through:
- Immersion: He learned to communicate in various languages by speaking with native speakers from different walks of life, including a stable-hand, a priest, and servants.
- Translating Religious Texts: He translated various religious texts, including a Gospel in Basque.
- Main Hobby: He made language learning his main hobby, suggesting both dedication and enjoyment, two crucial components to language-learning success.
4: Thomas Jefferson
A Founding Father, the 3rd U.S. President, and also a passionate linguist. Jefferson spoke multiple languages, such as Greek (his favorite, which he called the “perfect language”), German, and Native American languages. 
Jefferson’s approach to learning foreign languages was as follows:
Image by: Rembrandt Peale (cropped)
- Learning Philosophically: Jefferson highlight the need for studying insight, culture, and ideas, rather than simply communicative elements.
- Books: Jefferson self-taught many languages using books, including learning Spanish in 19 days en route to France, using as a grammar book.
- Avoiding Purism: Jefferson was not a fan of language purists, supporting the development of dialects and not being afraid of having an accent.
5: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was one of the most popular and widely read poets of 19th-century America. He was fluent in Latin from a young age, and also spoke or at least studied many other languages, including Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Finish. 
Longfellow’s language-learning strategy involved:
Image by: Julia Margaret Cameron (cropped)
- Immersion: Extensive travels in Europe allowed him to immerse himself in various languages.
- Translation: He translated texts from Spanish and Italian into English.
- Groups: He founded a social group of literary translators called the “Dante Club”. Groups can be a great way of keeping yourself accountable and motivated.
6: Friedrich Engels
This German philosopher, social theorist, journalist, and co-founder of Marxism spoke English, Russian, Spanish, and more. 
He was described as able to "stutter in twenty languages", reflecting wide-ranging but sometimes conversational-level fluency. This ability was a result of:
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- Wide Interests: Engels got deeply into Hegelian philosophy and political journalism early on; having a deep interest in subjects and reading about them in your target language is especially effective for intermediate and advanced learners.
- Immersion: He learned English while working in Manchester and through immersion in English society and industry.
- Love: His partner Mary Burns (an Irish working-class radical) helped expose him to local dialects and working-class English, providing him with a deeper comprehension of the language in authentic contexts.
7: Dom Pedro II
Dom Pedro II (1825–1891) was the second and last Emperor of Brazil, reigning from 1831 (age 5) until the monarchy was abolished in 1889. Pedro II reportedly spoke and wrote at least 14 languages, and learned groups of languages in different ways:
- Cultural Immersion: He picked up Italian and Spanish through cultural immersion, especially during extensive travels in Europe.
- Reading: He learned in English in part by reading English literature and scientific journals.
- Academic Study: He studied Greek & Hebrew academically to access classical and biblical texts in their original languages.
8: Sir Richard Francis Burton
Sir Richard Francis Burton was a 19th-century British explorer, soldier, linguist, writer, and diplomat known for his travels in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, including a secret pilgrimage to Mecca. 
He reportedly spoke over 25 languages, including various dialects, which he learned by:
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- Immersion: During his travels, he spent a lot of time immersing himself in local cultures.
- Private Tutors: He hired native-speaking tutors to heighten his proficiency.
- Notes: He had a note-taking habit— he even kept notes hidden in his robe during his pilgrimage.
9: Heinrich Schliemann
Heinreich Schliemann was born in 1822, in Germany. Despite a troubled childhood, he went on to become a wealthy merchant. 
Renowned for his intense work ethic, he also spoke at least 15 languages, which he acquired by cultivating the following habits:
Image by: Ed. Schultze (cropped)
- Daily Reading Aloud: Reading aloud is an excellent, proven way to heighten not only reading comprehension, but also speaking fluency. (B)Learn more here.(URL)https://www.hanyutales.com/blog/1/readingImprovesSpeaking(URL)(B)
- Practicing Intensively on Sundays: Having selected days for intense, active learning is an excellent approach to challenge yourself while avoiding burnout.
- Essay Writing and Corrections: Schliemann made sure to practice his writing skills, before receiving corrections from a teacher. Feedback is an excellent tool for those seeking improvement.
What Can We Learn?
As you can see, not much has changed in terms of how people acquire languages. Reading, writing, translating, speaking, travel, dedication—these have and always will contribute to language-learning success. One noteworthy point, however, is the recurring theme of immersion. Classic polyglots were creative in terms of ensuring as much immersion as possible, finding any way they could to practice and surround themselves with the language. With the internet, this is now far simpler to do, offering a reminder that you do not need to book a flight to create an immersive environment.