We are surprised, when we hear from acquaintances: «Wash the son/daughter studies English, German, French and in addition is engaged in Italian.» You sympathize with this child and you think, how it is possible to find room so much into the head and not to get confused? 
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The question arises: how many languages the person can learn? One, two, three… ten?.
The history stores tens names of outstanding polyglots. Them was much among princes of Kievan Rus’, among the scientific Middle Ages. Danish языковед Rasmus Rayek talked in 230 languages. German linguist Schutz – on 270, Wilhelm Humboldt – the outstanding German scientist and the statesman – in 117 languages. The known researcher of ancient Troy G. Shliman knew about 60 languages., According to him, it seized Russian in 6 weeks.
Ability quickly to master a foreign language was not always perceived as the great benefit. So, in the XVII century in Finland the student who could learn a foreign language quickly was sentenced to death. Him accused that it «is bewitched by a devil».
F.Engels knew 17 languages. One letter written by it still in youthful years, in 9 languages is found. He sufficiently mastered also Russian. To Russian revolutionaries he signed the letters "Feodor Fedorovich".
Polyglots were also Russian языковед M.N.Peterson (he knew 123 languages), and the Italian professor Talyavani (102 languages). Laziness to read? Then listen!
Dmitry Kreminsky reads
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Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy perfectly knew Russian, French, English, German, freely read on Greek and Latin, Spanish and Italian, Czech and Polish, Bulgarian and other languages. About 22000 books and magazines are stored in 25 cases of its library in the Clear Glade in 35 languages of the world.
Also there are people who are far from linguistics, but speak or can quickly learn language: the librarian from Kara-Kalpak (Central Asia), the school student from Budapest, the storekeeper from Kiev. Is people who speak in 30-50 languages much.
How many time is required to learn at least a part of words of language? For example, you want to learn 15 thousand words. Each word on the average has 3 values. We multiply 15 thousand on 3 (it turns out 45000). At each value on the average on 5 options of the use. We multiply 45 thousand on 5 (it turns out 225000). If on each of 225 thousand words to take away on a minute, 225 thousand minutes either 3750 hours, or 10 years (if to be engaged on one hour in day) turn out. It is a question of an active lexicon.
As to a passive lexicon, on development of 15 thousand words less time, that is about 750 hours will leave approximately in 5-7 times.
It turns out, not such and the lung put – to make the way in ranks of polyglots. But another’s languages help to learn better and the, and another’s culture.
The person should use all the possibilities. After all at desire and considerable effort any can learn at least one foreign language, and there some more others, related to it. For example, knowing the Moldavian language, it is easily possible to learn Italian, Portuguese and, of course, Romanian. And on the contrary. Well knowing Russian, it is possible to learn Belarusian and Ukrainian.
We live in the civilized world where it is possible to fly to other country for the weekend where it is possible to communicate with friends from a different doomsday where the computer costs practically in each house and demands knowledge of English. The person should correspond to such life.
And in the ancient time spoke so: how many languages you know, so many time you are a person.]