Reginald Heefner (Reggie) is in his fourth year of the French master’s program at Middlebury. But Reggie is not just any student. He is a hyperpolyglot who speaks 16 languages. What does it take to be a hyperpolyglot? Reggie gives us some advice below. First, a bit of Reggie’s story.

Reggie began his language-learning journey at the age of six. Following a sledding accident that left him in a coma for six months, Reggie woke up without the ability to speak. He could understand well, but when he spoke, he mumbled words. That moment was a turning point in his life. At that time, he decided to relearn how to speak.

He went to the library and started reading. At first, he found a book on Ancient Greek. This book came with audio cassettes. When he finished, he read a book in Spanish. After that, he read a book in French. Very soon, not only had he taught himself six foreign languages, but he also relearned English.

Later in life, Reggie joined the military where he worked as an interpreter. During that time, he studied and learned more languages like Chinese, Arabic, Swahili, Hindi, Urdu, and Modern Hebrew.

So, what advice does Reggie have for those studying languages? First, be persistent! There’s a Japanese saying that goes “Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru,” which means that many small efforts can lead to big results over time. You don’t need to have an exceptional memory, but you do need to work hard. Finally, don’t stop even if you make mistakes. What great advice for life in general!