Abstract
It is not surprising that there are Indonesian people who are able to communicate only in one language, i.e., their native Language (L1). Some Javanese people—the major ethnic group living in East and Central Java -are only able to communicate in Javanese; some Sundanese people—the second major ethnic group living in West Java -are able to communicate only in Sundanese; and some Banjarese—the people living in South Kalimantan province are only able to communicate in Banjarese. This is especially true for those who never experience formal education and live in villages and remote areas for almost of their lives. For those who have ever gone to and attended formal education, they are usually able to communicate at least in two different languages, i.e., their L1 and Indonesian language, their L2. Even, some Indonesian people are not only able to communicate in L1 and L2, but also are able to communicate in more languages. In relation to these phenomena, the following question is raised: “Why do some people be able to communicate only in one language while some others are able to communicate in more, different languages?”
Highlights
Being able to understand and use different languages other than his/her own native language might be the hope of every language learner
In relation to these phenomena, the following question is raised: “Why do some people be able to communicate only in one language while some others are able to communicate in more, different languages?” Keywords polyglot, Language Acquisition Device (LAD), First Language (L1), Second Language (L2), Foreign Language (FL)
Sprachheld concluded that the ways the polyglots learn other than his/her L1 language (Sprachheld’s blog, assessed in December, 2020) can be summarized in three methods: 4. Speak First In this method the language learners are recommended to start to speak it with natives as soon as possible: a little at first and progressively more
Summary
Being able to understand and use different languages other than his/her own native language might be the hope of every language learner By having this ability, it is believed that a number of communicative benefits can be enjoyed. Brendan (2011), for instance, concludes that any individual who has obtained the ability to use more than one language can be categorized as multilingual This idea is in line with what Ellis (1994) believes that in multicultural countries like Indonesia, many people are considered as multilingual since they are able to speak more than one language. A polyglot is a person who is able to understand and use many languages This is in line with what Collins Cobuild Advanced Dictionary of English Whereas Alkire (2008), the editor of a book entitles How I learn Languages, told that Lomb, the writer, could translate 16 different languages
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