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Polyglot Conference 2025 Taipei

Posted by Teddy Nee on November 15, 2025

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Indonesia is a vast country in Southeast Asia that anyone can recognize easily on the map because it borders the sea, thus its country border is also the sea border. Hundreds of ethnic groups and languages exist in Indonesia. Despite having numerous writing systems, the government recognizes the Latin alphabet as the official writing system, which was introduced during the colonization by the Europeans.

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You may have watched videos of people speaking in multiple languages. Some of them even call themselves hyperpolyglots. Whether they really can speak fluently or not, we don't know unless we test them. However, here I shall present 5 renowned polyglots that have been on the news, in the community worldwide and have proved their exceptional linguistic capabilities.

A unique group of Chinese Indonesian: Why are they still able to converse fluently in Hokkien after most areas have been "Indonesianized"?

Before visiting Medan, Indonesia, like many non-Indonesians who have never visited Medan, I thought that the local Chinese were highly Indonesianized, just like other parts of Indonesia such as Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung. Therefore, when I visited Medan for the first time in 2009, I was deeply surprised by the fact that most of the local Chinese, including children, speak fluent Hokkien, as Hokkien is also my father's native dialect.

9 Multilingual News Websites For Reading Practice

Learners learn languages in many different ways, such as attending language classes, playing games, or listening to audio. Whatever the methods are, they usually cover four aspects of language learning: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Mastering only one or two of these is not enough because, in reality, we read, listen, speak, and write.

Gilbertese Language

Kiribati (Gilberts) Kiribati (or locally pronounced as "Gilberts") derives from the Gilbert Islands, which is the main island. The name of the Gilbert Islands in indigenous Gilbertese language is " Tungaru ". The Gilbert Islands was named after a British explorer , Thomas Gilbert, who was the first European to discover them. It is home to about 100,000 of I-Kiribati .

Specialties of each artificial language

Artificial languages are fascinating creations with diverse purposes. Their specialties vary greatly depending on the creators' intention. Here's a breakdown of some common examples: Esperanto: Designed for ease of learning and international communication. It's arguably the most successful international auxiliary language. Interlingua: Based on a simplified common core of existing European languages, aiming for maximum international vocabulary. Klingon: Designed to sound alien and culturally distinct, with a complex grammar and unique phonology. Lojban: Designed for logical precision and to minimize ambiguity. Sambahsa: Designed as an international auxiliary language focusing on simplicity and neutrality, drawing vocabulary and grammar from Indo-European as modified based on common modern usage. Interslavic: Intended for communication between speakers of different Slavic languages. Its goal is to allow for easier communication within the Slavic language family. Latino sine ...

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With John Ong from the Penang Hokkien Podcast 庇能福建 Penang Hokkien is a unique dialect spoken primarily in Penang, Malaysia. It's a vibrant blend of Hokkien, a Chinese language, with strong influences from Malay, English, and other local languages. Like many other dialects, Penang Hokkien faces the challenge of declining use among younger generations who increasingly favor Mandarin and English. As a Medan Hokkien person, I understand Penang Hokkien almost without effort. Medan Hokkien and Penang Hokkien share a common root in the Hokkien language, originating from Fujian, China. Both dialects exhibit significant influence from the surrounding languages, like Dutch and Indonesian in Medan, and English and Malay in Penang.

I speak 4 languages in Penang Malaysia and I shall learn 1 more language

I spoke 4 languages: Hokkien, Indonesian, English, and Mandarin on my recent trip to Penang. There was no communication barrier since the Penangnites are mostly multilingual too, at least, they know a bit of each language. They are also familiar with the Indonesian language because of the many tourists from Indonesia, either for tourism or medical checkups. I had learnt Tamil before but it was not enough for me to have a conversation yet. I will learn Tamil more seriously from now on, so I can use it on my next trip to Penang.

Comparison of Ido and other artificial languages

Esperanto is the basis for the artificial universal language known as Ido. It is a universal language created to facilitate equal and rational communication. Compared to ambiguous languages, Ido's logic guarantees that its translation expresses their content more clearly. Diverse terms have diverse meanings in Ido. Since all of the words have international origins and are shared by the majority of European languages, any educated individual can understand them. As such, it is not an unfamiliar language to acquire; rather, it is an accepted European language. However, its complete regularity and simplicity—no unnecessary rules or exceptions—make it incomparably simpler than any of those languages. The linguist Jespersen's aim of the easiest language for the most people is realized by it. Esperanto typically uses distinctive diacritical marks, which, even in the modern era, can be difficult to write on certain devices and result in display problems for certain typefaces. Despite ...

Bisindo: One of two Indonesian sign languages

Bisindo, short for "Bahasa Isyarat Indonesia," is the sign language used by the deaf community in Indonesia. Recognized as an official language, Bisindo plays a crucial role in facilitating communication for individuals with hearing impairments across the archipelago. Bisindo incorporates regional signs, reflecting the diverse cultures and languages found in Indonesia. This characteristic allows it to adapt and evolve, making it relevant to various communities while maintaining a cohesive linguistic identity. On the other hand, SIBI, or "Sistem Isyarat Bahasa Indonesia," is a system of Indonesian sign language that was developed to standardize communication among the deaf community in Indonesia. It was introduced to facilitate education and communication for deaf individuals, especially in formal settings. To simplify them, SIBI is the standard language and Bisindo is the colloquial language. I chose to learn Bisindo because this is what they use in daily life. Luck...

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