New York teen Timothy Doner speaks 23 languages - video

Self-taught teenage polyglot admits speaking so many languages can lead to awkward situations

polygot.jpg

A NEW YORK teenager who has taught himself to speak 23 languages has attracted worldwide attention after posting videos of his talent on YouTube.

Timothy Doner's passion for linguistics "snowballed" after he began learning Hebrew in 2009.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The New York Times profiled the hyper-polyglot when online clips of Doner demonstrating his skills went viral.

But he told ITN his talent had some downsides. He claimed it had turned him into "a bit of an eavesdropper" and added: "It can also be incredibly awkward. I've listened to people insult me in foreign languages."

The American teen polyglot who speaks 23 languages - YouTube The American teen polyglot who speaks 23 languages - YouTube
Watch On
Explore More