Polyglot Yuji Beleza Sparks Debate on Language Learning

Yuji Beleza – From the Local Streets to the Global Screens

Beleza, a Japanese-Irish polyglot, has caught the world's attention by speaking fluently dozens of languages during the random street interviews. His capacity to speak in Turkish or Swahili and earn millions of followers on social media platforms, etc, has really impressed the world. Beleza has just opened the discussion on which language learning method is more effective, traditional or immersive, real-world practice.

The Social Media Phenomenon

Beleza's popularity has soared with the help of viral videos in which he communicates with people in their native languages. His method, besides enthralling linguists, has also prompted a lot of questions among language learners from all over the world. The popularity of Beleza stands for cultural media being used as a means of cultural exchange and teaching instead of the usual school-based language learning.

But the Critics Question the Hype

Even though the popularity of Beleza is more than widespread, some critics believe that such a success oversimplifies the real challenges of language acquisition. They warn that the view that being able to say a few sentences in several languages equals fluency is wrong and that deep linguistic knowledge is what qualifies a person to speak a language. The arguments that have thus arisen bring to the front the issue of what being multilingual really means in an age where the world is so interdependent.