Who speaks the most languages in the world?

Language is a fascinating part of human communication and culture. We use it to share our ideas, feelings, and thoughts, and to connect with people across different regions.

Language can also cross national boundaries. A good example is English, the most spoken language in the world. Its speakers are spread across countries all over the globe.

There's no clear definition of what constitutes fluency or mastery of a language, since there are different types of multilingualism, such as passive (understanding but not speaking), active (speaking and understanding), and balanced (equally proficient in all languages).

Additionally, some languages are more closely related than others, which may make it easier or harder to learn them. But how many languages can someone speak? And who speaks the most languages in the world today?

The answer is Ziad Fazah, a Lebanese man born in Liberia. He has been the Guinness World Record holder for the most languages spoken by a single person since 1985. He may not understand Navajo, but he speaks a staggering 59 other languages.

Ziad Fazah's Languages

He learned languages by reading books, listening to radio, watching TV, and talking to people. He has demonstrated his multilingualism on several TV shows around the world. His website lists these languages as his areas of proficiency:

1. Albanian

2. Amharic

3. Arabic (all 27 dialects)

4. Armenian

5. Azerbaijani

6. Bengali

7. Bulgarian

8. Burmese

9. Cantonese

10. Czech

11. Danish

12. Dutch

13. Dzongkha / Bhutanese

14. English

15. Fijian

16. Finnish

17. French

18. German

19. Greek

20. Hebrew

21. Hindi

22. Hungarian

23. Icelandic

24. Indonesian

25. Italian

26. Japanese

27. Khmer

28. Korean

29. Kyrgyz

30. Lao

31. Malagasy

32. Malay

33. Maltese

34. Mandarin

35. Mongolian

36. Nepali

37. Norwegian

38. Pashto

39. Papiamento

40. Persian

41. Polish

42. Portuguese

43. Romanian

44. Russian

45. Samoan

46. Serbo-Croatian

47. Shanghainese (Wu Chinese dialect)

48. Singlish

49. Sinhala

50. Spanish

51. Standard Tibetan

52. Swahili

53. Swedish

54. Tajik

55. Thai

56. Turkish

57. Urdu

58. Uzbek

59. Vietnamese

He says he started learning languages at the age of three. His first language was Portuguese, which he picked up from his Brazilian babysitter. He later learned Arabic, English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian, and Chinese.

He is believed to be the only person who is fluent in all 27 Arabic dialects. He claims he has a photographic memory and a passion for words, and that he can learn a new language in just three months.

Ziad Fazah’s Interviews

Ziad Fazah has been featured in several media outlets, such as the Guinness Book of World Records, up to the 1998 edition, which listed him as being able to speak and read 58 languages, citing a live interview in Athens, Greece in July 1991.

He has also appeared on national TV programs in Greece, Argentina, Spain, and Brazil, where he has been interviewed and tested by native speakers of various languages.

However, not all of his appearances have been successful. In 1997, he was invited to the Chilean TV show Viva el Lunes, where he was supposed to answer questions in Egyptian Arabic, Finnish, Russian, Chinese, Persian, Hindi, and Greek.

He failed to understand and answer all of them except the first one in his native Arabic. He later blamed his poor performance on jet lag, lack of preparation, nerves, and lack of sleep. He also accused the show of being rigged and unfair.

Since then, he has faced more skepticism and criticism from the public and the linguistic community. Some have accused him of being a fraud, a liar, or a delusional person.

Others have questioned the validity and reliability of his tests and interviews and the criteria and methods he uses to measure his fluency.

Some have also pointed out the inconsistencies and errors in his speech and writing, and the lack of evidence and documentation of his language learning process and achievements.

Ziad Fazah’s Current Status

Despite the controversies and challenges, Ziad Fazah still maintains that he can speak 59 languages and that he has proved it in several public appearances.

He lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a language tutor and provides courses through various ways: Skype, phone, or in person.

He has a website, a blog, a YouTube channel, and a Facebook page, where he uploads videos and articles about his life and languages. He says he enjoys new challenges and hopes to help others with learning languages.

Ziad Fazah is a man who claims to be the world’s greatest polyglot, but he has also faced a lot of doubts and criticisms about his linguistic abilities.

He is a controversial and fascinating figure in the world of languages, and his story raises many questions and debates about what it means to be fluent, how to learn and test languages, and how to verify language claims.

Whether he is a genius, a fraud, or something in between, he is certainly a unique and intriguing person who has sparked a lot of interest and curiosity among language lovers and learners.

In any case, he is just one example of people who have an extraordinary interest in languages. At least he shows that learning languages isn't only a cognitive skill, but also a passion, a hobby, a challenge, and a way of life.