12 Celebrities Who Speak More Than One Language
Monday, Aug 31, 2020, 7:04 am
Hey, are you a polyglot? How many languages do you think you can converse in fluently? More than half of the world's population speaks more than two languages. According to linguistic statistics, people living in the English-speaking countries are less likely to learn or use a second language. It is understandable because most people from other countries learn English, as it is often referred to as a global language although it's only the third most spoken language in the world after Mandarin (Chinese) and Spanish. Coming back to the topic, we have listed top 12 celebrities here, who speak more than one language. Don't quickly conclude that all these stars speak English and Spanish. Many of them know European and Asian languages as well!
1.Ben Affleck
The new Batman is bilingual! Affleck was born in California and raised in Massachusetts. Though Ben Affleck is of English, Irish, Scottish, German, Swedish, and French ancestry, he is only fluent in two languages. Some may be surprised to know that aside from English, Affleck is also fluent in Spanish. Maybe this is why Ben is so romantic.
2.Iman
Iman has both beauty and brains. She was born in Mogadishu, Somalia and is a practicing Muslim. Iman knows how to speak five languages - Somali, Arabic, Italian, French and English. The Supermodel didn't just learn the basics of these languages; she is in fact fluent in all five of them.
3.Kobe Bryant
Athletes tend to get a bad rep, as far as academics and intelligence is concerned. Although the $320 Million net worth basketball player Kobe Bryant is one of the best NBA players in the past 15-years, he does not fall into the 'typical jock' stereotype. Bryant speaks English, Italian and Spanish. When the NBA all-star was six-years-old, his father left the NBA and moved the family to Rieti, Italy, where he continued to play professional basketball. It is there that Bryant learned to speak Italian and Spanish.
4.Natalie Portman
If Natalie Portman's acting career goes kaput, she could easily get a job as a translator. The actress is conversational in French, Japanese, German, and Spanish. Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem, with her father being Israeli and her mother, American. She is fluent in both Hebrew and English. On top of that, in 2012, Portman appeared in Paul McCartney's music video for "My Valentine," using sign language to go along with the lyrics. Did you know Natalie is a vegan?
5.Sandra Bullock
The Eye scar beauty Sandra Bullock knows both German and English. The actress was born in Virginia, but her mother's occupation as a German opera singer, led to Bullock learning the language. Bullock would often travel with her mom on European concert tours. She became fluent in German after having learned it from German family members, and through her involvement in an opera's children's choir in Germany. Did you know Sandra Bullock uses Hemorrhoid cream facial?
6.Shakira
Shakira has traveled the world for many years, and as a result she has learned several languages. It's no secret that the $220 Million net worth singer Shakira can speak both English and Spanish, but she also speaks Portuguese and Italian. The songstress learned Portuguese while touring through Brazil when she was in her late teens. She was able to learn English with the help of a former American boyfriend.
7.Sandra Oh
The "Grey's Anatomy" star Sandra Oh speaks three languages, Korean, English and French. Sandra Oh was born in Canada to Korean parents. She is culturally diverse. Sandra learned Korean through her parents. She is fluent in French as well. Sandra Oh learned French while she was studying at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal, Quebec. As you may already know, both English and French languages were given official federal status in 1969. More than 20% of Canada's population speaks French. The French-speaking population is particularly high in the Quebec province.
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8.Jon Heder
Jon Heder might have said "Gosh" a lot in the film Napoleon Dynamite, but he says a whole lot more than that in real-life. As a kid, Heder was an active member of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." After graduating high school, Heder embarked on a two-year religious mission to Japan. As a result, of his mission, he became fluent in Japanese.
9.Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster is a Janet-of-all-trades. On top of being a businesswoman and accomplished actress, she can also speak five languages. She can speak, German, Spanish, English, French and Italian. However, she is only fluent in French and English. Foster became fluent in French while attending Lycee Francais de Los Angeles - a French language prep school. Did you know Jodie Foster never had a plastic surgery?
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10.Gwyneth Paltrow
The $60 million net worth actress Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't come from a Spanish background, but she fell in love with the language. When Paltrow was a teenager, she traveled to Spain for a visit. Her love for Spain motivated her to learn the language. She now visits Spain at least once a year and even speaks Spanish to her children. Did you know Gwyneth Paltrow can sing as well?
11.Leonardo DiCaprio
The $216.8 Million net worth actor Leonardo DiCaprio was born in the Los Angeles area of California, but his family descends from Germany and is one of the highest paid actors in the world. The actor's father is Italian/German and his mother is German. DiCaprio was able to learn German from his maternal grandmother, who he would go visit fairly often. He knows both English and German fluently. Did you know Leonardo DiCaprio has OCD?
12.Mila Kunis
Mila Kunis is originally from the Ukraine, but was raised in Russia. She speaks Russian fluently. When she came to the United States at the age of seven with her family, Kunis had a difficult time learning English. She began watching American television shows and that's how she learned to speak English. Did you know Mila Kunis is a real life hero?
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