NINETEEN LANGUAGES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 April 1939, Page 4

NINETEEN LANGUAGES

YOUTH’S AMAZING ACHIEVEMENT. At the age of 19 Mr A. Hollis-Ran-dell is in charge of the information bureau at Euston Station, London. He got the job because he.speaks 12 foreign languages—French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Dutch; Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Hungarian, Hindustani and Hawaiian. He is the youngest member of the Royal Asiatic Society. A reporter of the London Star asked him first about the Hawaiian. “Oh, I know that because I run a native Hawaiian dance band,” was the reply. “I also organise two others bands and play 16 instruments of the guitar type” added this astonishing youngster. He explained how he started collecting languages. “My parents, who are both English, went to Switzerland when I was very young, and you know how everybody in Switzerland speaks two or three languages. So I naturally fell into the habit. “I like to learn my languages thoroughly, including the grammar, so I don't count others which I am learning. There is Russian, for instance, and Chinese, *both very interesting languages. “And Welsh —I am interested in that because it is like Hindustani. “Which was the hardest? I don’t quite know. The simplest are in a way the most bother. Hawaiian, for example, has only the same number of vowel sounds as English, but also it is limited .to seven consonants. It is like a crossword puzzle to fit in." In what language does a man who knows how many think? Mr Hollis-ter-Randell can answer that one. “I start thinking in French mostly, then perhaps go into German, and then begin on English.” So far this many-tongued youth has not been beaten by any inquirer, but he admits that he does not know the deaf and dumb language yet and he is occasionally bothered by the wilder accents of Lancashire and Tyneside. Flustered passengers will come and ask him the time of the next train to Chorlton-cum-Hardy and he is not supposed to be the time-table expert. He has had time to follow one hobby —he is an expert ski-ier.