Has anyone else come across the Youtube-fruitcake called Christophe Clugston?
In the above video he starts out by claiming that he is about to reveal the “deep dark secrets” of learning languages - secrets which would (he says) normally cost tens of 1000s of bucks in college fees. But then he just waves around a few books in the air, and rabbits on about how people have no valid opinion unless they have a PhD in Linguistics!!
In the video he also insults Steve by name.
Seriously people should watch this guy’s videos - they really are extremely funny!
You’re right, Imyirtseshem. This guy is so egotistical that he’s actually very funny! He says things like: “You have no valid opinions unless you have been to graduate school…”
(He seems to be some kind of karate expert, or something of the kind; quite a sinister looking guy, yet also a complete joke.)
djc463 said “He’s no karate expert, he never went to graduate school in martial arts, so he has no legitimate claim to talk about it.”
That is an hilarious observation. Really doing a judo throw on his own arguments, using their own “weight” against themselves. It made me chuckle heartily.
Rank wrote: “He seems to be some kind of karate expert…”
Quote from his webpage: “Who the hell am I? Well unless you’ve been living in a cave you probably have heard about the most controversial man in modern martial arts’ history, Christophe Clugston.”
Maybe all the punches have caused some form of megalomania.
In another video I saw Mr. Clugston “reveals” that the best method for learning another language is TPRS. Which I find hilarious, as TPRS and LingQ have a hell of a lot in common.
I have only seen a couple of his videos, the ones where he gets himself tied up in knots because I describe myself as a linguist, a term that he feels should be reserved for people who have studied linguistics. This is an old debate, and to me there is no issue. “Linguist”, in English, long before the field of linguistics existed, meant someone who spoke several languages. To the average English speaking person, who is probably blissfully unaware that linguistics exists, it still means that. That is usually the first definition in most dictionaries.
To me it is not an immodest claim to make of oneself, just a statement of fact. We have philatelists, optimists, guitarists, and the French even have unijambistes. No one owns these words. They are defined by usage, and dictionaries record that usage. We can all try to become linguists or most other kinds of “ists” although we want to avoid becoming “unijambistes.”
As for youtube, it is like Hyde Park Corner. Anyone can show up and say what they want. They can expect to be supported, encouraged, criticized, ridiculed, or ignored. Very democratic.
I just tried to post a comment asking him if he was serious. And it is “pending approval”. So I guess he wants nothing bad said about him and his secret system.
I first said 1)people have been learning unscripted languages since the beginning of time and I am quite sure not all of them were “linguists” with the linguist knowledge of Mr.Bighead. And 2)Why would people pay to learn a language spoken by 400 people in Nigeria or PNG. Dish Mr.Bighead $500 and then what? Even IF you were the first to write a book on such a language, what publishing company is going to want to publish it. I’m sure academic and scholastic publishers might but that probably won’t even make your break in with all your fees to Mr.Bighead.
To me it just seems like he’s preaching to gullible people who are impressed by his words…which AREN’T even that impressive. You hear Dr.Arguelles, Steve, Moses talk, they sound like educated people who are truly passionate about languages. This guy doesn’t even talk like he’s been moderately educated and basically says “its my way or no way”.
Paul Korean: It might be because he wants everyone to reveal themselves to him as he said here: “Remember if you want to post comments: REAL NAME, REAL PHOTO, if you assert something citations are necessary. This is not the amateurish, non academic YT place for your opinions with no credentials: you can go to all of the pundit YT language channels to do that. THE STANDARDS ARE HIGHER HERE.”
I watched a few of his videos and was amazed at how arrogant he was and his persistence to prove to his audience that he was right and everybody else does not know what they are talking about and thus are wrong. I agree with Imyirtseshem that he is obviously using “big words” in order to impress his audience. Since when do we need a university degree to be fluent in a language? I understand that it would be beneficial when preserving a dying language and being able to the one to record it and write it down but who is honestly going to learn that language if there are only 16 speakers of the language or worse only having 2 people left who still speak it?
Kokos, I was actually going to cite and point a book “Among the Mongols” by James Gilmore, which is a monograph about his ventures in Mongolia and Hendrick Hamel. I think you’re right on the money with everything Kokos. He’s arrogant and he goes over the top to prove how great it is, makes him seem like a fool. Benny, though I don’t agree with his methodology, he doesn’t come off with that arrogant “I’m right attitude”(or so I think, not much a huge van or viewer of his videos).
And you’re right again in terms of documenting a dying language. But clearly he’s not concern about that, he’s more concerned about making money. And at the end of the day, learning any language comes down to exposure, dedication, and the amount of time spend using it. I doubt knowing this fellas “secrets” are going to make learning an unwritten language any easier.
I also love how he makes a video slamming Steve for “not being a language expert” yet I don’t see native speakers praising him for his ability to speak any languages. Just what exactly makes him a language expert?
I don’t think anyone is knocking field linguists, Imyirtseshem. I think we just remain to be convinced that Mr Clugston actually IS a ‘field linguist’ in any true sense of the word.
(To me he comes across as a preening big-headed fool - someone who is unintentionally very funny.)
I must admit, I do find it amusing that a self-proclaimed linguist, of all people, is so unaware that words can have multiple meanings that they take offense to people using another meaning for “linguist” to him.
