Bio
Steve Kaufmann (born 1945, Montreal) is a Canadian polyglot, language learning blogger, YouTuber, and co-founder of LingQ. He speaks 20+ languages including French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Cantonese, Korean, Portuguese, Ukrainian, and Polish — most learned as an adult. A former Canadian trade representative in East Asia, Kaufmann has become one of the most influential voices in the language learning community for his advocacy of comprehensible input and massive exposure-based learning over grammar drilling and flashcard systems. He maintains an active YouTube channel (@lingosteve) and is a vocal critic of spaced repetition as a primary method past the beginner stage.
Notable Works
Platform:
- LingQ — language learning platform co-founded with his son Mark Kaufmann (2007); turns any text, audio, or video into interactive CI-based lessons; tracks known word count across 20+ languages
Books:
- The Way of the Linguist (2005) — memoir and methodology guide
YouTube:
- Channel: @lingosteve — 600k+ subscribers; covers language learning philosophy, polyglot experiences, CI methodology, flashcards vs. input debates
Related
- Topics: Comprehensible Input . Language Learning
- Areas: Languages