“Knowledge—like a nail—is made load-bearing by being driven in. If it's not driven deep enough, it will break when any weight is put upon it.”

“The beauty of a language is, generally judged by its soft or rigid, melodious or harsh, ring. Other aspects, such as the flexibility of derivation, play hardly any role in grading. Were it the case, Russian would certainly be placed on the winner’s stand. It would rank first in plasticity.”

“[B]ooks, which can be consulted at any time, questioned again and again, and read into scraps, cannot be rivaled as a language-learning tool.”

“My view is that knowing languages is part of the process of becoming a cultured person.”

“Aside from mastery in the fine arts, success in learning anything is the result of genuine interest and amount of energy dedicated to it.”

“[S]elf-assurance, motivation, and a good method play a much more important role in language learning than the vague concept of innate ability, and that dealing with languages is not only an effective and joyful means of developing human relationships, but also of preserving one's mental capacity and spiritual balance.”

“I feel such a difference between a philologist/linguist and a linguaphile as, say, a choreographer and a ballerina.”