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

“He who knows other languages feels even closer to his own language.”

“Language is the only thing worth knowing even poorly.”

“The spread of languages shouldn't imply the decay of national languages. There are so many literary and historical memories, so many joys and sorrows of the past linked to them that it is an obligation for all of us to guard their present and future.”

“[R]epetition is as an essential element of language learning as a knife is to a lathe or fuel is to an internal combustion engine.”

“One should connect language learning with either work or leisure. And not at the expense of them but to supplement them.”

“[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.”