How Moses McCormick Learned 50+ Languages! RIP @laoshu505000

Moses McCormick spoke over 50 languages. Yes, you read that right! Fifty! 

His YouTube channel — laoshu505000 — shows his genuine love of languages and people, inspiring millions worldwide to improve their lives by learning new languages. 

Lăoshŭ (Mandarin for “mouse”) didn’t aim to become an expert speaker of all 50 languages. On the contrary, having new experiences and interactions with people from many cultures drove him to learn just enough to make those connections.

But knowing more than 50 languages well enough to converse with their native speakers is a tremendous achievement, no matter how you look at it. 

Sadly, Moses passed away in 2021 due to heart complications, and the world lost someone who truly believed that living fully was what life was all about. But laoshu505000 remains on YouTube, and we still have his videos to inspire us. 

So, in this article, let’s pay tribute to Moses McCormick by breaking down the motivation and methods that helped him speak 50 languages. Check out the video version of this post below or keep scrolling to read all about laoshu505000.

Language Number One 

Moses caught the language-learning bug when he was just 18 years old. Why? As he explained:

I just wanted to try something new and different from what everybody else was doing. I thought it would be cool.

Moses McCormick

Sounds like some other accomplished language learners we know right? Like English with Lucy.

Now, this was in 1999, well before internet learning was the norm or even really a thing.

Moses started learning Mandarin from a book, simply playing with it to see if he could learn a few words.

But everything changed when Moses began to use those few words to speak to real people. 

I started meeting actual people, like Chinese people, particularly on campus, or going to Chinese restaurants. And that right there is what really made me continue with learning the language.

Moses McCormick

Those interactions were a massive motivation for Moses, even when everyone around him thought he was wasting his time. Even his family thought he was way out of his league in those early days.

But, by this time, Moses was hooked on language learning, so he ignored the negativity and continued learning Chinese. That decision changed his life. 

It Helps To Have A Friend

Dealing with negativity is a common thread among language learners. They often begin with a deep, unrecognised need to change something in their lives. A bit like Lindie Botes.

And when people tell them to stop, it only makes them more determined. But it helps to have someone in your corner, too. So, Moses was lucky that his friend got hooked on language learning too. 

My best friend used to come over to my house every day, early in the morning, just to practise Chinese. We’d do that for the whole day, and it was so addictive! Then the next day, we’d go back to the mall, go to a Chinese restaurant and just practise. Doing that every day it’s so addicting because you’re actually able to have conversations with them. Then you go back home and say, “I have to learn more. I want to go back and use the new stuff”.

Moses McCormick

In 1999, you couldn’t just find a YouTube channel or an online course as we do today. Moses started learning languages with phrasebooks. These worked remarkably well because talking and interacting with people was what Moses did best. 

In those early days, he didn’t have any set methods for learning. Just learning phrases and using them whenever he found someone to talk to.   

Of course, initially, Moses McCormick didn’t set out to learn 50 languages. In fact, it was just the opposite. He planned to learn Chinese for a few months and then move on.

But by the time he was reasonably fluent in that language, Moses was deeply immersed in language learning, so he started learning Japanese and Korean. 

Meeting Strangers By Levelling Up

Striking up a conversation with complete strangers can be tricky because they’re often shy or suspicious. So Moses developed a strategy he called Levelling Up to ease people from different cultures into talking with him. 

Here’s how he did it.

How To Level Up 

Smile, and ask the person for directions to somewhere nearby. That’s a common request, so people don’t feel threatened.

Now they feel a little more comfortable, so you can ask where they’re from. According to Moses, people almost always answer that question. From there, it’s easy to reply in their language, with “Hey, do you speak this language?” 

Hearing their language — especially if it’s not usually spoken in your country — is so surprising that they will probably want to keep talking.

Once the ice is broken, they’ll ask questions like “how did you learn Vietnamese” or “why did you learn Lithuanian?”

If you understand enough, you may end up chatting for ages.

Don’t Let Lack Of Vocab Put You Off 

Moses used to say that levelling up keeps you motivated to improve. Every interaction leaves you wanting to know more so that you can express yourself better next time.  

Of course, Moses took “levelling up” to new heights when he started to film these interactions for his YouTube channel. Which begs the question: do people mind being videoed while they talk? And is that even legal? 

There will be some countries where the answer to that is no. However, in the United States (and in many other places), it’s legal to record anywhere in a public area without asking people’s permission. Moses explained his filming procedure like this:

I don’t really tell people unless they notice I’m recording. 99% of the time they’re okay. I tell them I have a YouTube channel. A couple of times someone said “Yeah, I don’t want to be on YouTube,” and I didn't use that footage.

Moses McCormick

Talking Is The Natural Way To Listen And Learn

Learning naturally was at the root of Moses’ language-learning philosophy.

For him, that meant learning without going too deeply into grammar rules or even pronunciation. I prefer to get it right first so I don’t have to relearn words. 

But Moses reckoned that people understand you so long as your comments are recognisable.

Laoshu just liked letting go and having fun with the language. He discovered that phrasebooks were a perfect place for him to start because phrases gave him an initial feel for the language. 

If you’re keen to try learning through phrasebooks, here’s one way to manage: learn five phrases a day. Keep practising them and use them on a native speaker as soon as possible.

If you do that for several months, you’ll notice a tremendous improvement when you look back over your first attempts. 

As Moses learned more languages, he developed a specific method that involved anticipating exactly how a conversation with strangers would go. Then he would learn the particular phrases he needed to be able to say and understand for those conversations. 

I start by learning interrogatives and how to respond to them because, in my experience, a lot of the native speakers ask you certain questions. So I prepare for these interrogatives. Then I expand off those. E.g. “Where did you learn Chinese?” “I learned Chinese at home.” I make sure I can understand and answer all of the interrogatives first, then expand from there.

Moses McCormick

Prepare For The Predictable Pattern

Most of us get intimidated by the idea of speaking our new language. That’s because we’re focusing on too many grammar exercises (hello grammar villain) and words we wouldn’t use in everyday conversation. 

The truth is, most conversations are pretty formulaic, especially when you’re speaking with strangers.

Think about your last few casual conversations. How many patterns can you identify? They probably span subjects like “Where are you from?” “Where did you learn (x language)?” “What do you think of (the country you’re in?) etc.

Where you are is another factor in the pattern. For example, you can go to a restaurant and have a pretty good idea of how the initial conversation will likely go. 

• “We’d like a table for four, please.” 
• “This table is ready now.” 
• “Would you like a drink?”
• “Yes, I’ll have wine.” 
• “Can we see the menu? What do you recommend?” 

Moses liked to have these motivating interactions first, then he returned and hit the books.

Relentless Behind-The-Scenes Effort We Didn’t Often See

Moses may have started by casually studying phrases and dialogues, but he became driven by language learning. Relentless is not too strong a word for the routines he put himself through to learn more and more languages. 

When he wasn’t levelling up on the streets or in the supermarket, he was reading stories and textbooks, watching and listening to TV shows and videos in his latest language.

His core activities were based on dialogues, which makes sense, considering that he focused on speaking.

He went over and over these dialogues, listening, reading and shadowing them. (Shadowing is a language learning technique where you listen to and read the text aloud simultaneously, trying to keep speaking in time with the recording.)

How hard did he work? Let’s illustrate it with a story.

About seven years ago, a few friends and I tried to get together with Moses to make a video of us singing a song in Cantonese together. But, no matter how hard we tried to find the time, Moses kept putting it off. 

His refusal message summed it up: “I’m on a schedule where I’m studying four languages for six hours every night.” Now that’s next-level dedication!

Organisation Is One Key To Success

If you want to learn four languages a year, you better be prepared to work with military-like precision. Moses allocated study time and charted his progress through each language. 

He loved reading stories and dialogues, but he didn’t whisk through the pages as you do when reading a book in your own language. No, Moses studied each chapter very deliberately.  

Sounds a bit like the StoryLearning method right? In fact it's rule number 4 of the rules of StoryLearning.

I spend a week on the same chapter, reading the stuff over and over again.

Moses McCormick

Yes, that’s right. Moses spent a week on each chapter and only moved on when he had thoroughly grasped every word and phrase.

What Lessons Can We Learn From Moses McCormick?

Are Your Goals Achievable?

Moses understood why he wanted to learn languages and what he wanted from the experience, so he set his goals accordingly.

I always tell people it depends on their goals, or what they want to do. Like me, I love the new experience, and new interaction with people. So, I don’t expect to learn all those languages to a crazy high level. I’m happy with A2 and I’m not going to spend time trying to get to C1.

Moses McCormick

Do You Understand Your Learning Needs?

Moses knew that he learned best through dialogues and stories, so he framed his study around those.  

You might prefer listening to podcasts while following a transcript, learning through a course, or memorising words with an app (such as Anki or Flashcards Deluxe). Or maybe you need a tutor to provide conversation practice, learning and accountability. 

Understanding your learning style is crucial in determining what suits your needs.

Do Your Actions Reflect Your Ambitions?

Are your actions consistent with what you want to achieve? 

Moses wanted to learn four new languages every year and studied six hours a night. On top of that, he filmed YouTube videos, spent time with his family and had all the other demands of a busy life. 

How have you scheduled language learning into your day? And will that schedule help you meet your goals?

Moses McCormick: Dedication And Joy In Equal Measure

Since he was 18 years old, Moses has used language to touch the hearts of real people worldwide.

Imagine the joy of a Zulu or Lithuanian, for example, when they meet a foreigner who’s taken the trouble to learn their language and uses it in his own country? 

Indeed, Laoshu inspired a new generation of YouTubers, like Xiaoma, who expanded on Moses’ ideas to touch the hearts of millions more people.

So, thank you, Moses. You left us too soon, but you’ve inspired us all. RIP.