Vaughn Smith, 46, of Gaithersburg, was featured on the April 17 edition of CBS Sunday Morning. A carpet cleaner by trade, Vaughn is a hyperpolyglot (someone who speaks at least 11 languages.)
According to an April 5 Washington Post article, “Vaughn makes an effort to get to know people in the language that shaped their lives. In return, they shape his. Welcoming him. Accepting him. Appreciating him.”
Vaughn speaks around 40 different languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Hebrew, Welsh, and American Sign Language. He learned the different languages by using books and online apps like Duolingo.
Although not diagnosed, Vaughn believes he has some form of autism.
Forty-six-year-old Vaughn Smith, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, has a skill most people don’t know about – and very few can emulate. Although a carpet cleaner by trade, Smith's real gift is for words – he's learned about 40 different languages, so far. https://t.co/44q5M3rVes pic.twitter.com/9I0xB6YITD
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) April 17, 2022