A gifted person ought to learn English (barring spelling and pronouncing) in thirty hours, French in thirty days, and German in thirty years.

Summary

This quote suggests that English can be learned relatively quickly by a talented individual, excluding aspects of spelling and pronunciation. French, on the other hand, may take around thirty days to become proficient in. However, the quote implies that mastering German will require an extensive period of thirty years to achieve a high level of proficiency. The quote highlights the varying difficulty levels of these languages and the time it might take for a gifted learner to become skilled in each one.

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