Interview with Antonio Graceffo, The Monk From Brooklyn

Published: May 6, 2009, 9:49 p.m.

Author, linguist, and fighter Antonio Graceffo “pulls no punches” (pun intended) when sharing his views on how to learn a foreign language effectively. His language learning wisdom stems from formal training as an interpreter and translator at Germany’s prestigious University of Mainz, coupled with over a decade of living, learning, and working in South and East Asia. Antonio speaks numerous languages (French, German, Italian, Khmer, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese), and has used his language skills to good ends. On top of a stunning trail of articles and books, Antonio continues to fight the human rights atrocities in Burma.


If you read any of Antonio’s books, you will quickly realize that Antonio’s passions are cut into two equal parts: language learning and training in the martial arts. In fact, many people know him not as Antonio, but rather “The Monk From Brooklyn.” This nickname, and his first book of the same name, sprout from his experience training at the Shaolin Temple in Mainland China. He then went on to learn Muay Thai in Thailand, Bokator in Cambodia, Lai Tai in Burma, and Silat Kalam in Malaysia.


For show notes, visit LanguageMastery.com/blog/Antonio-Graceffo.



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