YouTuber Laoshu505000 Who Spoke Over 20 Languages Passes Away at 39
Moses McCormick, a YouTuber polyglot known as Laoshu505000 who spoke more than 20 languages including Japanese and Mandarin, has passed away at 39. McCormick, who had 1.1 million subscribers, died on March 4 from a heart complication, according to The Daily Dot. His family has set up a GoFundMe to have the late YouTuber’s remains transported from Phoenix to his hometown in Akron, Ohio.
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“Moses Monweal McCormick was a beautiful brother, son, father and friend,” McCormick's sister, Susan Nushawn McCormick, wrote. “He touched the lives of so many all over the world. His dedication and passion for not only learning but, teaching a plethora of Languages.”
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McCormick made his last Instagram post on March 4 to show his progress on his Sinhalese writing.
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Who was Laoshu505000?
McCormick was a famous YouTuber who talked to strangers in their native languages.
In 2018, one of McCormick's viral videos shows him visiting a Chinese restaurant and speaking to the staff in Mandarin.
Another viral video in 2019 features McCormick striking up conversations in a supermarket with strangers using their native languages, including Japanese, Mandarin and Arabic.
McCormick started studying different languages around 20 years ago. “I noticed that most language books and classes did not teach students how to prepare for real world conversations,” his YouTube bio says. “In an attempt to solve this issue, I developed my own method, The FLR Method. The videos on my channel show the progress that I have made with different languages of the years by using FLR. I hope you are inspired by my content, and that you decide to learn a new language as well.”
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According to several reports, McCormick could speak more than 20 languages.
Tragic Loss for the Language Learning Community
Fellow YouTuber Xiaomanyc, whose real name is Arieh Smith, posted a video on Saturday to talk about how McCormick inspired him to learn new languages.
Smith described the late YouTuber as the “original language learning YouTuber” while showing a screenshot of a video McCormick posted around 12 years ago.
We'll miss you bud https://t.co/gwJWxAVAXT
— Xiaomanyc (@realXiaomanyc) March 5, 2021
“He really inspired countless people, me included... I think that he exposed a lot of people, including me, to just the idea of trying to connect with somebody else’s culture by learning their language. He wasn’t just like Spanish, French kind of guy. He really just went deep into other cultures and other languages.” Smith added that McCormick helped him become more confident in learning other languages such as Mayan and Wolof.
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Many of McCormick's fans on Facebook shared their heartfelt condolences. They also shared messages about how McCormick inspired them to learn about different cultures and languages.
Some fans also took to Twitter to pay tribute to the late language learning legend.
Really became one of my favorite channels the past year and learned so much from this man, RIP Laoshu . https://t.co/8rwZy1h6dw pic.twitter.com/ZXGKV5tHRv
— #MiraTouch (@nickmira) March 5, 2021
Nooooo 😭🥺 Laoshu was one of my favorites to watch. I’m so sad to hear he passed away. RIP Laoshu, you incredible human you ❤️ https://t.co/dI8HU8eZen
— Bailey Sarian (@BaileySarian) March 6, 2021
If you are not in the language community you may not have known Laoshu but for those who knew him he was an inspiration. He spoke so many languages. This is a black American from Ohio who made videos that made Russians, Somalis, Chinese people etc. smile. R.I.P. Moses. pic.twitter.com/AXyR8Nmyd5
— Kiki كاريما (@TropicalDelite) March 5, 2021
R.I.P a legend of the language community, Laoshu. He was a truly inspiration to start learning languages by myself. Thanks for everything you did. Now you're leveling-up on a better place ❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/Sa5y1CnX4r
— kärsu 🌻 (@hoarfrostt_) March 8, 2021
Thank you, Laoshu, for showing myself and countless others in the polyglot community how truly bright life is when you speak another persons language. Thank you for your kindness, openness, and for paving the way for us, you won’t be forgotten.
RIP#Laoshu50500 pic.twitter.com/r7HnONJ4Jp — Rick And Morty Fan (@Marcus_Flack2) March 8, 2021
I watch a lot of different YouTube channels and Laoshu was a favorite. I'm devastated by his passing, he brought joy and delight to so many that will never be able to meet him. RIP❤️💔 https://t.co/qshR67X4sa
— Alba Brunetti (@AlbaBrunetti) March 7, 2021
Feature Image via laoshu505000 (left, right)
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