Languages, what to start when?

[IsabelC]

This is going to hopefully be my last question for a little while. (I feel a bit mean taking advantage of all the excellent advice on here when I don't have much advice to give others, but hey maybe in a few years I'll be in a position to help the newbies!)

 

So, languages.TWTM suggests that most people should start Latin first, in about 3rd grade (from memory here, I don't have my copy in front of me) and then Spanish or some other modern language (or Greek) a bit later, maybe in 5th grade. But that if you have access to a fluent speaker to practice the modern language, you might decide to do that first.

 

I'm pretty sure I would like to do Latin and German with ds. So I was thinking start Latin in grade 3&4, German in grade 5&6, so he has at least the 2 years grounding in each and can continue if he wants to. There is also an option for Spanish or Italian later on (we have a friend who could help with those). But now I have come across two different people who are native German speakers and would be willing to do conversation with us. Also I speak a bit of German and could do some little poems and songs with him. So I'm wondering whether it might be better to start this ASAP (language acquiring brain elasticity and all that), or whether it would be overambitious to start something else new while we're still in the process of getting reading and writing in English underway.

 

So, is 6 too young to start a modern language? (I mean, I know it's not too young, but is it too much given the greater importance of the basics like reading, writing and numeracy?)

What about just starting it orally, doing spoken vocab without any writing or grammar?

 

Thoughts or experiences?

Edited October 17, 2009 by Hotdrink

[The Governess]

I can give you my experience. Dd5 has been learning Mandarin Chinese for about at year, she was 4 when we started. We added in Song School Latin this August. She is already reading very well and her phonics are pretty solid, I think she was at a second grade reading level when we started her with Chinese.

 

I don't think learning either language has interfered with her phonics ability. She just knows that vowels sound a certain way in Chinese, that the v in Latin sounds like a w, etc. I haven't noticed any confusion at all. She seems to be able to switch back and forth depending on the language we are learning... the only problem is when *I* can't remember proper pronunciation (and then she will usually correct me :lol:).

 

At this age, languages are so easy for them to pick up. I am learning along with dd, but she is much quicker than I at memorizing Chinese characters, learning the songs, etc. If you have someone that could come over and converse in German with your son, I would totally take advantage of that! I think oral lessons are a great way to start, and maybe some songs and rhymes that you could practice in the car.

[LittleIzumi]

We started French already, and so far no mix-ups. I'm doing it very casually right now--just the basics, enforcing the English with some immersion French for dd2 and actually teaching the oral French to dd4. Oh, we also use ASL a lot. Both girls know several hundred signs, and that hasn't hindered them at all, and dd4 just adds the French on. Earlier she was counting in French while signing the numbers in ASL, lol (and she can read in English, loves Starfall.com, all the normal English stuff for her age). She thinks it's funny how the languages sound different, but she's not confused yet. I won't do Latin until much later, and more for the roots/technical aspect--maybe a little Greek, too.

[Laura Corin]

I'm a WTM heretic on this point. I think that it's better to start a modern foreign language first, while the brain is extremely receptive to living language. I am convinced that becoming fluent in one foreign language at an early age makes subsequent languages easier to learn. Six is definitely not too early start learning - I would just make sure that you set aside enough time each week to allow your child to make progress and feel a sense of achievement.

 

FWIW, my boys started Mandarin at age 4 and 7 respectively, Latin at 8 and 9 and French at 9 and 12. French is going very smoothly - they don't find speaking it in any way intimidating and are finding the accent easy to grasp.

 

Hobbes has also been studying Ancient Greek, starting at age 7, but that's his own choice rather than my plan. Both boys will have the chance of starting Spanish when they go to school, whilst keeping their other languages going. Hobbes also wants to learn Arabic....

 

Laura

[Seeker]

My daughter started Sign Language at 1yo, Modern French with Power-Glide at 3yo, Latin's Not So Tough at 5yo, and Andrew, Teach Me Some Greek at 6yo. She is now 8yo and I also have Power-Glide Spanish on the back burner for now. I don't know if this is typical, but languages seem to come easy for her.

 

I actually found that the Latin phonetics helped quite a bit when she was reading and came across a new word. I would simply say the "i" has the Latin long "i" sound in this word and she would pronounce it /ee/.

[Matryoshka]

I'll agree with all the others who've posted - I exposed them (through songs/videos) to the foreign languages I was planning on from the get-go, already at 2 we attended a German playgroup and I was reading to them, and at 4 they started German Sat. School. I did Spanish exposure all along and then they started with a tutor at 6. We added some Chinese at 10.

 

They've had no trouble learning to read/write in all the languages (well, no writing in Chinese yet. :tongue_smilie:). They've never been confused about how to pronounce things when reading in the different languages.

 

If you have access to a native speaker, absolutely start now. They pick it up like breathing when they're young, just like they do their native language. It's when they're older that you have to do formal grammar study - but then you just have to study the grammar of a language you already know, instead of learning the language through grammar study.

[Ester Maria]

My daughters are 11 and 12 and have five languages in their lives - Italian (as their native one and the language of their education), English (as their "adopted" one, the language of their host country, and the second language of their education), Hebrew (heritage, semi-native one given that they were exposed to it since early childhood), Latin and Greek (studied as classical languages, of course).

 

They "started" Hebrew first by picking it up in the air, while we were still living in Italy. Then we moved here (they were still basically toddlers) and English came into play. They were fully bilingual in Italian and English by the time we started school, and we studied from the beginning Hebrew as modern and Latin and Greek as classical foreign languages, even though all of them informally first, starting formally at different ages.

 

I also agree with all who wish to do a modern language first, mainly because children learn languages differently at different ages. The analytical study classics require can be postponed for middle/high school, young kids function better with learning by imitation, through exposure and immersion. Accent formation is also easier at younger age.

[ElizabethB]

We started Spanish last year at age 6.

 

We'll start Latin soon, we should get the materials we need Monday. (I had Latina Christian I, I thought she would be fine with it since she's very good at language related things, but we need to drop down to Prima Latina.)

 

Her Spanish accent is coming along, although she still doesn't trill her R's that well.

 

I also think at least some exposure to a modern foreign language at a young age is beneficial for accent development.

 

There has been no phonetic confusion, but she has been reading well since she was 5. Don Potter teaches Spanish for the children at his school as well as remedial reading, he says none of his 1st graders have any problem confusing their English and Spanish phonics.

 

You may find this helpful for pronunciation purposes, a link from my Leigh Print page to a book by Leigh with phonetically marked characters comparing English and German. (It was meant for German ESL students, but I found it helpful from the other side.)

Edited October 18, 2009 by ElizabethB

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I agree that modern languages are perfect for young children, especially when there is someone available to speak with them. I am far from fluent, but I studied Spanish in high school and college. We've been doing a little informal Spanish since the kids were born. We read books, listen to music, and play games in Spanish. I've been using some ideas in the book Teach Your Child Spanish Through Play. I plan to eventually start Latin, but I'm not sure when that will be. By middle school, but hopefully sooner.

[zaichiki]

What about just starting it orally, doing spoken vocab without any writing or grammar?

 

Thoughts or experiences?

 

That's what we do. It's a no-lose situation! The child can start "hardwiring" their brain for the language without getting confused by different letter sounds/pronunciations while they're learning to read/write in English.

[IsabelC]

Thanks for the input people :)

 

I have ordered a few inexpensive resources to start the German in a fun, not that rigorous way, with songs, picture vocab and a sticker book, plus some really simple conversation. Then further down the track we can make a decision as to whether to do it more formally.