About foreign language... (please help!)

[Jumping In Puddles]

I gave my kids a few choices for foreign language and the choices were Spanish and French then adding Latin and Ancient Greek.

 

My kids both decided on Spanish since they took Spanish and French in preschool (very, very basic in each. Just colors, numbers, greetings) and decided they liked Spanish better since they liked the Spanish teacher better. :glare:

 

Fine. Then my son, newly 7yo, decides he "really, really, really wants to take Japanese... pretty please, handsome please, never please, always please, giggle giggle giggle" :001_huh: Why? Because he loves the Japanese he is learning in Karate. Counting, commands, etc.

 

I told him that he already chose Spanish and he said his brain can hold a lot more than I think it can. :001_huh::001_huh::001_huh:

 

I don't speak a foreign language and we live in a part of NJ that has very few options for classes in Japanese.

 

What would you do? TIA!

Edited April 10, 2010 by Jumping In Puddles

[Jean in Newcastle]

I think that Japanese is hard to learn without a teacher. I say this as someone who speaks fluently and who has taught Japanese. The syllables themselves aren't hard except for the "r" sounds (which are more of a combination of d/l to Western ears). But the sentence structure is inverted - verbs come first and many grammatical elements are often just understood (Japanese leave of the subjects of the sentences often!) And what is most difficult is that there are levels of language. Formal language is quite different from informal. Kids though won't be learning the more formal forms. Even counting is a difficult thing because you count long skinny objects with a different suffix than short round ones etc.!

 

Having said all of that, though, would be be content with adding some of the tape/books out there like "Sing and Learn Japanese" or "Teach me - Everyday Japanese" (by Judy Mahoney)?

Edited April 10, 2010 by Jean in Newcastle

[The Girls' Mom]

I would start with this: http://genkienglish.net/genkijapan/japanese.htm and if his interest holds us, look for something like Rosetta Stone.

[EKS]

I think that Japanese is hard to learn without a teacher.

 

I'd like to add that Japanese is hard to learn even with a teacher.

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

How about this:

http://www.teachmetapes.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=10

 

Instead of a formal study of Japanese, he could do this for fun

[Jumping In Puddles]

 

Having said all of that, though, would be be content with adding some of the tape/books out there like "Sing and Learn Japanese" or "Teach me - Everyday Japanese" (by Judy Mahoney)?

 

Is there value in this? He would probably be content but maybe I should do this outside of school? Thank you for the recommendations, those programs look fun!

 

I would start with this: http://genkienglish.net/genkijapan/japanese.htm and if his interest holds us, look for something like Rosetta Stone.

My husband gets Rosetta Stone for free from work :w00t: but I'm concerned because I want him to learn a language and I'm afraid he will be stuck with a language he'll never really be able to grasp.

 

I'd like to add that Japanese is hard to learn even with a teacher.

 

I believe it. I think I will have him learn a little Japanese from videos/Rosetta Stone etc. but have him learn Spanish formally for school. How does that sound?

Edited April 10, 2010 by Jumping In Puddles

[Jumping In Puddles]

How about this:

http://www.teachmetapes.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=10

 

Instead of a formal study of Japanese, he could do this for fun

 

That looks like something he would be interested in and Jean also recommended it so I'm thinking that learning it for fun is the way to go.

 

I was kind of hoping people would say it was easier than I think. :tongue_smilie: Back to reality! :lol:

Edited April 10, 2010 by Jumping In Puddles

[Jumping In Puddles]

I would start with this: http://genkienglish.net/genkijapan/japanese.htm and if his interest holds us, look for something like Rosetta Stone.

 

Just to follow-up... I set him up with the genki japanese and he says he loves it! Thanks again for the link.

[Jean in Newcastle]

He'll get vocabulary and a feel for how to pronounce words in Japanese from those tapes. And he'll have fun. So I think it's worth it! It just won't count as a formal program that will have him being able to sustain a conversation in Japanese.

[Jumping In Puddles]

He'll get vocabulary and a feel for how to pronounce words in Japanese from those tapes. And he'll have fun. So I think it's worth it! It just won't count as a formal program that will have him being able to sustain a conversation in Japanese.

 

Thanks Jean, I will let him have fun with it but still plan on Spanish for his conversational modern language. :)