DragonFaerie Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Anybody NOT doing any foreign languages? Or not doing one until later? I think DS needs more work with grammar and reading before he starts another language. While DD started Latin this year (4th) and will be starting Spanish next year, DS just isn't ready. So I'm thinking I'll wait and start him on Latin in 5th and add Spanish in 6th (assuming he's ready by then). He's definitely more of a math/science guy, though I know he'll need something at least in high school. And I do plan to start him before that. *sigh* Do ya'll think this is okay? Am I doing him a disservice by not starting him earlier? And what if he never really takes to languages? Is it that big a deal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melodiya99 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 While I think there is a great benefit to starting kids young, he'll be fine. I never took a foreign language until high school and I ended up becoming fluent in Russian (native speakers would not believe me that I wasn't a native speaker) and am moderately competent in Spanish. I'm a linguist and language teacher, and from my experience, the people that most struggle with languages are those that don't have a good foundation in their native language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Have you considered starting with ASL? That can be learned independently of English grammar and reading :) It's quite good for wiggly boys because you have to move to sign, lol. Or you could start off with any other language, and focus on listening and speaking, leaving reading and writing for later. Accepting input doesn't require reading or grammar skills. Or you could leave it all until later. It'd be a shame if he never took to languages, but nobody takes to everything. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 4, 2012 Author Share Posted January 4, 2012 While I think there is a great benefit to starting kids young, he'll be fine. I never took a foreign language until high school and I ended up becoming fluent in Russian (native speakers would not believe me that I wasn't a native speaker) and am moderately competent in Spanish. I'm a linguist and language teacher, and from my experience, the people that most struggle with languages are those that don't have a good foundation in their native language. That's definitely reassuring, though I don't see him really taking to languages. I'd be shocked! LOL Have you considered starting with ASL? That can be learned independently of English grammar and reading :) It's quite good for wiggly boys because you have to move to sign, lol. Or you could start off with any other language, and focus on listening and speaking, leaving reading and writing for later. Accepting input doesn't require reading or grammar skills. Or you could leave it all until later. It'd be a shame if he never took to languages, but nobody takes to everything. Rosie Sign language is definitely an idea. I never really thought of it as a "foreign language." Can you recommend any (preferably cheap/free) resources? I have all five levels of Rosetta Stone Spanish and was planning to have both kids start that in the fall. I know he'll be really disappointed if he doesn't get to do it. But I'd hate to start it and have him become overwhelmed and not like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorganClassicalPrep Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 While I think there is a great benefit to starting kids young, he'll be fine. I never took a foreign language until high school and I ended up becoming fluent in Russian (native speakers would not believe me that I wasn't a native speaker) and am moderately competent in Spanish. I'm a linguist and language teacher, and from my experience, the people that most struggle with languages are those that don't have a good foundation in their native language. :iagree:I never seriously studied languages until college, and I'm competent in both Spanish and French. If I had started languages earlier in my college career I'd probably be doing SLA (second language acquisition)/linguistics. And some people just don't take to languages. Some people are naturally better at other subjects, and we can't teach our children EVERYTHING. Give him a good foundation in English and if he needs/wants to pick up a second language later he'll be in good shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 :iagree:I never seriously studied languages until college, and I'm competent in both Spanish and French. If I had started languages earlier in my college career I'd probably be doing SLA (second language acquisition)/linguistics. And some people just don't take to languages. Some people are naturally better at other subjects, and we can't teach our children EVERYTHING. Give him a good foundation in English and if he needs/wants to pick up a second language later he'll be in good shape. I thought about giving him the choice of starting Spanish. But then that implies that he has the choice to stop and I don't know that I want to give him that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Sign language is definitely an idea. I never really thought of it as a "foreign language." Can you recommend any (preferably cheap/free) resources? Well it isn't really a foreign language, lol. No more foreign than the rest of you anyway :P I don't know much about ASL resources, being an Auslan user. I know there are free sign banks online and recommend you check youtube and your library. It's ok to start off signing in English word order, but eventually you'll want to look for words like "grammar" and "classifiers." Classifiers are very important. Try not to speak and sign at the same time. It makes you feel like it helps you learn, but it really doesn't. I have all five levels of Rosetta Stone Spanish and was planning to have both kids start that in the fall. I know he'll be really disappointed if he doesn't get to do it. But I'd hate to start it and have him become overwhelmed and not like it. I don't know that disappointing him now to save possible future negative feelings is necessary. You can let him start and switch to something else for a bit, or treat water while he masters something, can't you? (I'm only hypothesising. I have language delayed kids who are doing a rotten job of learning our two home languages. Never mind my lofty ideas of other languages...) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 I don't know that disappointing him now to save possible future negative feelings is necessary. You can let him start and switch to something else for a bit, or treat water while he masters something, can't you? (I'm only hypothesising. I have language delayed kids who are doing a rotten job of learning our two home languages. Never mind my lofty ideas of other languages...) Rosie That's a good point. Maybe I should take advantage of the fact that he wants to do it and go with it. I was thinking about starting it with my DD over the summer when things are lighter (they will only do math and a little grammar- and Latin for DD- over the summer). Maybe that's a good time to start it with DS, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Well it isn't really a foreign language, lol. No more foreign than the rest of you anyway :P I don't know much about ASL resources, being an Auslan user. I know there are free sign banks online and recommend you check youtube and your library. It's ok to start off signing in English word order, but eventually you'll want to look for words like "grammar" and "classifiers." Classifiers are very important. Try not to speak and sign at the same time. It makes you feel like it helps you learn, but it really doesn't. ASL is considered as satisfying the foreign language requirements in many US states http://www.uvm.edu/~vlrs/doc/sign_language.htm. I would think that it would certainly help develop those pathways that learning a language different than one's own would, just as Latin, Spanish, etc. Try http://www.lifeprint.com/ or http://www.start-american-sign-language.com/---they are the first two resources that came up when I googled "learn asl free." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonFaerie Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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