Talk to me about foreign languages

[Hadassah]

 

For example, "What up dog?" First of all, "What's up?" doesn't really make sense. When we say that are we really referring to anything being up? What's happening? How are you? We mean those things. We are not actually asking about what is up. What's up? The sky. Clouds. The sun. What does that have to do with what the question really means? Nothing.

 

Then there is "dog". Why would we want to call someone a dog? :lol:

 

So funny and so true!

[Laura Corin]

I know someone who was educated in another country, in English, which is not his first language. He prefers to say numbers (like phone numbers or account numbers) in English, even when speaking in his first language.

 

Our lovely household helper in China used to play Monopoly with the boys in Chinese for hours on end, so Hobbes had more reason to learn the large numbers in Chinese.

 

Laura

[sewingmama]

Would some "real" people please post in this thread. Obviously most of these people that have posted are multi-lingual themselves or have relatives. What about for the rest of us??

 

I'm one of the "rest of us" :tongue_smilie:

 

My kids speak two languages -Australian and Canadian :lol: They are getting really fluent in Canadian -strangers often ask them if they were born in Canada when they hear them talking, eh :tongue_smilie:

 

I would LIKE my kids to learn a language - my DD seems interested - she likes to repeat the Spanish words she hears from Dora :D

 

At the moment I can't get the resources. We live in a rural town -there are no language classes or tutors we can access without driving to the city over an hour away.

 

I also can't decide what language would be good to learn.

 

I could choose German since that is my family heritage or French in case we move back to Canada one day.

 

I don't know - it's hard to choose if you aren't sure it will get used.

 

Oh and kick me off this board right now -I have no intention of teaching my kids Latin :blush:

 

I suppose living in Australia I should choose an Asian language but the thought doesn't thrill me.

 

I think I'll end up teaching them New Zealandish ;) It makes the most sense being so close and all :lol:

[mom31257]

A "real" person posting here:

 

As far as what I require, I expect our kids to earn the high school credits required for graduation, and then do whatever is required in their college degree program.

 

We are not a bilingual family nor do we live in an area that requires using other languages. I feel that there are so many things I want to do with our kids that I don't want to spend a lot of time on something none of us are interested in.

 

I include vocabulary programs that involve Greek and Latin roots to build their English vocabulary knowledge, but we don't study Latin or Greek as a language. If either of them wanted to learn another language, I would do whatever it took to help them learn one.

 

Dd does fluently read and write Aurek-Besh? Does that count? ;) She did learn it in just 3 days and can write whole pages in it as quickly as English.

[RoughCollie]

What are your expectations for your kids, concerning foreign languages?

 

DS1 - I expect that DS1 will learn to speak, write, and read several foreign languages fluently. He has a talent for learning languages, a very high desire to do so, and an ability to mimic accents perfectly. He is well on his way in German and Spanish, and is teaching himself Russian and either Swedish or Norwegian (I can't recall which). He speaks in their languages to teens and college students on the internet to improve his ability to hold a conversation and to pronounce words correctly. He marvels about how these people speak English fluently, most without any or little foreign accent.

 

DS2 and DS3 - I hope they will pass the 2 years of foreign language required to graduate from high school. They have learning disabilities, plus they firmly believe learning another language is a waste of time, despite my encouragement that they do so.

 

DD - She has already had 2 years of foreign language required to graduate. I do not expect more from her because she is not interested, as far as I can tell, although she claims to be. All mouth, no action.

 

What do you think is the bare minimum for foreign language studies? None at all. I do not know anyone who has ever used the foreign languages they took in high school or college. So I think requiring kids to learn a language is nonsense since, for the most part, they don't learn much. If the child plans to attend college and is on the college track in high school, I think taking a couple of years of a foreign language (as required) is essential if for no other reason than colleges require it. For everyone else, it should be an elective.

 

That said, we moved here from a place in which over half of the adults had at least a bachelor's degree and 99% of the high school graduates attend college. In the region we live in now (town surrounded by a vast rural area), only 8% of adults have a bachelor's degree. There is a sign on the high school door that their goal is that by 2016, the sophomores will be reading at grade level. For most of these students, merely becoming literate in English is a lofty goal. Their foreign language requirement is met when they take a class that is not leveled (ie, not stuck into the basic, average, or college prep track). These classes move along at a pace that covers about 1/3 of the material covered by the same course at my children's former high school. Is learning a language useful to the vast, vast majority of these students? No.

 

Some exposure to foreign language classes is important, however, because there are some people who will find they enjoy it and will want to become fluent in another language. I think that college admission requirements of at least 2 years of a foreign language in high school is a politically correct scam to keep college professors employed, college dropout rates being what they are: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/education/27remediation.html .

 

I know one physician who learned Portuguese after he began practicing so he could communicate with his patients (Brazilian immigrants) without an interpreter. I know a lot of people who say they can speak X language, but being able to ask "where is the table?" and knowing some vocabulary and a few phrases is not speaking a language.

 

OTOH, I know lots of immigrants who speak English very well. When my son talks to his foreign friends via the internet, they speak English fluently and with perfect accents. They learned it in school.

 

What are your thoughts on when to start foreign language study? What degree of fluency do you expect/aim for? I think learning a language is pointless unless one becomes fluent in it, so I think a child should begin as early as possible.

 

How important do you think foreign language studies are? For most Americans, I think they are not important at all. The vast majority of adults I have met have told me they hated taking required foreign language courses because it was boring and not useful -- a waste of time.

 

I took Spanish in high school and German in college, and in both situations, very few students were actually interested in learning another language, and their grades and attitudes reflected that. Classes beyond those required were sparsely populated.

 

Most well-educated people I know, myself included, enjoyed taking these classes even though they did not become fluent. These people are highly intelligent and enjoy learning. They are not the people who wonder why they have to study history or literature.

 

By well-educated I do not mean formally educated. I know a bunch of really smart people who love to learn and do not have even one college degree.

 

How do you select which language(s) your kid(s) will study? My kids learn Spanish because I think it is easier than the alternatives, and could be useful even if they never leave the U.S. It will give them the basis for becoming fluent should they need or want to.

 

DS1 is a special case -- every language interests him immensely. The languages I think are and will be most useful in the future are Hindi, Arabic, and Chinese. These countries are and will be important to U.S. interests, the populations are large, and many of them do not speak English.

 

I think learning a language to fluency is important: Reading, writing, and speaking. Along with that, I think it is very important that students spend ample time in countries in which the language is regularly spoken. This, IMO, will further develop their fluency and increase their interest in learning the language. All of the college professors I know who speak at least one foreign language fluently regularly visit the countries in which their language is spoken. Otherwise most of them would be engaging in foreign language conversations only with one another.

Edited January 19, 2012 by RoughCollie

[unsinkable]

I apologize for confusion. Good questions :001_smile:.

First thing to note is I part-time homeschool some kids that are not my own, so in some cases I may talk about dd(15) in two posts, and they are two separate people, if that makes any sense.

 

 

It doesn't make sense to me. Referencing a dd(15) who is your legal DD and a dd(15) who is a young woman you tutor as if they are the same person is confusing. It leads to contradictory posts and prevents other board members from getting to know you in a straightforward manner.

Edited January 19, 2012 by unsinkable
extra word made for wordy mcwordness

[elegantlion]

I apologize for confusion. Good questions :001_smile:.

First thing to note is I part-time homeschool some kids that are not my own, so in some cases I may talk about dd(15) in two posts, and they are two separate people, if that makes any sense.

In this case, it is the same person. When she was starting out, I asked around and it turned out that a neighbor was a Latin teacher. My dd studied Latin under her and I was completely uninvolved. I knew nothing, really, about Latin, except that dh wanted the kids to learn it.

I want to to be more involved with the rest of my kids' Latin studies, and so I am trying to learn as much about Latin as I can.

HTH,

Hadassah

 

Well you stated your ds studied Latin, not your dd, as you stated you didn't want HIS Latin skills to get rusty because HE wanted to be a doctor or scientist. Is this your ds13? But sure the above is helpful.

Edited January 19, 2012 by elegantlion

[Catwoman]

It doesn't make sense to me. Referencing a dd(15) who is your legal DD and a dd(15) who is a young woman you tutor as if they are the same person is confusing. It leads to contradictory posts and prevents other board members from getting to know you in a straightforward manner.

 

Well you stated your ds studied Latin, not your dd, as you stated you didn't want HIS Latin skills to get rusty because HE wanted to be a doctor or scientist. Is this your ds13? But sure the above is helpful.

 

 

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

 

I apologize for saying this, but the inconsistencies are beginning to raise a few red flags for me. :confused:

[Hadassah]

Ok, I don't want this to turn into a dissection of every word I've ever typed. People have told me IRL that I'm speak in a confusing manner, and I guess that carries over into my typing and writing. I can definitely assure you that I do not lie or make things up. Please let's just discuss the original question in this post and not veer off into all sorts of nastiness. Thank you kindly.

[elegantlion]

Ok, I don't want this to turn into a dissection of every word I've ever typed. People have told me IRL that I'm speak in a confusing manner, and I guess that carries over into my typing and writing. I can definitely assure you that I do not lie or make things up. Please let's just discuss the original question in this post and not veer off into all sorts of nastiness. Thank you kindly.

 

Asking for clarification about which child you are teaching Latin, and pointing out large posting inconsistencies is not being nasty.

[Hadassah]

I didn't mean that you are being nasty, I mean that we are heading towards that point and I'd rather not go there.

[Ester Maria]

Mandarin or Arabic (or comparable), to stretch their minds and offer them a little choice

How come you find Arabic a good choice to stretch one's mind if one already knows Hebrew? Would not much of the structure of the language pretty much transfer? In my eyes, these two languages you list - Mandarin and Arabic - are not only completely different and divorced linguistic "universes", but also two completely different things, difficulty-wise, relative to your situation.

 

Not saying that Arabic is not a legitimate choice of a foreign language, but the reasoning to learn it to stretch one's mind strikes me as a bit odd. Do you speak it (or Hebrew?)?

[elegantlion]

I didn't mean that you are being nasty, I mean that we are heading towards that point and I'd rather not go there.

 

Well I wasn't really headed that way, but okay. :)

[unsinkable]

Well I wasn't really headed that way, but okay. :)

 

Sometimes you gotta give a horse its head.

[BeckyFL]

I have decided one thing for sure... it doesn't work well if I am the foreign language teacher. We tried Powerglide, then Rosetta Stone, beginning Latin and then Henle. My oldest ds and I made it through Henle, but it was hard (for me, anyway). For my oldest kids, there was a woman in our area who held high school Spanish classes in her home one day per week. That was all they needed to be able to work on their own the rest of the week. After that, they did dual enrollment at the college. With youngest (9th grade ds), we are using Landry Academy with the same great results. I wish they had been around for grade school and we would have started earlier.

[Sputterduck]

Sometimes you gotta give a horse its head.

 

What a lovely example of a phrase that makes no sense! :lol:

[Elinor Everywhere]

OK, someone please tell me that I am not the only person reading this thread who felt just fine before opening it, but now feels like a Complete and Total Loser.

 

I mean, ds did several months of Rosetta Stone Spanish a few years ago (maybe more than a few years ago? I don't even remember.:blush:) We also have Muzzy French in VHS out in the garage. Somewhere out there... It's probably with the BJU French stuff that came in the 7th grade package from last year, so at least it's not lonely.

 

I bought a couple of different Latin programs, as well as things like English from the Roots Up, but they weren't that helpful because we never actually used them. I am, however, hoping to get partial credit for the Latin stuff because I took it out of the package and almost watched one of the DVDS one afternoon. :rolleyes:

 

And That's It.

 

Give me an L, give me an O, give me an S-E-R. LOSER. :glare:

 

I guess we really need to step up and get moving on our language program.

 

But really. I can't be the only one whose kid isn't up to speed on multiple languages, can I?

 

And in case you were wondering, this is where a lot of people should immediately chime in and say no. (OK, maybe a few people can gloat a little about how advanced their kid is in foreign languages compared to mine, but only a few and only a little. ;)

 

I'll chime in! I noticed that quite a lot of the posters (not ALL) have children 7 and younger. It's much simpler to state your ideals for what you WANT to happen, than to state an accomplished reality. I'm very impressed with the people whose kids have already met these goals, but as a fairly experienced homeschooler (10 years), I know that goals often get adjusted as kids age.

 

Did that help? :lol:

[SailorMom]

I'll chime in! I noticed that quite a lot of the posters (not ALL) have children 7 and younger. It's much simpler to state your ideals for what you WANT to happen, than to state an accomplished reality. I'm very impressed with the people whose kids have already met these goals, but as a fairly experienced homeschooler (10 years), I know that goals often get adjusted as kids age.

 

Did that help? :lol:

 

:iagree:

 

When my kids were in elementary school - I just knew they'd be fluent in three languages by the end of high school.... :lol:

NOT!

Now - my SiL has 6 kids, 4 of which are doing school - oldest is in 7th grade, and they are ALL fluent in English, German, Spanish, ASL, and are learning Greek. Of course, they have lived in America, Germany, South America, and now Cyprus - so that helps :) So - don't get me wrong - it absolutely can be done....

But as my sons got older, our priorities shifted based on what THEY wanted to focus on (science, history, math, literature).

DS14 will have the language requirements to get into college, but that is basically two consecutive years of a modern language. We'll keep plugging away at Latin, but next year in 9th grade we are going to shift to working on Greek and Latin roots for the SAT's, rather than take time away from his honors math and science courses.

[Catwoman]

I'll chime in! I noticed that quite a lot of the posters (not ALL) have children 7 and younger. It's much simpler to state your ideals for what you WANT to happen, than to state an accomplished reality. I'm very impressed with the people whose kids have already met these goals, but as a fairly experienced homeschooler (10 years), I know that goals often get adjusted as kids age.

 

Did that help? :lol:

 

YES!!!!

 

Thank you! :001_smile:

[Catwoman]

Asking for clarification about which child you are teaching Latin, and pointing out large posting inconsistencies is not being nasty.

 

:iagree:

 

I don't think anyone was intending to be nasty, but before you continue to be defensive about it, I hope you will consider the points that have been made. Your posts have been inconsistent on more than one occasion, and some of us are confused.

 

We truly have nothing against you, but it is difficult to offer helpful answers to your questions when your descriptions of your children and their levels in different subjects has not been the same from thread to thread.

 

I hope you understand that our intentions are not malicious.

[unsinkable]

What a lovely example of a phrase that makes no sense! :lol:

 

:D I remember explaining the phrase, "Let's book!" to an exchange student once.

[Rivka]

I didn't mean that you are being nasty, I mean that we are heading towards that point and I'd rather not go there.

 

No kidding?

[eternalknot]

I think foreign language studies are important, even if you never plan to use them and even if you'll never learn them to fluency. IME many kids become more fluent in English from studying another language - mostly with grammar.

 

It's also a good experience, in general, to be put in a position where you begin to understand how challenging it can be to learn a new language/culture; I think some people take it for granted that anywhere they go, they'll be able to or should be able to communicate primarily in their own language. I see this amongst Americans, but also within ethnic enclaves here in the US. Adolescent exposure to learning a new language could make it seem less difficult a skill to undertake should the need arise in adulthood.

 

Foreign language studies is relevant to my own children because each of their parents come from immigrant families :D being able to communicate with extended family overseas, as well as within ethnic communities Stateside, is important for many reasons. The expectation is that they'll attain a working knowledge and comfortable proficiency of both languages, and if they become fluent - all the better.

 

Outside of those languages (neither is a Romance-based language) my children will be expected to study a modern language of their choosing. Study in the academic sense, with the ability to read/write with technical fluency. IME, true fluency is rare from academic studies because the cultural contexts just aren't always there (barring cultural immersion) so I don't necessarily expect that. I do expect near-perfect technical execution of written and verbal skills. This is the plan for their high school years, much like the local public and private schools expect.

 

Between now and high school, we formally study Latin *and* I offer and expect informal studies of a romance language. The goal here not being academic and technical fluency, but rather passable conversational skills. I don't care that they know how to properly conjugate in the imperfect tense but I do care that they know how to use that tense in context (even if they don't know what it's called, or why they're using it). Things like picking up language from the people around them. I put my son on an all Spanish-speaking soccer team, e.g., and he's learned to converse in Spanish but he doesn't have the academic background to explain what he's learned. The goal is exposure and general conversational skills of a language we encounter frequently by living where we do. We also count it as good citizenship.

[eternalknot]

Oops. Should have read beyond the first page before I posted :blush: sorry.

[Rosie_0801]

Oops. Should have read beyond the first page before I posted :blush: sorry.

 

Why? What you wrote was interesting to read.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

Just wanted to pop in and say to other language lovers :) .....

 

Today was DS7's second week in Chinese class and it's going great!

 

The teacher is awesome! She is a native Chinese and was an engineer over there. She moved here and did some engineering work and started teaching Chinese. She quit work to stay home with her kids, but we watch her kids while she teaches the class. She is a Christian and is giving us a good price on the class b/c she views it as her ministry :)

 

But really, I'm impressed! It's very similar, granted on a more basic scale, to our Chinese classes at DLI.

 

To the few who talked about learning Chinese, the curriculum the teacher is using is MeiZhou Chinese, and I really like it.

 

It might be a little confusing if you (the parent) don't know Chinese, and you aren't in a class. If that is the case, I highly recommend the other curriculum I have from Better Chinese. I think that moves slower, and is more basic, and provides support for parents who don't know the language.

 

I hope you all are able to find such great resources/opportunities for you foreign language learning/teaching :) And don't get discouraged!! I've been looking/hoping for a good Chinese class for two years now and one FINALLY dropped into our laps!!

[Ohdanigirl]

What are your expectations for your kids, concerning foreign languages?

 

I expect all my dc to be fluent in Spanish. This include being able to read at a high school level, understand high school texts in Spanish, and write. I also expect them all to take Latin though two years of a high school class. Greek they can do in addition to Latin. I also expect them to pick up one more language, and become as close to fluent as possible.

 

What are your kids' actual accomplishments/skills?

 

All my children are fluent in Spanish. in fact, we speak Spanish to them 90% of the time, until the age of 5. They are able to read children's books, hold a conversation with native speakers, and write at about an elementary level. The do Catechism in Spanish, which keeps them from throwing it out the window when we begin schooling in English.My oldest uses a 7th grade History text (in Spanish) along side his regular History spine to help improve comprehension. The younger two, speak Spanish very well, and also use History texts in Spanish. I plan on having them take the AP Spanish exam in 9th and then move on to AP Spanish Lit in 10th. Latin is begun in grade 3, and we seem to be going along pretty well. My oldest ds is currently taking a high school Latin class online. He loves the class, but doesn't love Latin. He may only tale two years. This next year he will need to choose his other modern language, and slowly begin Greek. I am working through the books myself this year.

 

What do you think is the bare minimum for foreign language studies? For my family, I would like my dc to learn at least two modern languages, and retain a very good level of Latin well into adulthood.

 

What are your thoughts on when to start foreign language study?

 

For Latin/Greek whenever you feel ready. For modern languages, the younger the better.

 

How important do you think foreign language studies are?

 

I think they are very important. Universities require them, and many jobs need people that are bilingual.

 

How do you select which language(s) your kid(s) will study?

 

We live in Mexico, our families are from here, and dh/I speak Spanish, so it was a natural choice. I chose Latin after reading TWTM many years ago. I like that my DC can really see grammar rules working in Latin, and that it has helped them develop their vocabulary.

 

What degree of fluency do you expect/aim for?

 

I would agree with the idea of shooting for the stars.;)

Edited January 20, 2012 by USDGAL

[silliness7]

A "real" person posting here:

 

As far as what I require, I expect our kids to earn the high school credits required for graduation, and then do whatever is required in their college degree program.

 

We are not a bilingual family nor do we live in an area that requires using other languages. I feel that there are so many things I want to do with our kids that I don't want to spend a lot of time on something none of us are interested in.

 

I include vocabulary programs that involve Greek and Latin roots to build their English vocabulary knowledge, but we don't study Latin or Greek as a language. If either of them wanted to learn another language, I would do whatever it took to help them learn one.

 

Dd does fluently read and write Aurek-Besh? Does that count? ;) She did learn it in just 3 days and can write whole pages in it as quickly as English.

 

Ack!! My oldest ds used to write his sermon notes in Aurek-Besh. I was amazed and annoyed all at the same time. :001_smile::glare::001_huh:

[nd293]

What are your expectations for your kids, concerning foreign languages?

 

Consistent effort in at least one other language. In Australia children start at a foreign language early, but I have yet to find a primary school child who actually admits to being able to understand a studied language. Language studied differs from school to school, and there is no immersion situation. This really is not the best way to learn a language...

 

In contrast, in South Africa we learned a second language that was widely spoken and used in different media. We learned the same language for 10 or more years. Twenty years on, having been out of the country for 8yrs I can still read the language easily.

 

Consistency and exposure are the two keys to successful language acquisition in my opinion.

 

What do you think is the bare minimum for foreign language studies?

 

At minimum, an understanding of the basic grammar and vocabulary in at least one language related to English in terms of vocabulary.

 

How important do you think foreign language studies are?

 

I think that not knowing a foreign language leaves a hole in your education, just as not being familiar with classical music or art leaves a hole. And all three are very hard gaps to fill, particularly if the family does not possess this knowledge.

 

How do you select which language(s) your kid(s) will study?

 

I want dd to learn French, because I have noticed how not knowing French impacts on her pronunciation of so many words in the English language. If you have done French, you can recognise which words need a French pronunciation.

 

I want her to learn Arabic, because it has massive importance worldwide, and because so many jobs in our part of Australia are mining related - I think learning Arabic could open doors in terms of careers.

 

She starts at a Montessori school in February. They do (modern) Greek and French at primary level, and at some stage switch to German in preparation for the IB Diploma. We have the option to opt out of German if we can find a suitable teacher at our own expense, and I will probably investigate that option.

 

What degree of fluency do you expect/aim for?

 

I think that focusing on speaking a foreign language is more or less a waste of time unless you have regular opportunities to speak the language. No, having a mental conversation with yourself, or a stumbled conversation with another student does not prepare you to take on real life situations with real live people! I am coming to the conclusion that grammar, vocabulary and reading will be the focus of our language studies. Hopefully we will be in a position to offer dd some immersion opportunities when she is older.

 

I recently stumbled across a series of thought-provoking articles on language learning on a blog. One of them is here. I think there are some ideas worth pursuing in the articles. One thing I am about to do is work on lists of the 100 most frequent words in our target languages. I'm going to start with myself, and see how far I can get towards reading fluently in French (I have only a basic understanding of the language - 2 years of high school French 26 years ago). That's my project for the year!

[Rosie_0801]

I want her to learn Arabic, because it has massive importance worldwide, and because so many jobs in our part of Australia are mining related - I think learning Arabic could open doors in terms of careers.

 

Yeah? What's Arabic got to do with our mining industry? I don't know much about that.

 

Rosie

[Hannah]

My children are fluent for their ages in English and proficient in Afrikaans. They have many Afrikaans speaking friends and get to practice often. They will study Afrikaans from 3rd to 12th grade. A second official language (we have 11 in South Africa) is a requirement for matriculation and university entrance.

 

We've 'dabbled' in Latin using Prima Latina and Latina Christiana. I find it really hard learning a new language as an adult, so dd is already ahead of me and I don't know how much further I can take her.

 

We will be moving to a large city in 2014, with many more opportunities to find tutors, and will add another language then. Currently dd12 wants to do French. I'm looking for French DVD's at the moment to give her a bit of a headstart.

 

I am going to take the same approach to a foreign language as to music (or math for that matter). It is a required subject whether you are talented/have aptitude or not and we'll take it as far as possible by grade 12. Proficiency will be the goal and hopefully that is attainable.

Edited January 20, 2012 by Hannah
Oh, my grammar! Sigh.

[Lucy in Australia]

I think learning Arabic could open doors in terms of careers.

 

I'm curious about this too, especially in view of the fact that I have a future engineer who will probably end up in the mining field :) From what I can tell, it would seem Chinese might be more useful.

[nd293]

Yeah? What's Arabic got to do with our mining industry? I don't know much about that.

 

Rosie

 

No! I mean that having Arabic is an added plus in an oil-and-gas career. Most people won't ever want to take their career overseas, but I'd like to think my kids will want to. If we were in an area where tourism was a major career field I might like them to do ... Japanese?

[lewelma]

I want my dc to be fluent in Mandarin by the time they are 25 (ds started studying intensively at age 10). I hope that by focusing on just 1 foreign language and by having a tutor we might just accomplish this. We will not do Latin or Spanish. Mandarin is enough. It is HARD. And I am truly hoping for fluent, which is why I am giving it 15 years. But obviously I won't be in control once they hit University. :001_smile:

 

Just to give hive members one example of what it takes to achieve fluency, I have a friend who is truly fluent in French (meaning French speakers believe he is a native French speaker). This required studying 5 years in High School, majoring in French and Linguistics in University, and getting a Masters in French Literature. Then living in France for 5 years. To maintain his fluency, his reads books (novels and nonfiction) and newspapers written in French and listens to French podcasts every week. He practices his conversation as often as he can, which is about once a month.

 

Ruth in NZ

Edited January 21, 2012 by lewelma

[Rosie_0801]

No! I mean that having Arabic is an added plus in an oil-and-gas career. Most people won't ever want to take their career overseas, but I'd like to think my kids will want to. If we were in an area where tourism was a major career field I might like them to do ... Japanese?

 

Oh yeah, I see what you mean. Should have been able to think of that for myself. :leaving:

[Nan in Mass]

So - perhaps it would be more useful to have my son tested using this system, in the long run, than having an SAT2 score? And the DELF would be the way to do that in French?

 

Nan

[Ester Maria]

So - perhaps it would be more useful to have my son tested using this system, in the long run, than having an SAT2 score? And the DELF would be the way to do that in French?

 

Nan

Personally, I *absolutely* recommend getting internationally recognized exams for the languages studied at a level high enough for the certificate to actually mean something (B2+ levels).

 

I do not think it is an either/or thing; you may wish SAT2/AP for the sake of college application process, but get DELF/DALF for employment opportunities and to have it internationally recognized that you do know French indeed. SAT2s mean nothing in the wide world outside of the US, if you want to prove you know French, you have to go with their own exams.

 

I recommend the same for every language barring the native one(s) - if you learn it to a high level, formalize it. Italian has CILS, German has Deutsches Sprachdiplom, etc.

[KellyT01]

Wow! I absolutely felt 'loser-ish' when I started reading this thread also. I am teaching spanish and latin to DD11. I took spanish through college and beyond and spent some time in Costa Rica speaking only spanish (I had a headache at the end of every day!) Although I have an affinity for languages and DD does not seem to at this point, I still believe it is crucial to learn at least one other language besides your native.

 

We started with basics (numbers, alphabet, etc) when she was very young and didn't start formal training until she was around 9.

 

My goals:

-functional/conversational in spanish

-have a good exposure to one other of her choosing

-be able to read latin

 

After reading this thread, I might try to add an additional language around high school or maybe revise the 2nd goal to functional/conversational in a 2nd language.

 

You all are so inspirational! :001_smile:

[elegantlion]

Personally, I *absolutely* recommend getting internationally recognized exams for the languages studied at a level high enough for the certificate to actually mean something (B2+ levels).

 

 

 

My hope is that ds and I (we're studying together) can take the Japanese Proficiency test in a few years.