Do your children write foreign languages in cursive?

[Melissa B]

I would like to move my children into writing their foreign languages in cursive. While they both know how to write in cursive they both print when writing in a foreign language. I was thinking of making copywork for them in cursive, as their complaint is they only see the foreign languages in manuscript form and feel it would complicate things to try and write in cursive. My own thought is once they get over the first hump of practicing it, they would write much faster and smoother.

 

Thoughts?

[In The Great White North]

Yes, they do.

 

 

I was thinking of making copywork for them in cursive, as their complaint is they only see the foreign languages in manuscript form and feel it would complicate things to try and write in cursive.

 

I think that's just an excuse and would call them on it.

 

Copywork in cursive is a great idea. Since I have to re-present material anyway, I'd be writing it all in cursive; readings, examples, etc.

[Maverick]

My children don't write their foreign languages in cursive, but they don't write English in cursive either. Actually I don't think the kid studying Greek could--there's not a cursive version of that alphabet, it there? :D I don't rememebr exactly when I started writing Spanish in cursive, but at least by the beginning of 3rd year I know we were required to turn in a paragraph each Monday and it was in cursive. If you think it will help them write faster and that is their habit in English, I'd start with copywork until they are comfortable composing on their own.

[Michelle in MO]

it looks as if you're studying Latin. The Roman alphabet is not in cursive; its letters comprise most of the uppercase letters of our English alphabet.

 

With my kids (older, now 16 and 14) I didn't concern myself so much with writing Latin in cursive, but with their reading, comprehension, and translations. I think it could be beneficial for younger children, however, but in my mind I have a hard time "seeing" Latin in cursive! But then, again, I haven't done an exhaustive study of writing in Latin throughout the ages! It's certainly possible that Latin was written in cursive, but I'm just not familiar with that. There was the Carolingian miniscule which was used under the reign of Charlemagne and beyond. The letters were rounded and quite beautiful. There were much more elaborate scripts used in scriptoria and on parchments.

 

With modern foreign languages, writing in cursive may be more beneficial. The cursive script used by many Europeans today is quite different from our American cursive. This is probably the closest replica I can find. The zeros are written like a "null" sign, the 7's are crossed, the 1's look similar to 7's, and the 9's have a more curved bottom "tail".

 

At any rate, you've come up with a novel idea, but if it were me, personally, I would tend to keep the Latin in manuscript but teach other foreign languages in cursive. Just my .02 worth!

[Jane in NC]

Well my Montessori educated child writes almost everything in cursive. It has never occurred to me to think about how he writes his Latin or French. Interesting post.

 

Jane

[Laura Corin]

Calvin writes Latin in cursive. Hobbes doesn't write Greek in cursive. Neither has learned cursive Chinese.

 

Laura

[Kanga]

I would not make busy work for my children; that is the surest way to kill their love of learning. If their latin is legible I would accept it as is.

[cstitches]

Neither has learned cursive Chinese.

 

I didn't know that there is cursive Chinese. It looks like it'd be like learning another whole set of symbols @_@;

[KAR120C]

He writes Cyrillic (Russian) in cursive, but then I think that's really the only way one learns to write Cyrillic... everything else he reverts to manuscript. Hmmm...

[Grace is Sufficient]

Nor do I remember teachers making much of a fuss about how we wrote when I was in high school either. In fact, I think most people by then have developed the individual style which becomes their adult writing, as well.

[ChrisN in NY]

"They both know how to write in cursive," but is it second nature to them? It wasn't always for my dc at age 10, much less 8 to get that smooth, flowing handwriting. It may be just too much to think about to translate AND to write cursive.

 

Now my dc didn't do Latin at those ages. But 12th grade dd does most of her schoolwork on the computer, so all her Latin is typed. 8th grade dd prints more neatly than she writes cursive, so her work is all printed.

 

HTH!

[Melissa B]

Thanks! I think I will leave it to them to decide. I mentioned that it would be faster, but if they prefer to print - oh well. :001_smile:

[Laura Corin]

I didn't know that there is cursive Chinese. It looks like it'd be like learning another whole set of symbols @_@;

 

It just looks like a more fluid version of the printed characters.

 

Laura

[Guest Katia]

I've been enjoying reading this thread as it is something I've never thought of before.

 

Yes, I believe my oldest dd does write her French in cursive and/or printing. Either way. Just because it can be done.

 

However, I had to laugh at the thought of my younger dd writing her Japanese in cursive! I don't think it can be done. (?)

[cathmom]

In German it's easier to tell that the capitals are capitals in cursive. My first German teacher warned me that he better be able to tell that my nouns were capitalized or he was marking them wrong, so I usually wrote in cursive to be clearer.

[Nan in Mass]

I think my youngest should be writing his French in cursive. He knows how, but is slow because I let him do everything in print, once he had learned the cursive. I print. Adults never seem to print French, though, so I want him to switch for that. He could use the copy-work/dictation practice for help learning to write the language, anyway. His spelling is awful, but unlike English, once he gets used to it, he should be able to manage the spelling. I don't care if he prints for English and Latin. I've printed since 4th grade.

-Nan

[Nan in Mass]

http://www.ebnola.com/cms/uploads/file/PDF/scan0001.jpg

 

(Just for fun!)

[Jane in NC]

http://www.ebnola.com/cms/uploads/file/PDF/scan0001.jpg

 

(Just for fun!)

 

French in Action includes the occasional document written in cursive in the lessons. I think that this is a good idea, particularly for students who plan on doing some traveling.

Jane

[Nan in Mass]

I taught mine cursive, despite the public school system saying I needn't bother, that they didn't, and other people saying it wasn't important, because my impression of Europe was that everyone used cursive. It is different, but not so much so that I can't read it, as long as the handwriting isn't too bad.

-Nan

[MichelleWI]

I have several old college Latin, German and Spanish textbooks. I find it very enjoyable to read the slips of papers and notes left behind by the original owners, all in lovely cursive writing.

 

It heightens the appreciation of the language, I think.