As an ex-educator I would like to chime in here. I think that our American hubris has kept us from learning other languages and from seeing the wisdom behind doing so. I hosted young students from Brazil and Germeny who spent a schoolyear here to perfect their English.
It is believed that the window for learning a language easily is around 5 years of age. Sadly we miss that window in most cases. I would love to learn other languages.
The best way to learn a language is not how we were taught in HS. It is through emersion in the culture. On the first day of German classes my son came home singing German drinking songs. Somehow, after that, German came very easy for him. He went on to major in Germanic Studies in college. Now he is working among the Puerto Ricans in Chicage and he can also spek the PR form of spanish. Ithink if the kids hear the language spoken, they will learn it better. Sally
|