Foreign Languages

Many collages and universities require at least 2 or 3 years experience in a foreign language.
In Germany you aren't even allowed to study English at a university if you have not pulled through 2 more foreign languages through until class 13(yep its 13 years here for a high school diploma).

How many languages does everyone speak?
Besides German I learned 3 more languages.

Also check out the link below. About the importance of foreign languages. Do you agree/disagree?

http://www.vistawide.com/languages/why_languages5-7.htm

 

I only speak English. I took several years of french in school, but can't remember much.

I do agree that foreign languages are very important. My ex is hispanic, and speaks spanish fluently. His mom doesn't speak much english. I wanted my ex to speak only spanish to our daughter, because that's part of her heritage, and because the chance to learn a second language at birth, not many people have that opportunity.

He told me no, and proceeded to tell me to "put on a spanish language channel" on the TV, to teach her. :roll:

Needless to say, our daughter is 5, and if I want her to learn spanish, I'm going to have to get the spanish language discs so she can listen to it and learn from there.

Who wouldn't want to pass on something like that to their child? Ugh. And especially when they're so young and their brains are essentially giant sponges. :?

 

That is right.The younger one is the easier it is to master a challenge which a foreign language definitely is.

In 3rd grade I started learning English and had no problems .French and Spanish were more difficult.Maybe because I started those later but the languages' complexity may also play a role.

TV may help to understand a language better but only if you have some knowledge about a particular language already.

 

If you mean fluently speak, english is the only language over which I have a good command. However, I do speak a tad bit of Spanish and Tagalog.

I haven't read the article yet but I believe that learning different languages is extremely important for children. Much like listening to classical music while they're in the womb, I think learning other languages opens a different part of their minds. Fundamentally speaking, I think the more knowledge they have, the greater the reservoir from which they can draw.

 

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I didn't mean fluent in particular. Any kind of language skills.
I do agree with you on what you say.It's also necessary in a time of globalization.

 

I'm going to add Portuguese and sign language to my repertoire sometime soon.

 

Oh sign language must be interesting

 

Started learning Spanish, then dropped it cos I thought I wouldnt ever need it...how wrong was I. Two european Languages are so useful....
I speak two African languages...though they not much use here! Speak Zulu and Siswati(mother tongue).Might start spanish classes again though..

 

True Spanish gaining more and more influence & importance

 

Je pourrais parler le français raisonnable quand j'étais dans le collège depuis que j'ai pris des classes depuis cinq ans. Notre district scolaire avait des leçons espagnoles qui ont commencé dans l'école primaire mais j'ai estimé que j'apprendrais plus si j'ai pris le français. Chacun a pris l'espagnol pour qu'ils puissent fufill la langue requirment, mais la plupart des personnes qui ont vraiment voulu apprendre qu'une langue a pris l'allemand, le japonais ou le français. Si vous vous demandez pourquoi j'écris ainsi bien ... il est parce que j'utilise un traducteur en-ligne-libre.

 

i've always thought that everyone should learn sign language, then when people traveled out of the country, they could always communicate with the natives of whichever land they were visiting. sign language is so beautiful to watch....especially, if you've ever seen worship songs in church translated...i get mesmorized, haha. :wink:

oh, and what's tagalog?

 

Wow. My french isn't as rusty as I thought. I actually understood most of that! :lol:

 

Wow Japanese ,German or French. I dont speak Japanese but heard it isnt easy at all. Especially writing. German must be quite hard for non-natives as well I think.

 

Be-you-tiful,
i can testify that german is a tough language for non-native speakers. i took german in college, as well as spanish in both highschool and college. spanish was definitely easier, but i think both languages are beautiful. when i was in japan, i picked up a few phrases/words, but only enough to get by, haha. when i came back, i found a bunch of books on the japanese language...i tried to teach myself, but just got too busy with school and life, that i gave it up.

but, maybe some day.

 

I taught 2 mixed girls with an American dad and an Italian mother German some years back.They were 8 and 11. They had difficulties but it worked quite well in the end.
My boyfriend also wants to learn more about my culture and therefore asked me to teach him some German.When he comes back from Iraq we will start working on it.
From his former deployments he picked up some Japanese and Korean.

 

that's really cool. i have so much respect for people who are bilingual. i think it's so awesome. i have two really close friends who are latinas...they both speak fluent spanish and english....i love to listen to them talk on the phone, b/c they go from english to spanish back to english all in the same sentence.

how do people's brains work that way?
i'm so jealous!! :wink:

 

the same way it works when someone is giving a doctoral lecture, then slips back and forth between "nah means" and "this cardiovascular jawn right hurr"

 

Thats truly remarkable. It helps a lot to start early

 

My daughter is learning some sign language in her preschool...

There is also a TV show called Signing Times (I think) that teaches sign language.

 

haha, :wink: