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I think some of it might be the convenience of being able to speak to one another without the children knowing what is being said as well. My father's parents k

I think some of it might be the convenience of being able to speak to one another without the children knowing what is being said as well. My father's parents knew German and he wasn't taught, but recalled many times where his parents would speak German to each other in front of him, ostensibly so the children couldn't understand. But I think a lot of the reason it is lost is just how it is unnecessary. If everyone understands English and primarily speaks it, there is no real need, or opportunity, to learn/use a second language.

denzil_correa 9y ago
> I think some of it might be the convenience of being able to speak to one another without the children knowing what is being said as well. My father's parents knew German and he wasn't taught, but recalled many times where his parents would speak German to each other in front of him, ostensibly so the children couldn't understand. It was the same with my parents but more out of necessity than a deliberate act. I grew up with 4 languages but my parents spoke another 2. It would be difficult to understand those extra 2 languages as they had different scripts and were really different in nature. The result was that my parents used it as an encryption framework to have a private conversation while I was around. I understood zilch.
otoburb 9y ago
>>If everyone understands English and primarily speaks it, there is no real need, or opportunity, to learn/use a second language. This hits upon the key motivating driver (or lack thereof) of language acquisition: multiple languages generally act as a force multipler[1], but aren't as "useful" when considered in isolation. The other problem with language acquisition from a purely utilitarian aspect is the fairly large time commitment which might be better spent elsewhere (e.g. studying core subjects in the resident language). But the paradox of the force multiplier factor is that you ideally want a fairly strong base to amplify in the first case (e.g. Math/Science). Even though people may not break it down this way, this seems to be the intuitive reasoning use by [semi-]multilingual parents, and is often another reason why the "culture/tradition" or "fun" aspects of language learning are emphasized as compensating factors. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_multiplication https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_multiplication
- supreme_sublime 9y ago
  Wouldn't they only be a force multiplier in the right network? I suppose that's what you mean by "aren't as useful when considered in isolation", though it almost sounds like you are referring to a specific language.
  - otoburb 9y ago
    You're exactly right - additional languages are only force multipliers within a certain range of circumstances which one would need to actively manage to their advantage. This lends itself to parents heavily considering which languages their children should learn (e.g. Spanish, Mandarin, English) based on number of L1 or L2 speakers.
ryanianian 9y ago
> But I think a lot of the reason it is lost is just how it is unnecessary. If everyone understands English and primarily speaks it, there is no real need, or opportunity, to learn/use a second language. Maybe "everyone" understands where the kid lives now, but if they ever decide they want to explore their parents' country or culture, it will likely be much easier if they know the language. Although you don't need to know anything but English in the US, knowing Spanish is extremely valuable and gives you many opportunities to connect with people different from you. There are other ways to get this too, but I'd argue knowing a foreign language that you can use at least sometimes in your area is a huge benefit. (I'm learning Spanish - a bit rough but I know enough to carry a conversation. Talking to others in their native language been one of the more culturally-enlightening experiences I've had in a while!)

denzil_correa 9y ago

> I think some of it might be the convenience of being able to speak to one another without the children knowing what is being said as well. My father's parents knew German and he wasn't taught, but recalled many times where his parents would speak German to each other in front of him, ostensibly so the children couldn't understand. It was the same with my parents but more out of necessity than a deliberate act. I grew up with 4 languages but my parents spoke another 2. It would be difficult to understand those extra 2 languages as they had different scripts and were really different in nature. The result was that my parents used it as an encryption framework to have a private conversation while I was around. I understood zilch.

otoburb 9y ago

>>If everyone understands English and primarily speaks it, there is no real need, or opportunity, to learn/use a second language. This hits upon the key motivating driver (or lack thereof) of language acquisition: multiple languages generally act as a force multipler[1], but aren't as "useful" when considered in isolation. The other problem with language acquisition from a purely utilitarian aspect is the fairly large time commitment which might be better spent elsewhere (e.g. studying core subjects in the resident language). But the paradox of the force multiplier factor is that you ideally want a fairly strong base to amplify in the first case (e.g. Math/Science). Even though people may not break it down this way, this seems to be the intuitive reasoning use by [semi-]multilingual parents, and is often another reason why the "culture/tradition" or "fun" aspects of language learning are emphasized as compensating factors. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_multiplication https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_multiplication

supreme_sublime 9y ago
Wouldn't they only be a force multiplier in the right network? I suppose that's what you mean by "aren't as useful when considered in isolation", though it almost sounds like you are referring to a specific language.
- otoburb 9y ago
  You're exactly right - additional languages are only force multipliers within a certain range of circumstances which one would need to actively manage to their advantage. This lends itself to parents heavily considering which languages their children should learn (e.g. Spanish, Mandarin, English) based on number of L1 or L2 speakers.

ryanianian 9y ago

> But I think a lot of the reason it is lost is just how it is unnecessary. If everyone understands English and primarily speaks it, there is no real need, or opportunity, to learn/use a second language. Maybe "everyone" understands where the kid lives now, but if they ever decide they want to explore their parents' country or culture, it will likely be much easier if they know the language. Although you don't need to know anything but English in the US, knowing Spanish is extremely valuable and gives you many opportunities to connect with people different from you. There are other ways to get this too, but I'd argue knowing a foreign language that you can use at least sometimes in your area is a huge benefit. (I'm learning Spanish - a bit rough but I know enough to carry a conversation. Talking to others in their native language been one of the more culturally-enlightening experiences I've had in a while!)