7 ms·

My wife is a native French speaker, and she's always spoken French to the kids. Unlike the author of this story, I've never really felt like I was getting left

by ekidd 12y ago

My wife is a native French speaker, and she's always spoken French to the kids. Unlike the author of this story, I've never really felt like I was getting left behind. Before the kids were born, I spent a while studying an Assimil course (a fine course, from a French publisher, for people who like to learn mostly through osmosis with some notes). Afterwards, I plowed my way through 450 pages of a French non-fiction book, understanding maybe 75%. So when my wife started speaking French to the kids, I could kinda-sorta follow. Several years later, I decided to improve my French. I forced myself to speak it as much as possible, and I read another 10,000 pages (about 40 novels' worth). I also bought DVD box sets of easy series and watched them straight through. Happily, my brain decided, "Oh, so it's French or nothing. Better learn some French, then." Today I watch French TV and read French novels without much trouble. I can converse with French preschoolers, but adult conversation is a bit tricker—my spoken vocabulary is more like that of a bookish 9-year-old than that of an educated adult. On a good day, this doesn't slow me down much. I could probably work as a programmer in French, but I'd have trouble negotiating a consulting deal without more immersion. Ironically, I currently speak French better than my kids do, because I get more exposure. Given the right environment, the brain seems to adapt.

LeonRobrotsky 12y ago
> Given the right environment, the brain seems to adapt. In high school, I had a German immigrant, fresh out of college as an instructor. The moment one stepped into that classroom to the moment one stepped out, nothing but German. Hell, it didn't stop there. If you tried to talk to him at all, in or out of the classroom, he wouldn't acknowledge you unless you spoke to him in German, and he would only speak German to you. Strangely enough, the German students were the only ones capable of holding conversation in a foreign language. I graduated in 2008, haven't 'used' German in 7 years, but I still find myself thinking in German every once in a while. Immersion (even for ~50min, 5 days a week) is easily the best way to learn. I don't know why anyone wastes their time with anything else. EDIT: Hah, I just remembered how he never cared that we talked to each other during class about whatever, just that it was in German, not English.
- DasIch 12y ago
  Is that really that unusual? All foreign languages are taught this way in German schools.
  - LeonRobrotsky 12y ago
    > Is that really that unusual? In the US, yes. Or, at the very least, at my high school. The other classes had weekly vocab quizes and grammar tests, with English instruction, whereas we learned German... in German.
  - darklajid 12y ago
    I don't recall my first years in Germany, learning English. Do they really start by speaking English only? And .. I don't know, explaining words by pointing at things etc? I .. don't remember. I do know that most of my English classes were held in English and completely so, but I forgot the beginning.. I spent a year in Israel and wanted to learn the language (spoiler: I failed). The language courses (Ulpan) there started in Hebrew on day one. I knew not a single word. It was pointing at things, using your hands and .. a new language. I liked the concept and I do like the language, even though I never made it.
    - DasIch 12y ago
      Yes they do. Currently at least in NRW English lessons start in 2nd grade of primary school, so we are talking about 6-8 year old children. So you have to keep in mind that they aren't (all) able to fluently read and write in their native language.
      - darklajid 12y ago
        Thanks a lot. That's actually the state I live in (and was raised in). Guess I'm clueless, because my little ones are still 4-6 years too young for me to worry or care about those primary school programs. :-) During my time we started with English in 5th grade/at age 11 I think. And I'm still having trouble believing that these lessons were English only / full immersion right from the start, but .. I wouldn't know anymore, tbh. Again, thanks for enlightening me.

by ekidd 12y ago

LeonRobrotsky 12y ago

> Given the right environment, the brain seems to adapt. In high school, I had a German immigrant, fresh out of college as an instructor. The moment one stepped into that classroom to the moment one stepped out, nothing but German. Hell, it didn't stop there. If you tried to talk to him at all, in or out of the classroom, he wouldn't acknowledge you unless you spoke to him in German, and he would only speak German to you. Strangely enough, the German students were the only ones capable of holding conversation in a foreign language. I graduated in 2008, haven't 'used' German in 7 years, but I still find myself thinking in German every once in a while. Immersion (even for ~50min, 5 days a week) is easily the best way to learn. I don't know why anyone wastes their time with anything else. EDIT: Hah, I just remembered how he never cared that we talked to each other during class about whatever, just that it was in German, not English.

DasIch 12y ago
Is that really that unusual? All foreign languages are taught this way in German schools.
- LeonRobrotsky 12y ago
  > Is that really that unusual? In the US, yes. Or, at the very least, at my high school. The other classes had weekly vocab quizes and grammar tests, with English instruction, whereas we learned German... in German.
- darklajid 12y ago
  I don't recall my first years in Germany, learning English. Do they really start by speaking English only? And .. I don't know, explaining words by pointing at things etc? I .. don't remember. I do know that most of my English classes were held in English and completely so, but I forgot the beginning.. I spent a year in Israel and wanted to learn the language (spoiler: I failed). The language courses (Ulpan) there started in Hebrew on day one. I knew not a single word. It was pointing at things, using your hands and .. a new language. I liked the concept and I do like the language, even though I never made it.
  - DasIch 12y ago
    Yes they do. Currently at least in NRW English lessons start in 2nd grade of primary school, so we are talking about 6-8 year old children. So you have to keep in mind that they aren't (all) able to fluently read and write in their native language.
    - darklajid 12y ago
      Thanks a lot. That's actually the state I live in (and was raised in). Guess I'm clueless, because my little ones are still 4-6 years too young for me to worry or care about those primary school programs. :-) During my time we started with English in 5th grade/at age 11 I think. And I'm still having trouble believing that these lessons were English only / full immersion right from the start, but .. I wouldn't know anymore, tbh. Again, thanks for enlightening me.