Does anyone else think it kind of shameful that the author could live in Austria for 12 years and still speak such poor German? Now you can't understand everything your child is saying. Congrats.
When your child speaks a language you don’t
91–96 of 96 posts
Re: When your child speaks a language you don’t
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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…
Is that really that unusual? All foreign languages are taught this way in German schools.
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.
Re: When your child speaks a language you don’t
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the short time I've been reading HN, it's become clear that its readership likes to think of itself as more enlightened than the average mouthbreathing yokel. It doesn't mean they don't have their own orthodoxy, though, and religion is one of those things We Don't Acknowledge Around Here. Hell, I'm an atheist and I would have added the last lines anyway[0]. Of course, he didn't attribute the poem to the author any…
This guys is wrong. Why do I know that? Because I read the poem (didn't like it), clicked the LINK right below it and downvoted it, because it's - for me - a nutjob sort of thing. That said: The post contained the reference to the original source. 'ohjesusthatguy' is .. that guy, and either misremembering things or lying. Again: That thing was posted (and - there were only 2 or 3 top level comments _at all_ on this s…
Re-read the post you downvoted (13 hours ago, it's true) and tell me you're not part of the problem. Whatshisface you're defending fixed the nonattribution part after many people called him out on both that and removing the part of the poem that didn't fit his agenda (which he "fixed" with an elipsis). I'm not the one being a hypocrite about this things. But I'm done arguing with y'all. HN is clearly slashdot next but with better article submissions.
Re: When your child speaks a language you don’t
#94Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is that really that unusual? All foreign languages are taught this way in German schools.
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 st…
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.
Re: When your child speaks a language you don’t
#95Earlier quoted context omitted.
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 st…
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.
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.
Re: When your child speaks a language you don’t
#96I have a friend who grew up in a home where her mom and grandma spoke to her only in Spanish and her dad only spoke to her in English. She was surprised when she went to Kindergarten and her teacher spoke English. She thought Spanish was what women spoke and that English was for men.
Generalizing from a single case can be tricky. I read this somewhere:
"I had a friend growing up whose mom is white and dad is black. Apparently when he was little, he asked his mother why white people had vaginas."