Time To Get Serious About Language Learning?

[The Irish Ram]

My cousin took Russian in high school. Every day at lunch I'd ask him what words he was taught that day. Years later I saw the Russian teacher and as we were leaving the store I shouted to him, what I thought was Russian for, see you later. He was getting into his car and he went from smiling to shock. His eyes got big and his mouth opened really wide!
I have no idea what I said to that man...

 

[Unkotare]

My cousin took Russian in high school. ...

One evening I took a Russian in the back seat of a taxi in Tokyo.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

In movies and TV shows, it seems like everyone is!

I love people who can get whole sentences out of three letters!

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

My cousin took Russian in high school. Every day at lunch I'd ask him what words he was taught that day. Years later I saw the Russian teacher and as we were leaving the store I shouted to him, what I thought was Russian for, see you later. He was getting into his car and he went from smiling to shock. His eyes got big and his mouth opened really wide!
I have no idea what I said to that man...

Do svidaniya

 

[otto105]

Foreign language instruction in the US starts late and is not emphasized as much as many other subjects. Should we as a nation (more accurately, as many local school districts) change this emphasis? Every year, more and more jobs in the US are advertised as requiring at least bilingualism, and more of the higher paying jobs involve working and communicating with people in and from all over the world. Employment aside, there are many well-established social and cognitive benefits from learning other languages than one's first. Should we require a much higher standard of proficiency and/or acquisition of two or more languages as part of graduation requirements from high school?

Learning other languages is woke.

Everyone must be mandated to learn a Merican.

We don’t speak any ******* foreign languages here in white a Merican.

 

[The Duke]

Foreign language instruction in the US starts late and is not emphasized as much as many other subjects. Should we as a nation (more accurately, as many local school districts) change this emphasis? Every year, more and more jobs in the US are advertised as requiring at least bilingualism, and more of the higher paying jobs involve working and communicating with people in and from all over the world. Employment aside, there are many well-established social and cognitive benefits from learning other languages than one's first. Should we require a much higher standard of proficiency and/or acquisition of two or more languages as part of graduation requirements from high school?

Foreign language learning started in 5th grade for me. One girl I went to school with back then speaks 5 languages fluently and has a job as a professional translator. She knew 2 by then and learned 3 more. She's a smart girl and has a golden soul, and that's all I'm gonna say about that. Her brother came by a while back. They're like family.

 

[Unkotare]

...Her brother came by a while back.....

Did he take a swing at you?

 

[The Duke]

Did he take a swing at you?

uhh,no?
He was mighty proud of his new baby boy, though. God bless him!
We did have our fights in the past. Oh yes we did. Those may not have happened if I wasn't being an asshole. That's reality.
Those days are long past now. I've known him since I was about 5. We never fought past like..7-8
years old. He's like family.

 

[fncceo]

Learning other languages is woke.

Everyone must be mandated to learn a Merican.

We don’t speak any ******* foreign languages here in white a Merican.

It comes in handy when you’re looking for strange…

 

[otto105]

It comes in handy when you’re looking for strange…

View attachment 1206052

Admiring women who are not white is woke

 

[fncceo]

Admiring women who are not white is woke

It’s all pink.

 

[otto105]

It’s all pink.

Sure, if you actually get your face there.

But, you’re not that guy

 

[braalian]

I learned Spanish 50 years ago and have had little chance to use it.

Not sure where you live/work, but in my life/career there’s almost daily opportunities to use Spanish. It’d be a huge advantage to be able to do so

 

[rightwinger]

Not sure where you live/work, but in my life/career there’s almost daily opportunities to use Spanish. It’d be a huge advantage to be able to do so

I know enough Spanish to get by

Cerveza…..Beer
Mas Cerveza, por favor……..More beer please
Gracias por la Cerveza……Thank you for the beer

Donde es el bano? …..Where is the bathroom?

 

[Unkotare]

I know enough Spanish to get by

Cerveza…..Beer
Mas Cerveza, por favor……..More beer please
Gracias por la Cerveza……Thank you for the beer

Donde es el bano? …..Where is the bathroom?

Esta

 

[Unkotare]

For the most part, learning a foreign language in this country is a waste of time.
We already speak the right language

I learned Spanish 50 years ago and have had little chance to use it. Most has been forgotten.
When I have gone to Mexico, I spoke English….most do

Same goes when I visited Europe. I had little difficulty in finding those who speak English

The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual - PMC

Today, more of the world’s population is bilingual or multilingual than monolingual. In addition to facilitating cross-cultural communication, this trend also positively affects cognitive abilities. Researchers have shown that the bilingual brain ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual | St. Augustine

Discover the top cognitive benefits of being bilingual. Learn how bilingual people have enhanced problem-solving skills, memory, mental agility, and more.

www.staugustine.edu

https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2022/04/29/learning-language-changes-your-brain/

 

[Unkotare]

If all students in the US had to prove proficiency in two languages other than their first, which two would most of you choose?

 

[Woodznutz]

No.

Foreign language instruction in the US starts late and is not emphasized as much as many other subjects. Should we as a nation (more accurately, as many local school districts) change this emphasis? Every year, more and more jobs in the US are advertised as requiring at least bilingualism, and more of the higher paying jobs involve working and communicating with people in and from all over the world. Employment aside, there are many well-established social and cognitive benefits from learning other languages than one's first. Should we require a much higher standard of proficiency and/or acquisition of two or more languages as part of graduation requirements from high school?

No. We have a hard enough time with English.

 

[Unkotare]

...We have a hard enough time with English.

No, we don't.

 

[Woodznutz]

No, we don't.

ELS students do.