I had three years of Spanish in high school. I never really could understand any hispanics that I would hear speaking it has it seems like they talk so fast, but I can still do a fairly good job of reading it. (At least can get the general idea of what something says) However, I spend one summer during college living with my uncle in El Paso. By the end of the summer I was actually getting really good with reading things in Spanish and speaking in Spanish but still had difficulty understanding when others were speaking. I think that I really learned more than I though in high school and if left in the environment for a longer period of time would have began to grasp the language fairly well.

I tell my students that you take classes in high school to become acclimated to different subjects. That acclimation may lead you to want to further pursue a subject/career that otherwise you would have never known or had an interest in.

 

Bet you'd like to have a dollar for every time you've heard some version of "Why do I have to learn this? I'll never use it."

I tell my students that you take classes in high school to become acclimated to different subjects. That acclimation may lead you to want to further pursue a subject/career that otherwise you would have never known or had an interest in.

 

Same could be said for college as well. If I had not taken Science classes in college I would have never decided to major in it.

I am a fan of studying foreign languages. I took both Spanish and German, and I can get out what I need to get out, but my vocabulary and comprehension are limited. To become fluent, one needs to become immersed and forced to associate in the foreign language. I travel to Germany often, and my skills get better after I have been there a while. My daughter's in-laws speak only Spanish, so it is actually good to hang out with them because my Spanish gets a lot better, but I often need help with vocabulary.

 

The challenge we English-speakers have is - what other language should we study? Spanish, German, Russian, French, Chinese, Japanese...it is good and bad that English is the new universal language because our motivation to learn another language is diminished. With work, I travel all over, and in practically every country now an English speaker is available.

I tell my students that you take classes in high school to become acclimated to different subjects. That acclimation may lead you to want to further pursue a subject/career that otherwise you would have never known or had an interest in.

 

Unfortunately all four semesters of French taught High School plantmanky was that the french teachers were really hot.

Three years of French here. One class in college - biological etymology. Not a foreign language class per se, but lots of Latin roots involved.

 

Same. Took it at Morehead, 8am. And I can say most assuredly that I scored better on the DAT and MCAT because of that class directly.

I had three years of Spanish in high school. I never really could understand any hispanics that I would hear speaking it has it seems like they talk so fast, but I can still do a fairly good job of reading it. (At least can get the general idea of what something says) However, I spend one summer during college living with my uncle in El Paso. By the end of the summer I was actually getting really good with reading things in Spanish and speaking in Spanish but still had difficulty understanding when others were speaking. I think that I really learned more than I though in high school and if left in the environment for a longer period of time would have began to grasp the language fairly well.

 

Immersion is clearly the best way to learn a language. The problem with living in Kentucky is you have such a tiny population that speaks a foreign language that it is never heard and therefore you can't train your ear or practice. So your education basically stops with pronunciation practice in the classroom. But like you mentioned, being able to read it is easier, because you do that in the classroom and the words are often similar to their English language equivalent.

One, it's a practical skill to have. Almost anyone's career could be enhanced through proficiency in a second language.

 

Two, it's culturally important in the same way art, music, literature, and history are. Most all liberal arts colleges require the learning of a second language (which enhances the practicality of my first point if one were pursuing a college education).

 

Three, learning a second language develops cognitive abilities in ways unrelated to simply speaking the language. There are many cognitive benefits evidenced in students and people who have learned another language.

 

My last point, language education in most secondary schools is impoverished. Students are taught mostly through rote. This is ineffective, but nonetheless satisfies the nominal requirement of a second language offering. I wonder if anyone here learned English by sitting down and conjugating "to be." Languages should be taught earlier.

One, it's a practical skill to have. Almost anyone's career could be enhanced through proficiency in a second language.

 

Two, it's culturally important in the same way art, music, literature, and history are. Most all liberal arts colleges require the learning of a second language (which enhances the practicality of my first point if one were pursuing a college education).

 

Three, learning a second language develops cognitive abilities in ways unrelated to simply speaking the language. There are many cognitive benefits evidenced in students and people who have learned another language.

 

My last point, language education in most secondary schools is impoverished. Students are taught mostly through rote. This is ineffective, but nonetheless satisfies the nominal requirement of a second language offering. I wonder if anyone here learned English by sitting down and conjugating "to be." Languages should be taught earlier.

I agree with the benefits of studying a foreign language. But I am still not convinced that it is necessary requirement for high school students. I would prefer that students are given a choice of whether or not they want to study a foreign language in high school. But the swap would have to be for an equally challenging class, like another science, math, history/social studies or English/Writing.

Same reason they have kids solve for X, learn history, take an art credit... We want kids to be able to think critically, and be challenged. It's not like there is that much content, outside of reading and written expression, that we use on a daily basis.

Same. Took it at Morehead, 8am. And I can say most assuredly that I scored better on the DAT and MCAT because of that class directly.

 

Dr. Lake taught it back in the day; he may have been dead and gone by the time you got there.

Cheated my way right through two years of French.

 

Same here. Hated every minute of it.

I agree with the benefits of studying a foreign language. But I am still not convinced that it is necessary requirement for high school students. I would prefer that students are given a choice of whether or not they want to study a foreign language in high school. But the swap would have to be for an equally challenging class, like another science, math, history/social studies or English/Writing.

 

I'm not sure what all goes into making certain classes required or not, but it certainly seems sensible to me to allow students more choices.

I do remember "voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir", but that may have been Patti LaBelle and not Madame Stauffer.

Dr. Lake taught it back in the day; he may have been dead and gone by the time you got there.

I wish I could remember his name, but it wasn't Lake. He was very military. You couldnt' wear a hat, and you dare not yawn nor be 1 minute late. Thankfully I was always a morning person.