Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2005 > September > 23 > Entry
Missing out on prime language learning years
Let me tell you about my young friend Moritz. When I met him about this time last year, he was five years old and didn’t speak a word of English.
He did speak German, Russian and Chinese.
My oldest daughter, Claire, adored Moritz and they were fast friends. After the first time they played together, I asked Claire how she talked to Mortiz since he didn’t speak English. She looked at me like I was from Mars. “We talk to each other,” she said.
Mortiz’s father, Matthias, was in the Knight Wallace fellowship program at the University of Michigan with me for eight months. By the time they moved to Germany at the program’s end, Moritz spoke perfect English. If you didn’t know, you’d have not guessed he was not a native speaker.
This was a real life lesson for me, illuminating what a lot of brain researchers believe: that young children with developing brains have particular aptitude for language learning.
There’s probably nothing Claire could be doing now at age six that has more potential to benefit her in adult life than starting language lessons. It’s more valuable than soccer, basketball, ballet, swimming lessons, chess club or any of the other activities she’s tried.
So why can’t I find language instruction for her?
Her school (Kettering public) certainly doesn’t offer it. Kettering’s Rosewood Arts Center offers French, Spanish and Italian, but not until age 16. I suppose a private tutor is an option. But even a tutor might be hard to find, too costly and not as much fun as a class with other kids her age.
In the emerging global economy, language going to be an increasingly valuable skill.
Matthias, Mortiz’s father, speaks six languages. He told me that ever since he was young, he has loved language. Part of the reason, is when you grow up in Germany it’s easy to see the practical application of knowing other tongues — the country is surrounded by other nations that speak different languages. It would be equivalent to growing up in Ohio if they spoke other languages in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky. Learning languages would pratically be a necessity.
I took Spanish in high school and I hated it. I couldn’t see the practical value of learning Spanish then. I didn’t know any Spanish speakers and never expected to use foreign language. Now I wish I could have those lessons back.
Another of my friends in the Michigan program was Mi-Seok from South Korea. Mi-Seok was a little shy and lacked confidence in her language skills when we first met. But she wanted very much to learn English, so she put her life on hold and moved halfway across the globe to put herself in an uncomfortable situation — interacting with native English speakers every day. She understood the value of language skills too. Mi-Seok was speaking English fluently by the program’s end.
Mi-Seok, Moritz and Matthias taught me important lessons about the value of language. Now if only our community had the resources to benefit my kids now while language learning would still come easy.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Foreign Language and Study Abroad
Comments
By Shannon
September 26, 2005 4:23 PM | Link to this
My suggestion would be for you all to learn Spanish as a family. Local colleges like UD, WSU and Miami have loads of international students who could teach you. That way Claire would hear the correct accent, and you, your wife and other childern would be able to speak it with her, watch movies and read books, just like in English. If she doesn’t hear it regularly, she will forget it. When she’s older, you could all visit Spanish-speaking countries to give your language skills a real test.By Beth Carroll
September 24, 2005 9:59 AM | Link to this
Hi Scott. Josh was offered a Spanish after school program at his elementary school. It is new this year and a little pricey. They clain they offer 16 levels, I think they are 10 week courses that start at the 1st grade level. I may have to reconsider. Beth