Need for a Tour Leader in Paris France Be Welcome.

Padraig Breathnach writes:

Authority.

Is this school, or the army?

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Deep Foiled Malls writes:

Learning Latin is a waste of time that should be spend on learning a
living language, or something else that will reap rewards in life. A
knowledge of Latin is next to useless in the modern world, like
knowledge of any other dead language.

It's not very useful, but it's not entirely useless, as it makes certain
things clearer. However, it's hardly a necessary prerequisite to
teaching French or any other language.

I've never made an in-depth study of Latin because nobody speaks it.
There isn't even an accepted standard for the spoken language because
there are no native speakers.

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Deep Foiled Malls writes:

Learning Latin is a waste of time that should be spend on learning a
living language, or something else that will reap rewards in life. A
knowledge of Latin is next to useless in the modern world, like
knowledge of any other dead language.

It's not very useful, but it's not entirely useless, as it makes certain
things clearer. However, it's hardly a necessary prerequisite to
teaching French or any other language.

I've never made an in-depth study of Latin because nobody speaks it.
There isn't even an accepted standard for the spoken language because
there are no native speakers.

--
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Magda writes:

You are sooooooooo wrong... particularly for one trying to learn Italian.

The time spent learning Latin could be better spent learning more
Italian.

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Magda writes:

You are sooooooooo wrong... particularly for one trying to learn Italian.

The time spent learning Latin could be better spent learning more
Italian.

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nitram writes:

Are you referring to yourself?

No. I've never fallen for that particular folk myth.

I could communicate with my kids in English, my wife could communicate
with them in English, French and Dutch/Flemmish.

There's a huge difference between being able to communicate to some
degree and being fluent.

The ability for small kids to pick up languages naturally
until they are 7 or 8 is well known and was common to all the kids in
our multinational community.

It is widely assumed to be special, but nobody has ever been able to
prove this.

Like you do to your students?

Yes, although I don't normally administer the standardized tests myself.

Most 5-6 years olds don't write fluently in any language, but since
you don't have kids you probably aren't aware of that.

If they aren't writing, they aren't fully competent in the language.

--
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nitram writes:

Are you referring to yourself?

No. I've never fallen for that particular folk myth.

I could communicate with my kids in English, my wife could communicate
with them in English, French and Dutch/Flemmish.

There's a huge difference between being able to communicate to some
degree and being fluent.

The ability for small kids to pick up languages naturally
until they are 7 or 8 is well known and was common to all the kids in
our multinational community.

It is widely assumed to be special, but nobody has ever been able to
prove this.

Like you do to your students?

Yes, although I don't normally administer the standardized tests myself.

Most 5-6 years olds don't write fluently in any language, but since
you don't have kids you probably aren't aware of that.

If they aren't writing, they aren't fully competent in the language.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

Deep Foiled Malls writes:

Because there is NO BETTER WAY!!!

(please prove me wrong on this, I will happily admit I am wrong if you
can! I have been looking for alternatives in this whole thread, but
thus far none have been offered!)

You are correct. There really isn't any better way. Learning a
language is a significant undertaking and there are no shortcuts. Good
instruction can significantly improve the cost-benefit ratio, but nobody
learns a language overnight.

Private language schools charge a lot of money because they produce
results. The Berlitz method, for example, will actually get you
speaking a language fairly quickly; the criticisms addressed to it by
others who live in an academic fantasy world cannot negate this reality.

It's certainly possible to provide the same instruction in public
schools, but, at least here in France, obtaining useful results is not
nearly as important as maintaining a crusty old bureaucracy and caste
system. Customer service has never been a priority or a significant
skill of the French.

--
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Deep Foiled Malls writes:

Because there is NO BETTER WAY!!!

(please prove me wrong on this, I will happily admit I am wrong if you
can! I have been looking for alternatives in this whole thread, but
thus far none have been offered!)

You are correct. There really isn't any better way. Learning a
language is a significant undertaking and there are no shortcuts. Good
instruction can significantly improve the cost-benefit ratio, but nobody
learns a language overnight.

Private language schools charge a lot of money because they produce
results. The Berlitz method, for example, will actually get you
speaking a language fairly quickly; the criticisms addressed to it by
others who live in an academic fantasy world cannot negate this reality.

It's certainly possible to provide the same instruction in public
schools, but, at least here in France, obtaining useful results is not
nearly as important as maintaining a crusty old bureaucracy and caste
system. Customer service has never been a priority or a significant
skill of the French.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

Padraig Breathnach writes:

I don't think that is so. The modern way is to concentrate on using
the language, and let the learners discover the grammar. Whether or
not they discern the patterns and get a grasp of the nature of the
language seems to be a matter of chance -- some get it; most probably
don't.

That's just as bad as overemphasis of grammar. It's best to follow a
middle road, depending on the priorities of the student.

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