Re: How to prime kids to learn 3+ languages?

On Oct 10, 12:59 pm, Beliavsky <beliav...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
On Oct 10, 6:58 am, Chookie <ehreben...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

<snip>

Indeed, but one does not learn a second language simply in order to
communicate in it -- consider the continuing popularity of Latin. Another
very important reason to learn a second language is so as to be fully aware
that there are other ways of thinking, other ways of looking at the world.
This is a wonderful way to stretch your own mind. If you know only one
language and one culture, somewhere deep in your mind is the belief that
everyone else really is like you; they just speak another language. That POV
is a huge handicap -- consider its ramifications for foreign policy!

I'd agree that knowing the language of a culture is necessary for a
deep understanding of it. Many Americans, however, (and probably
people in other countries, too) don't have even a passing knowledge of
the history of foreign countries,

Actually, I've found Europeans in general (not all, but many) to have
a much more breadth of knowledge about the history of countries other
than their own than Americans do.

which could be obtained from books
written in English on those countries. Lack of interest, rather than
language, is the primary barrier. One indication of this is the poor
knowledge of American college studentshttp://www.americancivicliteracy.org/report/major_findings_finding1.html
of American civics. If I want to learn about China it's much more
efficient for me to read books about it in English.

I disagree wholeheartedly. You will get one perspective on China if
you read books in English - that of the English speaking author, who
is biased by his/her own cultural perspectives (the bias need be
neither good nor bad, it simply exists). You will learn _so much more_
about a culture if you can read Chinese - not only history books but
reading newspapers, literature, listening to music. These will also be
biased by the Chinese authors, of course, but that is necessary to
balance out the western perspective. If you're not native to a
culture, it can be really difficult to fully grasp its intricacies.
One way to assist in that process is through language, which opens up
so many windows to understanding.

I have read vast amounts of literature (history, political books,
novels, memoirs) on Burma. I lived on the border and interacted with
many Burmese and tribal peoples in exile from the 1988 uprising. I
learned _a lot._ But apart from a few words of greeting and
politeness, I don't speak, read or write the Burmese or Karen (the
predominant tribe where I worked). Because of that, I _am_ lacking in
a certain amount of knowledge about the people and culture. It
certainly wasn't from lack of interest.

Similarly, I have read everything I can get my hands on about Thailand
and learned a great deal. But until I learned the language, at least
rudimentary version of it, I lacked a certain appreciation for the
culture. Understanding certain phrases, manners of speaking,
colloquialisms really opened doors for me in my ability to understand
the way the people thought and their actions.

Even reading novels in translation loses a lot. Everyone I know who
reads multiple languages always prefers to read in the author's native
language. There are so many things that just don't translate.

Language really is the key to understanding other cultures.


.

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