LL-L "Language survival" 2005.09.09 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: heather rendall <HeatherRendall at compuserve.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language survival" 2005.09.09 (04) [E]

Message text written by INTERNET:lowlands-l at LOWLANDS-L.NET
>English speakers don't want! to learn other languages because
they believe English is superior <

Once again - informed opinion or unfounded prejudice ?

Let us just take a simple straightforward description of an object.

In order to describe a certain black cat in English all you have to do is

1. Say / write 'the'
2. Say/write 'black'
3. Say/write 'cat'

All 3 of these are invariables and therefore require a simple cognitive
procedure for recall and retrieval.

Now do the same in French

1.Find out / check/  know the gender of 'chat'
2. Work out whether you need to use le/la/l'
3. Work out the form of the adjective to match
4. Find out / check/ know the position of the adjective
5. Put 2 and 4 together with 'chat' either in the order    2 chat 4   or 2
4 chat

Now do the same for German
1. Find out / check/ know the function of the word in the sentence
2. Find out / check/know the gender of the noun
3. Work out from 1 & 2 whether you use der/die/das  or   dem/der/dem
4. Depending on 3 work out which ending the adjective will have   -e  or
-en
5. Now put 3 and 4 in front of Katze

Do I have to belabour the point any further?

This is why the move into a foreign language at whatever AGE to an English
speaking monoglot is difficult; even the very easiest of thoughts are hard
to translate.
Unable to express themselves in even the simplest of things, many of them
become dispirited, disillusioned and give up.

As a MFL teacher of some 36 years standing and an advisor for 17 of those
years I can promise you that when you tell 13-14 year olds that they are
making good progress after 2/3 years learning, they are incredulous! Most
judge themselves as useless at languages because they still can't express
any ideas without making error after error. They had expected to be fluent
by age 15: when they are not, they rush to judge themselves harshly.

Besides their own sever yardsticks, are you aware that from age 11 - 16 the
average English pupil has the equivalent of 15 days instructionj to go from
no knowledge to final GCSE exam. How much should they be able to learn in
that amount of time?  ( GIve them 12 hours rest a day and it comes out at
30 days! )

I repeat: we give ourselves excuses of why we shouldn't learn a language
because it is such a monumental effort.

 It is nothing to do with an attitude of superiority  ( Tho' I am sure
there are, as in any community ,people who will defend their own language
as being ' the best'  ( Welsh - language of the angels???)

Anti-English people often ascribe to them attitudes that salve their own
souls; it doesn't make the statements any more accurate.

Heather

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