Comments on: Multilingualism http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/03/03/bilingualism/ Making things useful, getting stuff done Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:47:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Meri http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/03/03/bilingualism/comment-page-1/#comment-82698 Meri Fri, 30 Mar 2007 11:33:57 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2006/04/16/bilingualism/#comment-82698 Hi Amy, Personally I have definitely found that I tend to pick up new languages faster than my monolingual friends and colleagues. Not sure I can speak to WHY tho! ;-) Thanks Meri Hi Amy,

Personally I have definitely found that I tend to pick up new languages faster than my monolingual friends and colleagues.

Not sure I can speak to WHY tho! ;-)

Thanks
Meri

]]> By: Amy http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/03/03/bilingualism/comment-page-1/#comment-82593 Amy Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:47:32 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2006/04/16/bilingualism/#comment-82593 This is not totally relevent, but I was hoping someone may be able to help. I am currently doing a study on the impact that bilingualism has on foreign language learning. Does anyone have any opinions on this, in terms of do you think that children who have been brought up as simultaneous bilinguals would find it easier than monolinguals to learn additional languages? Thankyou This is not totally relevent, but I was hoping someone may be able to help.
I am currently doing a study on the impact that bilingualism has on foreign language learning.
Does anyone have any opinions on this, in terms of do you think that children who have been brought up as simultaneous bilinguals would find it easier than monolinguals to learn additional languages?

Thankyou

]]> By: Dave http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/03/03/bilingualism/comment-page-1/#comment-77931 Dave Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:24:57 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2006/04/16/bilingualism/#comment-77931 I think the talk about bringing in language learning at a younger age is a positive move. I was lucky enough to go to a primary school which taught french from seven and latin from about 9-10 years old (you can question the point of the latin, but i think it did help me with learning other european languages). the result of this was that I always found french and german pretty easy up to gcse. then, regrettably, I didn't take either any further. i now have pretty good reading comprehension of both, but my spoken languages isn't much good. now making an attempt to learn some spanish before our honeymoon in barcelona in september. I think the talk about bringing in language learning at a younger age is a positive move. I was lucky enough to go to a primary school which taught french from seven and latin from about 9-10 years old (you can question the point of the latin, but i think it did help me with learning other european languages).

the result of this was that I always found french and german pretty easy up to gcse. then, regrettably, I didn’t take either any further.

i now have pretty good reading comprehension of both, but my spoken languages isn’t much good.

now making an attempt to learn some spanish before our honeymoon in barcelona in september.

]]> By: Meri http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/03/03/bilingualism/comment-page-1/#comment-74496 Meri Sat, 03 Mar 2007 15:13:33 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2006/04/16/bilingualism/#comment-74496 I'm not sure that there's always a trade-off. I learnt to speak Afrikaans when I was at playschool -- at that age it is really easy to pick up the other languages spoken around you. That then meant that later on in school, once we'd continued to study multiple languages, I even took subjects in a different language than my mother tongue. For instance, the first time I was taught Computer Science in English was when I moved to the UK. Now granted, this is more difficult in England, but I am sure that there are a number of communities where kids could be taught the second most used language (be it Chinese or Punjabi or whatever) at a young age and continue to get the benefits of that broadened understanding for the rest of their lives. I’m not sure that there’s always a trade-off. I learnt to speak Afrikaans when I was at playschool — at that age it is really easy to pick up the other languages spoken around you. That then meant that later on in school, once we’d continued to study multiple languages, I even took subjects in a different language than my mother tongue. For instance, the first time I was taught Computer Science in English was when I moved to the UK.

Now granted, this is more difficult in England, but I am sure that there are a number of communities where kids could be taught the second most used language (be it Chinese or Punjabi or whatever) at a young age and continue to get the benefits of that broadened understanding for the rest of their lives.

]]> By: Rich http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/03/03/bilingualism/comment-page-1/#comment-74381 Rich Sat, 03 Mar 2007 11:53:13 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2006/04/16/bilingualism/#comment-74381 People - including me! - are always talking about how kids should learn more about this or that: more languages, more about computers, more mathematics, more science, more history, more critical thinking, more about citizenship and so on. But is this really possible? Unless teaching increases in efficiency, we can only teach people more about one thing by teaching them less about something else. So what should we be teaching less? People – including me! – are always talking about how kids should learn more about this or that: more languages, more about computers, more mathematics, more science, more history, more critical thinking, more about citizenship and so on. But is this really possible? Unless teaching increases in efficiency, we can only teach people more about one thing by teaching them less about something else. So what should we be teaching less?

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