Foreign language for children - which would you choose?
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I thought Chinese is the most sought after, followed by Japanese.
Personally I will make sure that both my kids can read long novels and newspapers in both English and Chinese effortlessly, as well as write essays of a few hundred words, before I let them learn a third language. It is better to be very good in 2 languages, than being only average in multiple languages. -
tamarind:
if one were to \"hang around\" asia most of the working life, then English (core), and Chinese are definitely essential. Knowing Jap will be a plusI thought Chinese is the most sought after, followed by Japanese.
Personally I will make sure that both my kids can read long novels and newspapers in both English and Chinese effortlessly, as well as write essays of a few hundred words, before I let them learn a third language. It is better to be very good in 2 languages, than being only average in multiple languages.
if European MNCs are target, then English (core) plus German will be essential. Many in the EU bloc are conversant in German....except the French for nationalist pride reason...even then, those in tier 1 cities in France like Paris, Lyon, Marseilles....know some working knowledge of English / German.....Swiss and Austria are heavily German, so is Hungary and Czech where you can get by with some basic German -
German is closer to English and easier to pick up. But French is harder to pick up at an older age because of the intonation.
Why not let her try holiday classes for both and then decide?
In terms of usefulness, ocos Chinese is more useful. But every major language is a window to a rich cultural tradition and thoughts. Affinity should come before practical considerations since the foreign language that you don't love, you won't use.
French is one of the UN languages, many african nations use it as well. To be honest, I don't think there's such a thing as a useless language.
Ultimately, you have to like the language and the culture that it represents. -
I think French is more commonly spoken… but German might be useful if you have plans to sent her to Germany for tertiary education?
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I personally will pick German.
Why?
1. My secondary school senior took German as 3rd language (she only started learning it in S1) and she actually went on to further her studies in Germany. She's now teaching at MOELC. I've seen how she pick up the language with relative ease though she did not have anyone to communicate with at that time (but her teacher hooked her up with some German penpals and she did go there on a trip to visit).
2. 5 of my friends are currently working in Germany and they told me that they really enjoy working there. Short working hours, great experienced gained from working there. They are only there to gain experience, no intentions of settling down there. 3 of them did mention that they had some communication probs because they did not know a word of German but now they are very comfortable there.
3. You can converse with her. It will be like a 'secret' language between your child and you. It's a special bonding time for mother and child. I'm trying to teach my boy how to speak Thai (picked it up on my numerous mission trips there). It's rather fun to teach him new words. However, my hubs also knows some simple Thai, so unless we converse with more advanced vocab/sentence structure, my hubs can still guess what we are talking about
However, I will not official lessons on that. Just some simple basic convo at home cos I want my boy to master English and Chinese first. 3rd lang can come later -
What’s important is the one gets to practice/use the language that one learns. If not, it would deem a waste of time & effect. This is my personal thots
My hubby emigrated to Mauritius as a child. Took French as a 2nd language. Came to SG for uni & settled down here. Due to the lack of use, he thinks & responds slower in French as compared to when he 1st set foot in SG. -
dimsum:
Yap agree. After reading more info on the net
IMO, French is no longer a \"sought after\" in the world. If u are living in Europe, German is a more common and useful language. It's also easier to master as compared to French.chic_savvy:
I have decided on either French, which is one of the sought after and useful languages in the world OR German which she only can order beers and sausages during Oktoberfest when she turns 18 (sorry I really couldn't think of its \"usefulness\" at this point of time).
.....I used to think German was a difficult language to master cos at times it could sound like you're dispelling the phlegm from your throat (no offense Germans!) but after learning, I thought it's even easier than Spanish!
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deminc:
DITTOGerman is closer to English and easier to pick up. But French is harder to pick up at an older age because of the intonation.
Why not let her try holiday classes for both and then decide?
In terms of usefulness, ocos Chinese is more useful. But every major language is a window to a rich cultural tradition and thoughts. Affinity should come before practical considerations since the foreign language that you don't love, you won't use.
French is one of the UN languages, many african nations use it as well. To be honest, I don't think there's such a thing as a useless language. Ultimately, you have to like the language and the culture that it represents.
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mrswongtuition:
That's EXACTLY what I have in mindI personally will pick German.
Why?
1. My secondary school senior took German as 3rd language (she only started learning it in S1) and she actually went on to further her studies in Germany. She's now teaching at MOELC. I've seen how she pick up the language with relative ease though she did not have anyone to communicate with at that time (but her teacher hooked her up with some German penpals and she did go there on a trip to visit).
2. 5 of my friends are currently working in Germany and they told me that they really enjoy working there. Short working hours, great experienced gained from working there. They are only there to gain experience, no intentions of settling down there. 3 of them did mention that they had some communication probs because they did not know a word of German but now they are very comfortable there.
3. You can converse with her. It will be like a 'secret' language between your child and you. It's a special bonding time for mother and child. I'm trying to teach my boy how to speak Thai (picked it up on my numerous mission trips there). It's rather fun to teach him new words. However, my hubs also knows some simple Thai, so unless we converse with more advanced vocab/sentence structure, my hubs can still guess what we are talking about
That's what I have in mind
However, I will not official lessons on that. Just some simple basic convo at home cos I want my boy to master English and Chinese first. 3rd lang can come later
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coralie:
TRUEWhat's important is the one gets to practice/use the language that one learns. If not, it would deem a waste of time & effect. This is my personal thots
My hubby emigrated to Mauritius as a child. Took French as a 2nd language. Came to SG for uni & settled down here. Due to the lack of use, he thinks & responds slower in French as compared to when he 1st set foot in SG.
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