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joyfulmamaof3
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 11:35pm | IP Logged
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We managed to get through 9th grade without doing a foreign language, but we're going to need to start something this fall. My ds (the one with his eye on Criminal Justice) was none too happy when I suggested Latin. His reply was "Great, I'll be all set should I have to arrest or interrogate some Ancient Roman"  Even though I would love for him to learn Latin, I had to agree. So, I begin looking over Spanish progams but now he's informed me that "Gaelic" is more to his liking. I held my tongue about the usefulness, although dh made a comment about potential FBI/Homeland Security careers and the I.R.A. ('cause Irish groups like this are so prevalent in the northern Midwest  ) Should I let him pick what he wants, even though it's not going to be very useful, or should I strongly encourage Spanish? His Explorer/Cadet leader said that they have "Survival Spanish for Law Enforcement", but given the terminology they learn, it would be best to save that for college. Any thoughts or suggestions?
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: May 20 2009 at 11:40pm | IP Logged
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criminal justice sounds like it would include a lot of legalize which is... latin
though once you've mastered *learning* another language (not mastered the language just the learning process) any other language is a bit easier. So maybe letting him learn what he likes now will in a way prepare him for learning other languages later.
From what I understand, you never really learn a language in the classroom anyway.. you have to speak it and use it to really learn it.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Carole N.
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| Posted: May 21 2009 at 4:05am | IP Logged
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We have studied Latin for several years in an on again off again sort of way. My dc can read and speak both classical and church Latin and when we sing Latin hymns at church, we sound really great. That being said, it is not practical in that your son is right. There are no ancient Romans around to speak with.
There is a requirement in most colleges for a language. I am not certain if it two or three years. We had wanted to learn Italian, but we have decided on Spanish because it is a much more applicable language in the States. In Wales, all children learn Welsh and most take French in school as a second language.
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 Carole ... in Wales
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guitarnan
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| Posted: May 21 2009 at 6:51am | IP Logged
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Gaelic is extremely difficult to learn, especially when compared with Spanish. Irish Gaelic is not phonetic (at all, LOL!) and most of my Irish friends couldn't speak it well after studying it for years and years in school. If your son has never studied a language before, this one will be a challenge.
For law enforcement, Spanish is it. Homeland security...Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Pashto, Punjabi, Russian, Urdu, Somali, and Vietnamese - that list is taken from an FBI paper on education for the next generation of homeland security professionals.
HTH.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond
Topic: Foreign language options
