4Real Forums: Learning Two Foreign Languages

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High School Years and Beyond
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Topic: Learning Two Foreign Languages

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Christine
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Posted: Aug 31 2012 at 5:34pm \| IP Logged

My eldest daughter has been trying to decide if she should study French in addition to Latin this year. She will be in tenth grade. She has a basic knowledge of French and has taken Latin through Seton for one year (she had a basic knowledge of Latin prior to studying it this past year).

She is hesitant about studying both languages because:
1. She doesn't know if it would be too much work.
2. My brother told her that he only permits his children to take another language after they have mastered the language that they are studying.
3. My brother advised dropping Latin and taking a language that allows her to communicate with other people.

My daughter takes her uncle's advice seriously because his two eldest children (ages 9 and 11) are fluent in French (primary language) and English (secondary language), and are currently studying German.

I would like to see my daughter study both Latin and French, but am leaving the final decision up to her. She asked if I could please get the opinions of some of the mothers here. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

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MarilynW
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Posted: Aug 31 2012 at 6:09pm \| IP Logged

Hi Christine,

My daughter has been studying both Latin and French. She will have 4 years of Latin and 2 years of French for high school - she wants to do a third year of French for Grade 12, but our schedule is looking really busy. My thoughts are:

1. We hope all our children will do Latin through high school - because it is the language of the Church and because it is so useful for learning languages, for logical thinking, for science etc. Also if they plan on liberal arts degrees

2. We encourage them to take a second language for at least 2 years of high school - my daughter chose French, and it looks like my Grade 8 sons will choose Italian.

3. I don't think it is diffult to do both at once - but it does depend on your daughter's schedule and how many other things she is studying. In Europe, where I went to school - it used to be that many did Latin and two foreign languages through high school - my husband did French, Latin and Spanish. I did French and German.

Hope this helps.

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kristinannie
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Posted: Aug 31 2012 at 8:07pm \| IP Logged

I think that is a great idea. Latin is such a wonderful language to learn for so many reasons that I really wouldn't drop it. French would be a great addition! It will also be easier to learn since she already is familiar with Latin. I say to go for it!!!!

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Christine
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Posted: Sept 01 2012 at 1:03am \| IP Logged

Thank you, Marilyn and Kristin. I read your responses to my daughter and she said that she would like to try studying both. I am excited because I can actually help her with the French.

Marilyn, I really appreciated you sharing the reasons you see for studying Latin.

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Sept 01 2012 at 1:41am \| IP Logged

I can't say what you should do but since I do know it's entirely possible even desirable that children in multi-lingual families learn both languages simultaneously and I took both French and Spanish in high school.. more from a lack of other electives that I wanted to take than anything and other than a few minor mishaps I didn't find it particularly difficult.. if anything studying the second language (French) was actually very easy after having already started the process with Spanish.

So another post encouraging giving it a try.

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margarita
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Posted: Sept 01 2012 at 10:18am \| IP Logged

I'm glad to see your daughter has her enthusiasm back, after hearing the first two comments! I think it's great to take more than one language, if there is a good reason to do so.

My daughter (going into 11th grade at public school) will also be taking on a second language this year, but that is her strength. Spanish and French. I wish the schools offered Latin but they don't at this time.

Studying French helped me understand English grammar much better - it was more beneficial in that way than the nuns at my Catholic grade school, and they were fierce! And Latin... well, Latin is just awesome.

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