They Soon Learnt To Speak French.
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64361)
United Kingdom
March 7, 2016 4:04pm CST
I'm in Spain at the moment and @moffittjc asked me whether most of the Spaniards speak English here. My answer is that yes, in a resort like this most of the Spaniards do, even the girls that clean the rooms in the hotel.
Moffittjc and I agreed that English is spoken to some degree in nearly every part of the world that we had visited. The only exception for me was when we lived in rural France in the 1970s.
My children were only 7 and 5 when we went there, and they were slung in at the deep end when they attended the local school. No-one there spoke any English at all, not even the headmistress.
Fortunately I had schoolgirl French, so was able to successfully enrol them. I must admit that I had qualms about sending them there without them knowing anything of the language, but there was no other option at that time.
They didn't attend lessons straight away, but just joined in the play with the kindergarten children. It's amazing how quickly they picked up the language and they were soon attending the regular lessons. They would go off to school quite happily.
We were only there for a year, but they were pretty fluent by the time we returned home. Children's minds are like sponges at that age, and they easily absorb new things, don't they?
45 people like this
45 responses
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
7 Mar 16
Yes they do.... but it is also better to learn a language when you mix with the local residents of that country.... I started to learn spanish before we moved... but it wasn't until I was living and working out here that I really learnt it ...and learned more in a shorter amount of time.... 
5 people like this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
7 Mar 16
@jaboUK. I haven't done so yet.... they can still tell i'm not spanish. .. but steven ..,maggies son speaks it like a local ....
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130077)
• India
8 Mar 16
This reminds me how when we were planning our Europe tour we were warned about the French and their arrogance of not wanting to speak any other language but French, . But we were in for a pleasant surprise. That was no longer the case in France. They spoke English and we had no problems at all.
3 people like this
@allknowing (130077)
• India
8 Mar 16
@HarishSubramanian This was a few years ago.
1 person likes this
@HarishSubramanian (93)
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates
8 Mar 16
When did you guys go to France? I'm planning a visit sometime in the next year.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
@HarishSubramanian I haven't been to France for some time, but it's a beautiful country. I hope you enjoy it.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (49104)
• United States
7 Mar 16
I bet that was a cool experience for your girls.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
7 Mar 16
@Tampa_girl7 I have one of each - a boy and a girl, but yes it was a good experience for them.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
@Tampa_girl7 No probs - my son is the eldest by 2 years.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (49104)
• United States
7 Mar 16
@jaboUK for some reason I thought you had two girls, sorry.
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
7 Mar 16
They certainly are Janet. I taught my daughter French from a very young age. Initially just counting stairs etc until I spoke French with her all the time. When she was 8 she kept telling me to speak English with her but I would not. So I used to speak French and she rebelled but answered in English. I think she is grateful now as she is fluent and is so handy for her job!
5 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
7 Mar 16
That's great Gary - your daughter is an airline hostess? My daughter is able to pick up languages very easily and she's worked all over the world. I'm not sure if it's because of being exposed to another language at such a young age, or not.
3 people like this
@Daljinder (23233)
• Bangalore, India
8 Mar 16
Regular and practical use of the language is much faster way to learn that language than going through all the text or even been taught by a teacher. Teacher can only teach the basics like the alphabets, the rules and grammar. The more you interact with others in that language the more fluent you become.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
@Daljinder You've hit the nail on the head there Daljinder. Is English your second language?
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
@Daljinder Yes, I realised you were very knowledgeable on the subject, and your English is perfect of course.
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23233)
• Bangalore, India
8 Mar 16
@jaboUK Yes after Hindi (Our National Language). Although my mother tongue is Punjabi.
I have been teacher myself for six years in middle school. I was talking through experience as a student and a teacher both.
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69409)
• Germany
7 Mar 16
We can watch this at the moment with the refugee children who attend German schools. Some of them have never been inside a school before. If they have, but come from a country where Arabic is spoken, they don't know the Latin alphabet. I've read that most of them have a working knowledge of German after about half a year. It's amazing.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 Mar 16
That is part of the reason whey they say it is better to teach multiple languages at such a young age, because children can pick it much faster than adults can. I guess that's probably how we all learned to speak and understand our native languages...we just absorbed everything our parents were saying to us, and quickly learned how to communicate!
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
@moffittjc That is so true. I don't think they start teaching languages early enough, in this country anyway. I was 11 before I was taught French, and it was the same for my children when we got back to this country. Consequently they had forgotten a lot by the time French was in their curriculum.
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
9 Mar 16
@moffittjc Yes it's easy to forget if you don't practice it.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118546)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Mar 16
@jaboUK That's about the same age they start teaching languages here in the US as well. I think I was 12 or 13 when I first started taking Spanish lessons. Although I did learn quite a bit, I did not practice enough in the real world to master the language, and so I soon forgot everything I learned.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
8 Mar 16
Wow, that is pretty awesome @jaboUK . I know when my daughter was about 3, I started teaching her Spanish, Bohemian and a little German. All she remembers today is a little Spanish. Kids might be like a sponge but if they don't continue to keep the sponge wet, it goes dry. lol
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
@nanette64 That's true. My children had forgotten a lot of it by the time they reached the age (11) where they were taught French in school.
So you know some Spanish and German? Clever you. I don't know what Bohemian is.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
9 Mar 16
@nanette64 What a fascinating lineage you have Nanette.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
9 Mar 16
@jaboUK I took 4 years of Spanish in high school (loved it) and since we're German, it was a natural thing to do. My mother was adopted by Czech people and that's all they spoke (Bohemian).
1 person likes this
@GrannyGee (3517)
• Louisburg, North Carolina
7 Mar 16
I think that's wonderful for your children to blend in with the other children ... then, begin speaking their language.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
7 Mar 16
@GrannyGee Yes it's great that they were able to do it.
1 person likes this
@GrannyGee (3517)
• Louisburg, North Carolina
7 Mar 16
@jaboUK Children are something else ... they are so extra-smart.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
15 Mar 16
the French words I often hear on TV are "I love you", and "yes", but I will not spell them now because I might spell them wrong
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
19 Mar 16
@ridingbet Sorry I'm late to reply Ingrid, I've only just seen this. Yes, I think most people would know those words, but spelling them is a different matter.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
19 Mar 16
@ridingbet I don't like to miss things, but as I'm away from home and not on here so much, it happens. The trouble is that all new comments don't appear at the top, they are hidden away at the bottom and are easy to miss when there are quite a lot of comments.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
19 Mar 16
@jaboUK well, it is just fine, my friend, even if you are delayed in responding; it appears on my notification so I can read your comment back as well.
1 person likes this
@suziecat7 (3350)
• Asheville, North Carolina
9 Mar 16
I wish all children were taught a second language. I spoke only French until I was about 10 years old though I've lost most of it through lack of practice. Children learn and adapt easily.
1 person likes this
@suziecat7 (3350)
• Asheville, North Carolina
9 Mar 16
@jaboUK - My parents immigrated from Quebec.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
9 Mar 16
@suziecat7 I thought it must be something like that.
1 person likes this
@slund2041 (3314)
• United States
8 Mar 16
It seems like it is much easier for children to learn things, than it is for me as an adult. I only speak English language.
1 person likes this
@slund2041 (3314)
• United States
8 Mar 16
@jaboUK I wonder why they taught it in school differently than the way the French actually spoke it?
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
@slund2041 They do learn things much easier it's true. I learnt French at school, but found that the way the French spoke it was completely different!
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
@slund2041 When you are being taught by someone who isn't French themselves it's hard to get the accent right. I could understand perfectly other English people when they spoke French, but it was hard to catch what the French were saying. Of course I got better at it the longer I was there.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (48526)
• Canada
8 Mar 16
@jaboUK He was 7 when we moved out here and both the French school board as well as our English school board advised us that he'd get too far behind to go to school out here. So we provided transportation to him until a couple of other families from out here approached the school board about providing transportation to these children as they were not French students and couldn't attend school out here.
1 person likes this
@antonbunot (11091)
• Calgary, Alberta
7 Mar 16
@jaboUK , I am proud to whisper to you, my friend, that if ever you visit the Philippines one day and you would have a chance to visit the remotest village in our province in the Ilocos, you would be surprised to learn that even an old, toothless man would greet you - - "Hi, good morning . . . wassup!"
.. .
.. .1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
@antonbunot Lol - I'm packing my bags for the Philippines as soon as I get home from here!
1 person likes this
@antonbunot (11091)
• Calgary, Alberta
8 Mar 16
@jaboUK No, no, don't pack your bags for the Philippines now . . Next month will be national elections . . Filipinos elect the president, senators, congressman, and mayors . . . . It is killing time again. You may be hit with stray bullets from goons of evil politicians .. . .
1 person likes this
@msiduri (5687)
• United States
11 Mar 16
Oh, to be able to learn like that again. I'm told (I don't remember) that when I was learning to speak, I picked up quite a bit of German as it was spoken around me. I must have. Every once in a while, I'll have a dream in German, but I don't understand quite enough to carry on a conversation.
1 person likes this
@msiduri (5687)
• United States
11 Mar 16
@jaboUK It probably would. But most of the German-speakers that were around then are gone. Or speak English.
I remember my aunt and my godmother arguing in German. My godmother finally yelled in English, "Don't give me that bull[Anglo-Saxon barnyard term]." I was still young enough that such language caught my attention.
1 person likes this
