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Old 16-03-2007, 21:57   #32
West Ender
Passed away 25-11-09
 
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Re: Compulsory Language Lessons

Quote:
Originally Posted by katex View Post
From what I heard the powers that be are looking into the way we teach languages in schools and feel grammar/spelling first will be their first line of attack.


It has to be conversation first or it won't work. We don't say, to a 2 year old, "What is the past tense of To See?". We say, "I saw." The child learns without thinking about it. It learns to communicate.

When I'm in Malta I am always impressed by the Maltese children who, at a very early age, can speak English though their native language is Maltese. They learn from their parents and friends and at school. They learn to speak English and it's not until much later that they learn the spelling and grammar, by which time the grammar is second nature anyway.
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