Linguistic learning logistics

Language learning has been a fraught topic in our house over the past few months. To explain why, I need to give a bit of background information — as I have written before, acquiring another language is a skill I really want to provide for Willem, but just haven’t seem to be able to get together. I had made a decision when starting home educating that our ‘learning programme’ or whatever you want to call it  would include a language. My prime choice would have been Latin. Why?

• Willem and I are both history buffs (and yes I know he is six, but I think this is an interest that will stick with him). For Western Culture, Latin is hugely important. Not just for its part in the Roman Empire, but because of the fact it was the lingua franca for much of Europe, and beyond, for much of history
• Latin is a great basis for later learning the Romance languages that are based on it
• Knowledge of Latin is a great help in understanding English and how it works
• Knowledge of Latin is a great help in working with scientific terminology

and according to Willem, who was also keen to learning Latin

• Knowing Latin means you can be a lot more authentic when pretending to be a member of the Roman Legions (very important in our household)
• Learning Latin gives even more impetus to the demands to visit Rome (also very important in this household)

However, we didn’t start learning Latin. Thing is, until recently it looked like we would be moving to Germany. And if we were moving to Germany I wanted us to learn German. Not just so we would be able to negotiate our way around the place, but also it seemed too good a situation to miss — where better to learn a language but in the country where they speak it? And since I am fluent in English only, and Willem is only six, I thought we would keep it to one language. So German it was.

But now the plan has changed.

We are moving in the second half of the year. Just not to Germany.

On hearing about this change of plans, Willem was excited. Not because he didn’t want to go to Germany, but because this meant he could learn Latin. (What can I say, he is a strange kid at times).

So I am currently organising and ordering materials to help us learn Latin later in the year. We are super keen, but we aren’t starting on Latin right now, as we have Japanese to work on.

That’s right. Japanese.

See, we are going to Japan later in the year. And as I stated previously, while I learned Japanese for four and a half years in highschool, and spent some time in Japan back in the days when I was travelling solo, I don’t actually remember much. But having at least a smattering of the language would be a help. And Willem is keen to learn some. Well, keen to learn some if it is not too difficult and doesn’t get in the way of things like pretending to be a Roman Soldier. So we are doing a little bit of Japanese learnage* at the moment.

The main basis of that is the iPhone application  called ‘Ear Worms‘. Kind of works on a semi-subliminal basis – there is music in the background while you listen to phrases in English and Japanese. I am in no position to be a good judge of whether the programme works or not – as someone who has previously learned Japanese I am finding it is helping me remember things, but whether it could teach you a language you haven’t previously worked on, I have no idea. Willem finds it a bit boring, but we have a long drive coming up next week so maybe I can get some Japanese to burrow in to his brain.

The other iPhone app I am using to supposedly help Willem learn a bit of Japanese is Feed Me. I have no idea if it is helping him learn Japanese, but he enjoys it. Essentially it is a cute looking dragon/monster thing that wants to eat the right answer/option when you hear a Japanese phrase. Sounds a bit mental, but it is quite fun with cute sound effects. And it’s free, so check it out if it sounds like your kind of thing.

* Yes, I know it is a made-up word. But it’s my blog, so I will make up the words I like. And really, it encapsulates what I want to say, so I will use it.