Did you take Language Learning in School Seriously?

[clair02]

I did not take language learning in school. I'm not sure I took anything serious while I was a student. It just didn't seem to matter at the time. Of course now that I'm grown, I've changed my tune. Learning doesn't feel so much like a chore anymore, but rather a great way to improve myself. I will always study languages. After the current one I am learning, I am going to choose another and then another. I find it so exciting that I don't think I'll ever stop. 

[cardinals27]

I was required to take some sort of language in school, whether it be German, Spanish, or French. I took Spanish and I took it pretty seriously. It was extremely easy to learn since the teacher went pretty slow and I already had prior knowledge of the language.

[OddVisions]

I didn't take Spanish very seriously in high school or in community college and now I'm suffering for it in my university. I wish I had taken it more seriously in the past because it would've been easier to understand. Now, I am doing it all trial by fire style and I'm still not sure how to pass my upcoming five week course. 

[reverserewind]

For the first 3 years no. However, in 8th grade, I made English my priority and it's been like this ever since. So, to me, 14 is a great age to focus on a language seriously. Before that... it usually takes a lot of effort to be concentrated on learning.

[Mereloshn]

In my early childhood I learned English and French at the same time, both in school and at home.  I didn't use the French much so most of it didn't stay with me.  Also in my childhood when I was between the ages of 7 and 9 I attended Hebrew school for three years where I learned to read, write, and speak in ancient Hebrew.  I never really used it so I forgot most of it when I became older.  Then when I was a teenager I studied Spanish for a total of four years in high school and college but again didn't find much opportunity to use it and therefore lost my fluency.  Now I wish I had retained all of those languages now that language is my primary academic interest and I can clearly see the benefits of being multilingual.  I did take them all seriously at the time I was learning them when I was younger but it's a use it or lose it skill so I regret I didn't pursue more opportunities to use all those languages. 

[LeesaJohnson]

According to me, every student should learn seriously if a school is trying to teach you some other languages because in future you can get the benefit of it. 

[abonnen]

On 9/11/2016 at 4:51 PM, Lingua Franca said:

I think if they focused more on making people understand the language instead of only testing them you wouldn't have felt this way. I think that is one of the bigger flaws of teaching on a school level. It's not the teachers fault, it's just how the system works.

Yes it is how the system works, I have to say I absolutely LOVED my Spanish teacher and she did try really hard but just the setting of school and know you are expected to pass puts pressure on people, at least it did on me.

[Milner77]

Studеnts in mаny аmеriсаn high sсhооls саn аlsо bе unmоtivаtеd tо lеаrn аnоthеr lаnguаgе—еvеn thоugh thе Unitеd Stаtеs is а соuntry оf immigrаnts, in mаny аmеriсаn соmmunitiеs it is pоssiblе fоr а high sсhооl studеnt nоt tо knоw аnyоnе whо spеаks аny fоrеign lаnguаgе, lеt аlоnе thе Spаnish оr Frеnсh thаt аrе thе lаnguаgеs mоst frеquеntly tаught in аmеriсаn high sсhооls.

 

[Lingua Franca]

On 19/09/2016 at 3:58 PM, abonnen said:

Yes it is how the system works, I have to say I absolutely LOVED my Spanish teacher and she did try really hard but just the setting of school and know you are expected to pass puts pressure on people, at least it did on me.

It's not only the students that are being tested, it's the teachers too. If they give very high marks, they have to justify why, but if the marks are too low once again that also has to be justified. Teachers are under as much pressure as students are.