After nearly 3 years, I still feel like a dumb American sometimes.
Today, I went to the fruit market. The man working the cash register (read: not a person holding a Master's Degree most likely) spoke French to the woman in front of me, English to me, and German to the guy behind me. And I don't me he spoke English like I speak German (sputteringly). He spoke English and French as though they were his mother tongue! And switched back and forth without seeming to think about it!
It never ceases to amaze me how Europeans speak so many languages fluently. But, that's what happens when you learn foreign languages beginning in Kindergarten, or even earlier.
And just think, when I wanted to minor in French at Michigan State my advisor wouldn't let me because, and I quote her "you'll never find a job teaching a foreign language in an elementary school".
True, but not right or even developmentally correct.
The Power of a hug
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1 comment:
What really gets me is when people's dogs know more languages than I do. This language thing is certainly a huge FAIL on the American education's part.
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