English / French Swap Day 1

Tomorrow is a new day in Balatina's language learning heart: the French students must make a presentation in English; the English students must make a presentation in French.

In short we are all frantic this week to prove our linguistic genius. Which, in an already bi- or tri- lingual community is quite proficient.

It was recently brought to my attention that babies up to the age of 8 months learn all they will of native level of whatever language. Up to this point they don't just hear the words, and the complex differences between dipthongs and accent, but also the facial movements the words demand of the muscles of lips, tongue and cheeks. Thus, you have to be talking to your baby face to face for highest quality language learning.

Babies in Moldova definitely have all that for both Romanian and Russian, which is why babas will often try to convince me that clearly Russian is just as easy to learn as Romanian!

The real hook though, in this, is that not only will your infant now know these two or three or however many languages, but the part of the brain that processes language and acquires language will be far more fit for picking up new languages in the future. The synapse patterns there be more complex etc.

Which is why for the three 12th grade students to whom I've been devoting the majority of this week's time, are pronouncing English words far better than my Romanian after a year and a half. Their pronunciation is clearer, the accent is more fluent, and they memorize the vocabulary easily 4 times faster.

This can also be attributed to the rigorous demands of Moldovan culture to memorize things. Almost no students I have respond to Socratic method until I've been doing it with them for 6 months. No, no matter how small the steps you lead them down. Neither will they think to experiment with something. If the square peg ain't fitting, they won't look for a square hole, they'll just put the block down.

Since we are working on memorizing poems (My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose and The Wonderful Sting) they have solid methodolgies all set up to memorize stuff. And they go for it whole hog.

I work with them line by line, stanza by stanza, etc. It's not too rough. They seem to enjoy it. And I do too. These are three students I've never had reason or chance of working with before. They can't speak English at all, so when they talk to me it's in pure Romanian. They caught on pretty quick that Russian and Moldovaneasca is a no go, and they stick to the vocabulary I know. They like my sense of humor, and are continuously surprised by statements I make, or avenues I urge them to explore in regards to dramatic presentation.

By the end of the day I was in full Director Mode. I was explaining not only what moods (Sting, in particular is a diverse little bundle of emotions) they were needing to emote when, but also giving them background motivation and blocking. It was exhilarating.

And fun.

I hope it goes well tomorrow. I'll have to be extra frumos. Pictures will be taken. Especially of the sweet English Speaking World map I made (complete with free-hand drawn piecharts).