Comments on: Should all students learn a second language? One TED-Ed Club member advocates for better bilingual instruction

By: Tom Washington, PhD

Tom Washington, PhD — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 16:57:16 +0000

Establishing an “official language” presumes that only English can be the standard. Why? Because the current language teaching method in schools is extremely ineffective and has only about a 20% rate of success, if that. English is the language with which many people are already comfortable and competent. Given the history of our country, we should be at least 70% bilingual in English and Spanish—and both languages should receive official status. I believe that that can be readily accomplished within twenty years. I have helped to develop a new language teaching method, Psycho-Generative, which is as superior to the method in textbooks as a smartphone is to the telephone of twenty-five years ago. Both youth and adults can learn a second language easily, rapidly, and effectively—and have fun doing so—without the inherent confusion, depression, and distress which are now part of the learning process.

By: fred tomlinson

fred tomlinson — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 05:48:01 +0000

The English First or similar movements are NOT intended to deny anyone from speaking one or more languages other than English. Rather the purpose of having an official language is to create a uniformity in documents, laws, signs, etc. so as tho clarify the printer word. I am a strong proponent of English as the official language of the USA. Pero hablo epsilon o francais as. ?Entiende?

By: Tom Washington, PhD

Tom Washington, PhD — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 15:20:29 +0000

Yes, Students should learn a second language—but the current modern language teaching methodology is obsolete and retards or completely blocks the learning process for the majority of people. The Psycho-Generative teaching method, created by Dr. Samuel Nodarse, PhD, is as superior to the teaching method in current language textbooks as a smartphone is to the telephone of twenty-five years ago. It is based on a new understanding of the principles of effective teaching. I am willing to share my knowledge of Psycho-Generative with any interested group anywhere in the country free of charge.

By: Tom Washington, PhD

Tom Washington, PhD — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 16:54:32 +0000

I am a Spanish teacher, PhD, with 20 years successful teaching in high schools, colleges, and universities. I helped to develop the Psycho-Generative modern language teaching method which is as superior to the teaching method in current language textbooks as a smartphone is to the telephone of twenty-five years ago. I am happy to share this knowledge free of charge
with any group that is interested in improving language teaching.

By: cathy

cathy — Mon, 25 May 2015 19:52:42 +0000

The best idea is learn two different languages. In my case helps to understand your first language and the third one is easier. Once you know spanish, french, portugtese and italian have small differences. And trains you frain to realise what is a symbol and action. How they join together.

By: Jill

Jill — Sun, 24 May 2015 15:41:22 +0000

Multilingualism is a fact of life in many countries of the world. It is known how absorbent the young brain is, flexible, solution focused and open to new experiences. The Children’s Garden in Dubai UAE is maximising exactly those qualities. a bilingual preschool that is teaching children to be problem solvers and critical thinkers through language and creativity. Languages are taught through immersion and the arts, why make learning languages challenging when it can be fun and a subtle process.

By: Leslie Lewis

Leslie Lewis — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 15:46:59 +0000

I don’t know this young man but I am very proud of him. He put so much work into thinking, discussing, planning, writing, editing, rewriting and practicing that he produced a very persuasive talk.

By: Khaidir Zakaria

Khaidir Zakaria — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 16:06:19 +0000

I learn Mandarin and i love it. Yes, i agree we should learn a second language.

By: Giovani Ceotto

Giovani Ceotto — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 03:52:56 +0000

Your ideas are great Yash. Different languages increases our culture and each one of them makes us think differently about the world. Language is extremely powerful when it comes to influencing our way of thinking and our relationships, even though it might not seem so.
I agree that our School system should take languages more seriously. When we become fluent in more than one language, it is much easier to learn other ones and we can easily teach them to our future kids, letting them experience different languages much sooner than we have the opportunity to do so today.

By: Adri Lodewijkx

Adri Lodewijkx — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 10:00:50 +0000

in Europe iT is quit common to learn more then one language.
I’m a physics teachers at a bilingual school, where children from the age of 12 start with the following languages, dutch, german, french and a vers intensive course of English. Despoten the fact that these students hav dutch as native language, they Will be tought in English in al subjects , so math, physics, biology etc. Except the language subjects. Heer they have to talk only the language which is on the menu at that time. They have to talk , write and preferably think in English. After two year in middle school they are on A level that they are able to communicate. At the third year, they have to participate an esol exam from Cambridge University. At least FCE but preferably CPE level. Later on they Will follow the English IB programm. These students are able to communicate on A high level in both English and Dutch. A Side effect is, that they are also able to have higher Marks’ for their examen in other languages withouten haring loper Marks’ for subjects in the Science field. As students on Universities, they are able to read and understand their lectors more easily and in short time, as if they were natives.
In my opnion, you should learn at least two , but preferably three, languages extensively. To be A word citicen.