| The other day I typed in "Language Schools" into | | | | is the same way in which we must approach |
| Google and came up with a whopping 95 million | | | | second language acquisition. Note I said, acquisition, |
| hits. After popping my eyes back into my head, I | | | | and not learning the second language. There is a |
| wondered just how many public schools, junior | | | | difference and therein lies the rub when it comes |
| colleges, and universities are offering second | | | | to selecting a course of study where you will first |
| language learning opportunities in the United | | | | acquire a high degree of spoken fluency before |
| States. That must be an equally mind-boggling yet | | | | learning grammar rules. |
| mysterious figure. | | | | Let me go out on a limb here: If you do not |
| The ultimate mystery in all of this is really why, | | | | approach the learning of a second language first |
| with all the opportunities to learn a second | | | | with second language acquisition, instead of a |
| language, are so few Americans bilingual? The | | | | grammar-first approach, you will not learn how to |
| truth of the matter is that about 9% of | | | | speak the language. And, is that not what we are |
| Americans have a true bilingual ability. Yet, there | | | | talking about-spoken fluency? |
| are so many public and private schools offering | | | | One method accomplishes one thing while the |
| second language instruction not to mention the | | | | other method gives you something you do not |
| booming business in the foreign countries offering | | | | necessarily want. I am a long way from being able |
| Americans the chance of "becoming fluent" in | | | | to read and discuss physics in Spanish. But, I can |
| another language. | | | | discuss simple news events, go to the doctor, or |
| With all of these opportunities, Americans remain | | | | do most anything I need to do in Spanish. I want |
| at about 9% with Europeans at a 52% bilingual | | | | to grow linguistically where I will have the ability to |
| rate. Have you ever wondered why? I have. | | | | discuss issues that are even more complex. |
| For the past five years, I have been approaching | | | | Right now, I am still in the child stage of Spanish |
| my second language-learning odyssey using | | | | acquisition and that's ok. Note carefully, however, |
| non-traditional approaches. I did not start with | | | | I did not get to that stage by taking a |
| grammar first courses. You know what those are. | | | | grammar-first course. I can do what most five |
| If you took any sort of second language learning | | | | and six-year old native Spanish speakers can do. |
| instruction in school, including Latin or Greek, you | | | | Trust me when I tell you this: This level of |
| began learning the dead or live language with a | | | | spoken fluency most Americans I know struggling |
| grammar book. | | | | to learn Spanish would kill to achieve. |
| What this effort got you, if you "stayed the | | | | So, how did I do it? I used the same method I |
| course" was an ability to translate written texts. | | | | unknowingly used learning my first language, |
| The almost universal experience of students who | | | | English. I am learning Spanish using the same |
| begin their second language learning adventure | | | | approach all Spanish-fluent native speakers used in |
| using the grammar-first method is that when | | | | learning Spanish as children. |
| they try to speak the language, or even go | | | | I am engaging in second language acquisition first, |
| overseas for a year abroad, all they can utter is, | | | | and second language learning second. |
| "I need to go to the bathroom and can I have a | | | | The horse, language acquisition, must come |
| cheese sandwich, please?" | | | | before the cart, language learning. |
| The way in which all of us, no matter our country | | | | That is what you must seek first. |
| of origin, learned how to speak our native tongue | | | | |