English Conversation Group-
Languages

Today's Topic: Languages

Vocabulary and Phrases:

native tongue living language “it’s all Greek to me”

mother tongue dead language total immersion

second language unwritten language slang

dialect official language idiom

linguistics bilingual pidgin(contact language)

Question for discussion:

What is the most difficult thing for you in learning a new language?

Did you have a favorite language teacher? Why did you like this teacher so much?

If you could suddenly speak a second (or third) language fluently, without having to study it, which language would you like it to be?

In your country, at what age or grade level do children begin to study a foreign language? Is this mandatory?

Why do you think fewer Americans speak foreign languages than people in most other countries?

Why do you think most Americans lose the ability to speak the language of their parents and grandparents within two generations? Do you think this is negative or positive?

Do you think public schools in Spanish-speaking areas of California or Texas should conduct classes in Spanish or in English? What might be some results of having classes only in Spanish? Only in English?