|
January 22, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR REGINA SIZEMORE
IN KY
My advice is to continue your studies in Spanish regardless
of your plans
for the future. It is a skill that will be of a great advantage
to you.
Anytime that you can learn another language or culture increases
your
ability to work with others. Our world is a global environment
and those who
are able to master more than one language will be able to
offer much more to
an employer.
******************
January 16, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK IN
RI
You may have heard me lobby for studying languages before
- I really value the insight that it gives a person into another
culture. When we start learning in high school, as opposed
to early childhood, it takes a long time to become fluent
in a new language - but when you stick with it you can talk
about more things with more people, read easily, really get
to know another country.
For elementary school teachers, Spanish is probably the most
common language they'll encounter, after English. Here in
the Providence public schools, children speak 42 different
languages at home! (That's a published figure, not just taken
from Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
where "42" is the answer to the question of the
meaning of life, the universe and everything else.) Nobody
speaks 42 languages; but Spanish is one of the most common.
If you can comfort a little kid in his first language, or
explain something he just can't get in English, or talk with
his parents, you'll be glad you have that Spanish!
********************
A: FROM MENTOR SNEZANA DALAFAVE
IN NJ
Yes.
********************
January 15, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN IN
IL
Learning a foreign language is a good exercise even if you
never use the
language again (as is the case with my study of German). I
highly
recommend that everyone learn another language if for nothing
more than
the exposure to a different way of thinking that is embodied
in the
grammar and idioms, and for the cultural information that
comes with
studying a language in school. More than that, knowing Spanish
will be
an advantage to you since it is such a common language in
our country.
Even if you don't us it in your work, you'll be exposed to
Spanish in
everyday life. So, yes, I think you should take Spanish throughout
high
school, and maybe a few classes in college too, to keep your
skills
fresh.
********************
A: FROM MENTOR MARANDA MILLER
IN NY
I would definitely suggest for you to continue your Spanish
classes. Since
you want to be an elementary school teacher the Spanish would
be to your
advantage, by it allowing you to work with BiLingual classes.
You could
also go to a Spanish speaking country and participate in the
schools that
teach their students English. When you go to college I would
recommend
majoring in Elementary Education and minoring in Spanish.
I would also
recommend that if you get a chance to go abroad, take the
opportunity to go
to a Spanish speaking country.
|
