I think part of the secret of learning a language must be in your brain believing you are in a world where that language is sincerely spoken. When you learn french in an american classroom, it's kind of a game. And when someone says foch, you laugh. But when you're in France your brain switches on its learn-to-survive mechanism and when someone says foch you think seal.
I would like to see an experiment where a mini school is constructed in the US where inside it is 100% mini France. Maybe there's a long dark tunnel to get there which serves as a psychological trick to make the mind switch. On the other end of the tunnel is France with its cafes and streets and baguettes and everything. The teachers play the roles of vendor or cop or whatever and students are free to discuss anything with them. The cop makes sure no english is spoken there with an abruptness that also causes a psychological change and makes the brain turn off English. When a kid especially a young kid enters this environment, he darn well thinks he's in a new country. Let's see how well he learns the language.
This might be easier in cities with actual subpopulations that speak the language. Think chinatown.
I would like to see an experiment where a mini school is constructed in the US where inside it is 100% mini France. Maybe there's a long dark tunnel to get there which serves as a psychological trick to make the mind switch. On the other end of the tunnel is France with its cafes and streets and baguettes and everything. The teachers play the roles of vendor or cop or whatever and students are free to discuss anything with them. The cop makes sure no english is spoken there with an abruptness that also causes a psychological change and makes the brain turn off English. When a kid especially a young kid enters this environment, he darn well thinks he's in a new country. Let's see how well he learns the language.
This might be easier in cities with actual subpopulations that speak the language. Think chinatown.
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