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NewCanadianMTurker t1_j9rv4vy wrote

Reply to comment by sjiveru in TIL that there are more than 160 endangered languages in the United States alone. In addition to many Native American languages, Cajun French, Eastern Yiddish, and Martha's Vineyard, Hawaii, and Plains Sign Language are all endangered. by afeeney

True. But I can understand why parents with different cultural backgrounds would prioritize their children learning English over their more obscure native languages. Excellent English skills are a requirement for most jobs in America.

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sjiveru t1_j9rvh96 wrote

It's an extremely common misconception, though, among parents from linguistic minorities that trying to teach both their own language and a more socially connected language will somehow disadvantage their child, and they should focus exclusively on the prestigious language and leave the other one behind entirely. This is of course entirely false, though, and is often rooted in their own internalised prejudice towards their language and culture. You can quite effectively teach kids two languages, especially when they have clearly segmented domains of use.

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NewCanadianMTurker t1_j9rvpde wrote

Yeah, the brains of children are much better able to handle learning multiple languages than adult brains.

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sjiveru t1_j9rw7rr wrote

I'm not actually sure that's true - I suspect it's much more that 1) adults are usually much less comfortable just Trying Things Out and want an explanation rather than a demonstration they have to mimic, and 2) adults are very, very much less frequently in situations where they absolutely cannot communicate in a language they already know and tend to intentionally avoid such situations. If you're willing to put yourself in much the same situation as a kid learning their first language, you'll be able to learn pretty much as well.

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NewCanadianMTurker t1_j9rwow8 wrote

Hmm, you may be on to something. What you said would explain why immersion is considered the best way to learn a new language.

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