Foreign languages

Are any of your children with AS learning foreign languages? I believe they are considered to be a difficult subject at school but a small number of children with AS are highly talented linguists.

My son was hopeless at French at secondary school and it was one of his worst subjects. After finishing college he started learning Arabic and Japanese.

Arabic and Japanese are exotic choices. What encouraged your son to want to study them? Is he thinking of working abroad or in international business?

I remember watching some documentary about a maths genius with AS who didn't understand a word of French after studying it at school for 5 years but he became fluent in Chinese after only studying it for a few months. I wondered if teaching styles used at school are at fault.

My family are English monoglots and my son is more interested in learning computer languages than human languages. He has never studied any foreign languages because he started HE when he was of primary school age. His primary schools had several children who could speak various foreign languages but they were not taught in lessons.

I think the interest in Japanese emerged through my son's interest in Japanese microcontrollers and other semiconductors. He mentioned that the documentation for many interesting Japanese electronic components is only in Japanese. I have no idea about the Arabic though. The local mosque runs weekly Arabic classes that anyone can join.



I have a feeling that was Daniel Lightwing.

I'm wondering if there is sufficient interest to offer foreign language teaching via community education projects for kids and teenagers with AS.

Does anybody know of any kids with AS who are fluent in more than one language?

Hi,
my son is bilingual English/German and speaks a bit French. When we are in Belgium or France
he likes to use the phrases he knows. I think when the children see how usesful it can be in daily life
they are keen to learn more.

Anke

I think it's the same with all education. If children see a use for it in everyday life then they are keen to learn more, but if they can't see much use, then they often aren't interested in pursuing it. In my opinion the abstract nature of schools with the way they are often detached from reality puts many children off learning.