--- In [email protected], "jim_flanegin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > --- In [email protected], Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > On Dec 8, 2005, at 4:51 PM, L B Shriver wrote: > > > > > > > > > I have found it interesting that at MSAE Maharishi doesn't > > > > > allow 2nd language acquisition at the younger age (he may > make > > > > > an exception for Sanskrit) because he claims that for the > > > > > youngster to speak something other than the "mother tongue" > > > > > creates some subtle kind of confusion—even though, as you > note, > > > > > it is the ideal time for language acquistion. > > > > > > > > > > Does anyone have more precise information on this? > > > > > > > > I asked my wife who has a masters in Infant development. Do it > > > > BEFORE elementary school. > > > > > > > > Would you trust *your* children to Mahesh's theories? > > > > > > Would you trust rumors that may not ahve any basis in fact in > order > > > to pass judgement on someone? > > > > Even if it's true as stated by LBS, to decide not to > > trust one's children to MMY because his "theories" are > > not the same as those of someone who has a master's in > > infant development is a knee-jerk, thoughtless > > conclusion. > > > > The "subtle confusion" LBS refers to isn't necessarily > > in conflict with the principle that the younger the > > better in terms of second-language acquisition. The > > purported confusion may be on an entirely different > > level than that of facility in a second language. > > > > It isn't impossible that the optimal situation, in > > MMY's view, is a sort of trade-off between acquiring > > second-language facility and avoiding the subtle > > confusion. In other words, an older child may still > > be able to learn a second language well enough to > > become reasonably fluent in it at a point when learning > > it may no longer cause the subtle confusion. > > > > Or maybe not. But obviously we don't know enough, on > > the basis of LBS's account, to say either way. > > My experience has been that as a born English speaker I found no > subtle confusion when very young being introduced to a language of > the country I was in. For example, learning Spanish in Mexico, > because I heard and spoke both languages daily. I also rapidly > forgot the non-English language after leaving its country of origin.
The question in my mind is whether the confusion MMY is talking about is on such a subtle level that you *wouldn't* detect it as such--the point being that we really don't know what he's referring to. Until we have a clearer idea, it makes no sense to assume he's contradicting established scientific fact. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Need Help? Get Help! Tools and Strategies for Healthy Drug-Free Living</a>. http://us.click.yahoo.com/wI.OUB/dbOLAA/d1hLAA/0NYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
