Reply to Cities to explore in Europe for a monolingual family (English)

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I like the idea of heading to a country that uses a language your children are studying in school. It is very motivating for them to see how useful a second language can be. [/quote]

Be realistic about how much your kids will actually speak in the 2nd language. When you are traveling, you don't generally talk that much with other people, and if you are going to nice areas that tourists go to, most service people will speak some English. Your kids will probably be shy about using the language unless they are really strong in it.[/quote]

For me, being surrounded by people who spoke the language I had thought of as a chore/a homework assignment changed my perspective. I had a culture shock hearing the overhead announcements in that language, recognizing the odd word on a computer screen. It made it suddenly seem real and useful. 
I took to that language after that, perhaps others do not. But I found it motivating.

Putting language aside, I think that traveling as you grow up is great because your birth country is no longer the center of the universe in your mind. You start to realize things you appreciate about America, yes...but also that different countries have a great word that your language does not or a great food or an amazing natural wonder. That is key, to losing the ethnocentrism that can develop from spending your whole life in one country.[/quote]

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