Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 For those of you who have had children in high school, how did you handle the foreign language requirement if you persued an academic diploma? Even though we feel is more suited to some kind of computer career, he says he wants to be a teacher. While we are not stopping him from persuing that, there is a language requirement that we have to get through. He has to have at least one year of a foreign language. Well, his school offers sign language as an accredited language, which I feel is a better choice for him as we all know English is NOT something he has a grasp of, let alone adding a foreign language on top of it. I feel like for him to take a foreign language is setting him up for failure. However, he wants to take French. He begged me last night to allow him to at least try. Now, sign language is something I could at least help him with. Maybe Spanish. But I don't know enough about French to know if I can even help him or if he's going to spend a year being frustrated and give up. He said that if he was failing after the first 9-week period, I could switch him out. But then he'd be behind in any other language, etc. I know that this will be discuss at his IEP meeting in May and the IEP team will determine placement and classes. But I just wanted your opinion and experiences to see which way I should be going towards. Thanks in advance. Melinda P.S. He made the A/B honor roll again this 9-week period!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Melinda, Let him try!!!!! I would be crying in my shoes, thanking my lucky stars that my son at least had an interest in an academic area enough to ask me this! You could also start something with him this summer. There are some programs like Power Glide (www.aop.com) that help parents teach their children a foreign language. If you tried it with him during the summer and he decides that it was too hard, then you could change his class at the beginning of school to sign language. That way he tried (which is great) yet won't be behind at school if he didn't get it. And if he does do well in French during the summer, he will be really ready to get good grades during the school year. Good luck and let us know how this comes out! C > I know that this will be discuss at his IEP meeting in > May and the IEP team will determine placement and > classes. But I just wanted your opinion and > experiences to see which way I should be going > towards. > > Thanks in advance. > > Melinda > > P.S. He made the A/B honor roll again this 9-week period!!!!!! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 You should let him give it a chance. I know that I did not learn English grammar until I learned a foreign langauge. By the way, French has fewer actively used verb tenses (less memorization) than Spanish and lots of words that are similar to English. The accent can be tough, but most teachers aren't too picky if the students can be understood. If he's good at memorizing things, he might have lots of fun, so let him give it a try! > > For those of you who have had children in high school, > how did you handle the foreign language requirement if > you persued an academic diploma? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 wow, your son begged you to take French? this is so awesome. this shows his character ... he is willing to take risks because he believes in it. i would say let him try. --- Hall Melinda <mlndhall@...> wrote: > For those of you who have had children in high > school, > how did you handle the foreign language requirement > if > you persued an academic diploma? > > Even though we feel is more suited to some > kind > of computer career, he says he wants to be a > teacher. > While we are not stopping him from persuing that, > there is a language requirement that we have to get > through. He has to have at least one year of a > foreign > language. > > Well, his school offers sign language as an > accredited > language, which I feel is a better choice for him as > we all know English is NOT something he has a grasp > of, let alone adding a foreign language on top of > it. > I feel like for him to take a foreign language is > setting him up for failure. > > However, he wants to take French. He begged me last > night to allow him to at least try. Now, sign > language > is something I could at least help him with. Maybe > Spanish. But I don't know enough about French to > know > if I can even help him or if he's going to spend a > year being frustrated and give up. He said that if > he > was failing after the first 9-week period, I could > switch him out. But then he'd be behind in any other > language, etc. > > I know that this will be discuss at his IEP meeting > in > May and the IEP team will determine placement and > classes. But I just wanted your opinion and > experiences to see which way I should be going > towards. > > Thanks in advance. > > Melinda > > P.S. He made the A/B honor roll again this 9-week > period!!!!!! > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 Just my two cents here... When an AS child is actually interested in something they are much more likely to learn it with ease. I know you know that, just thought I would point it out. If he is wanting to try French, I'd say at least let him have a go at it since that is the one he is showing an interest in. BTW, this is coming from someone who took French, Spanish and Latin classes, failing ALL of them (I think I got a 13 avg. in Latin ). BUT, out of all the languages French was definitely the easiest to learn. Certainly the most interesting for me as it's such a pretty language. Oh, and for some reason I test at genius level in language and have a fantastic grasp on the English language, it just never translated into anything else. I even lived within miles of Mexico for years and still didn't pick up Spanish. Sign language is a good option too, if he wants to take it. If they offer Latin though, run, don't walk away from that option . Have a great day! Tabitha ( ) Language requirement?? For those of you who have had children in high school, how did you handle the foreign language requirement if you persued an academic diploma? Even though we feel is more suited to some kind of computer career, he says he wants to be a teacher. While we are not stopping him from persuing that, there is a language requirement that we have to get through. He has to have at least one year of a foreign language. Well, his school offers sign language as an accredited language, which I feel is a better choice for him as we all know English is NOT something he has a grasp of, let alone adding a foreign language on top of it. I feel like for him to take a foreign language is setting him up for failure. However, he wants to take French. He begged me last night to allow him to at least try. Now, sign language is something I could at least help him with. Maybe Spanish. But I don't know enough about French to know if I can even help him or if he's going to spend a year being frustrated and give up. He said that if he was failing after the first 9-week period, I could switch him out. But then he'd be behind in any other language, etc. I know that this will be discuss at his IEP meeting in May and the IEP team will determine placement and classes. But I just wanted your opinion and experiences to see which way I should be going towards. Thanks in advance. Melinda P.S. He made the A/B honor roll again this 9-week period!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 My kids are only little so I can't speak from experience, but I can only say that if he really wants to take it then he already has a leg up on so many other students; he will drive himself harder to do it b/c it is something he really wants to do, not just another class requirement. I liked the one suggestion about trying the summer program, and maybe it will be a new activity that you and your son can enjoy togther! Good luck! Hall Melinda <mlndhall@...> wrote: For those of you who have had children in high school, how did you handle the foreign language requirement if you persued an academic diploma? Even though we feel is more suited to some kind of computer career, he says he wants to be a teacher. While we are not stopping him from persuing that, there is a language requirement that we have to get through. He has to have at least one year of a foreign language. Well, his school offers sign language as an accredited language, which I feel is a better choice for him as we all know English is NOT something he has a grasp of, let alone adding a foreign language on top of it. I feel like for him to take a foreign language is setting him up for failure. However, he wants to take French. He begged me last night to allow him to at least try. Now, sign language is something I could at least help him with. Maybe Spanish. But I don't know enough about French to know if I can even help him or if he's going to spend a year being frustrated and give up. He said that if he was failing after the first 9-week period, I could switch him out. But then he'd be behind in any other language, etc. I know that this will be discuss at his IEP meeting in May and the IEP team will determine placement and classes. But I just wanted your opinion and experiences to see which way I should be going towards. Thanks in advance. Melinda P.S. He made the A/B honor roll again this 9-week period!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 27, 2006 Report Share Posted April 27, 2006 With one teacher my daughter did excellent in French, with the other she did poorly. We didn't have the Aspergers diagnosis at the time. I think it is a reflection on how much order there was in the class room. My daughter frequently complained about the classrooms being too noisy. She has also taught herself some Japanese. She got interested because she was playing video games and wanted to understand the words to the music, not just read the translations. Girard Hall Melinda <mlndhall@...> wrote: For those of you who have had children in high school, how did you handle the foreign language requirement if you persued an academic diploma? Even though we feel is more suited to some kind of computer career, he says he wants to be a teacher. While we are not stopping him from persuing that, there is a language requirement that we have to get through. He has to have at least one year of a foreign language. Well, his school offers sign language as an accredited language, which I feel is a better choice for him as we all know English is NOT something he has a grasp of, let alone adding a foreign language on top of it. I feel like for him to take a foreign language is setting him up for failure. However, he wants to take French. He begged me last night to allow him to at least try. Now, sign language is something I could at least help him with. Maybe Spanish. But I don't know enough about French to know if I can even help him or if he's going to spend a year being frustrated and give up. He said that if he was failing after the first 9-week period, I could switch him out. But then he'd be behind in any other language, etc. I know that this will be discuss at his IEP meeting in May and the IEP team will determine placement and classes. But I just wanted your opinion and experiences to see which way I should be going towards. Thanks in advance. Melinda P.S. He made the A/B honor roll again this 9-week period!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 29, 2006 Report Share Posted April 29, 2006 ---Interesting ... My boys are into video games and Japanese music and German music and are teaching themselves a little of both languages. As a matter of fact Noah showed me one of his new words that he can spell in German that he can remember meeregrundforschungslaborauswertungsbericht... but he forgets to wash his hair in the shower! I think teacher personalities also have alot to do with how well aspies do in class. n doesn't respect one of his teachers at all because she was used to teaching 4th grade and now teaches 11th grade geometry and he will NOT perform for her because he says she doesn't know what she is doing.According to n she gets 40% of the problems on the board wrong.He will just sit there and not even get his book out. Naturally he is failing that class. The fact that he missses at least one day a week last week, 4 this week 2 isn't helping his grade average either. Toni In , Heifner <blueareviolets@...> wrote: > > With one teacher my daughter did excellent in French, with the other she did poorly. We didn't have the Aspergers diagnosis at the time. I think it is a reflection on how much order there was in the class room. My daughter frequently complained about the classrooms being too noisy. > > She has also taught herself some Japanese. She got interested because she was playing video games and wanted to understand the words to the music, not just read the translations. > Girard > > Hall Melinda <mlndhall@...> wrote: > For those of you who have had children in high school, > how did you handle the foreign language requirement if > you persued an academic diploma? > > Even though we feel is more suited to some kind > of computer career, he says he wants to be a teacher. > While we are not stopping him from persuing that, > there is a language requirement that we have to get > through. He has to have at least one year of a foreign > language. > > Well, his school offers sign language as an accredited > language, which I feel is a better choice for him as > we all know English is NOT something he has a grasp > of, let alone adding a foreign language on top of it. > I feel like for him to take a foreign language is > setting him up for failure. > > However, he wants to take French. He begged me last > night to allow him to at least try. Now, sign language > is something I could at least help him with. Maybe > Spanish. But I don't know enough about French to know > if I can even help him or if he's going to spend a > year being frustrated and give up. He said that if he > was failing after the first 9-week period, I could > switch him out. But then he'd be behind in any other > language, etc. > > I know that this will be discuss at his IEP meeting in > May and the IEP team will determine placement and > classes. But I just wanted your opinion and > experiences to see which way I should be going > towards. > > Thanks in advance. > > Melinda > > P.S. He made the A/B honor roll again this 9-week period!!!!!! > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 4, 2006 Report Share Posted May 4, 2006 Subject: ( ) Language requirement?? For those of you who have had children in high school, how did you handle the foreign language requirement if you persued an academic diploma? Even though we feel is more suited to some kind of computer career, he says he wants to be a teacher. While we are not stopping him from persuing that, there is a language requirement that we have to get through. He has to have at least one year of a foreign language. Well, his school offers sign language as an accredited language, which I feel is a better choice for him as we all know English is NOT something he has a grasp of, let alone adding a foreign language on top of it. I feel like for him to take a foreign language is setting him up for failure. However, he wants to take French. He begged me last night to allow him to at least try. Now, sign language is something I could at least help him with. Maybe Spanish. But I don't know enough about French to know if I can even help him or if he's going to spend a year being frustrated and give up. He said that if he was failing after the first 9-week period, I could switch him out. But then he'd be behind in any other language, etc. I know that this will be discuss at his IEP meeting in May and the IEP team will determine placement and classes. But I just wanted your opinion and experiences to see which way I should be going towards. Thanks in advance. Melinda P.S. He made the A/B honor roll again this 9-week period!!!!!! **** Awesome, Melinda! My ds took Latin and he gets a C average in it. He has dyslexia and language delays on top of that so I am very impressed! My advice would be to let him try. If he is failing, pull him out to an extra study hall and he start fresh next year with another language. But talk to him about his choice of language to make sure he had a good reason for picking that language. Sometimes my ds doesn't realize something or he gets the wrong impression and that is why he chooses one thing over another. Roxanna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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