Motivation

Lori and Boeun-chan studying at a local cafe. (Photo by Mihwa) 

When studying your second language there is nothing quite as motivating as a trilingual 6 year old. 

 

Recently as I was trying to figure out the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs, my buddy, Boeun-chan, was studying across the table from me.  She was writing in her journal.  One page is English, one is Korean, another Japanese! Tonight at dinner she was feeling sorry for the fact that I don't know Korean -yet.

In Japanese she basically told me . . .

"It's because you're American and I'm Korean that I know Korean so well. But I can teach you Korean, tomorrow we will start your lessons. Don't worry we can use pretend money so you don't really have to pay me. I'm going to go get ready, ok?" and off she went to prepare for tomorrow's lesson on vowel sounds.

Most of the time she and I speak in Japanese, sometimes we use English.  ("That's silly!" and "Oh, my!" are our favorite phrases.) 

With Mihwa, her Korean mother, she speaks in Japanese when I'm around but switches to Korean when they're alone, when clarification is needed or when the emotions go up or down. With her Korean father she speaks Korean.

 Boeun-chan has been in Japanese pre-schools since she was 3 so Japanese is actually the language she feels most comfortable reading and writing in.  She's just now learning to write Korean in preparation for 1st grade. 

When I speak with Mihwa, it's in Japanese since I don't know Korean and her English is limited.

  

Relationships make for good language learning motivation.