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Get to know the family of the language you’re learning – where it fits in； what other
languages it will make easier for you to learn later。 What doors in what industries will it
open （for example； Flemish and Yiddish for diamonds； Arabic for oil； Swedish for
crystal； Italian for fashion）？ Over how wide an area is your target language spoken （more
Chinese speak Chinese outside China than Frenchmen speak French in France）？
Knowing where your language fits into the world mosaic will offer you countless
advantages and rewards； and almost certainly the motivation to learn more。
Language Power
to the People
The many who crave language knowledge in America have risen in rebellion against the
many who have failed （we could even say refused） to give it。
Language teaching used to be in the control of “the faculty；” a Prussian guard of
grammarians who taught that after all the conjugations； declensions； irregularities； and
exceptions were mastered； surely fluency would follow。 What followed instead was a
parade of hapless Americans who； after eight years of good grades； could not go to the
desk clerk at a hotel in a country whose language they’d studied and ask if they had any
messages！
“The faculty” taught rigidly by the book； the grammar book； and all our desire to
learn to say useful things and converse were dashed。
Today foreign languages are no longer “electives。” Those suddenly faced with their
first need to command another language are besieging Berlitz and other commercial
language schools and buying the Pimsleur cassettes and other self study courses。 We； the
laymen； are picking up our tools – language workbooks； cassette courses； phrase books；
flash cards – to try to make up for our failure to learn； while all those incredible
Europeans were learning English in their public schools！
Two； four； six； eight years of high school and college study in a foreign language；
and still our American graduates can’t tell whether the man on the radio speaking the
language they “learned” is declaring war or recommending a restaurant！
Has one single American graduate ever stepped into a job that called for a foreign
language with nothing more than the language he learned in high school or college？ It’s
not a cruel question。 Most Americans can get by on the reading they learned in school。
And the math。 And the history。 Why is that when it come to foreign languages our
graduates have to rush into expensive private instruction to start all over again？
One hero of language learning in the United States is Dr。 Henry Urbanski； professor
of Russian； former chairman of the department of Foreign Languages of the State
University of New York at New Paltz； and now director of the Language Immersion
Institute。 Once upon a time Dr。 Urbanski’s “immersion” heresy would probably have
resulted in his getting banned from university life。 Today Urbanski is showered with
praise and honour。
His immersion programme defies the language teaching tradition of rote
regimentation and grammar worship。 There are no charts to learn； no homework； no
drudgery； and no tests。 It’s all fun； it emphasises real conversation between teacher and
students； and it all takes place over a weekend。 If Henry Urbanski could have thought of
any more rules to break； he would have。
Urbanski’s immersion programme is open to everybody。 Those with no educational
background in languages whatever join with people with graduate degrees in languages
and men and women of all levels of qualification in between。 The programme begins at
seven P。M。 on a Friday for an hour of introduction and orientation。 The students then
break up into small groups in separate rooms and jump into the foreign language under
the command of dynamic； enthusiastic instructors who keep a high energy Ping…Pong of
basic conversation going back and forth with all students participating。 At ten P。M。 Friday
the classes break and the wise ones go straight to bed without food； wine； or small talk；
knowing that the routine resumes early Saturday morning。
Even when classes break for lunch Saturday afternoon there’s no break in the
language。 The groups have lunch together in the language they’re learning。 Then they
return to class and keep on going。
On Saturday at dusk some of the students begin to report phenomena resembling
out of body experiences。 Urbanski jokes； “Only when this constant bombardment
collapses your resistance can the new language come surging in like an angry sea through
a broken dike。”
Even the students who were suggesting wine and talk the night before hasten to bed
in order to meet the dawn on Sunday； the final day。 Sessions continue clear up to a late
lunch； after which there’s a “graduation” exercise； whereupon everybody vows to return
at the next opportunity for immersion in the next highest level of their language。
Dr。 Urbanski wants his immersion students to have fun。 Walk down the corridors
during teaching hours （or follow a group on a “language hike” through the mountains
around New Paltz） and you’ll hear laughter； clapping； singing； and what sound like pep
rallies in Spanish； French； German； Italian； Russian； and the other languages of the
weekend。
“Why make students suffer unnecessarily？” Urbanski asks。 “Learning a language
doesn’t have to bring pain and suffering。 We believe in providing a nonthreatening
environment in which students are rewarded for their progress but not punished for their
errors。” An immersion graduate added； “The festival spirit wakes us up； keeps us sharp；
lubricates the flow of new words； and anesthetises us against the pain of grammar。”
Urbanski never promises you can go straight from a weekend of foreign language
immersion to a booth at the United Nations and simultaneously interpret a foreign
minister’s address。 What immersion promises is a more than elementary introduction to
the language； a good grounding in its words and melodies； the ability to “defend”
yourself in that language without help； and a solid base from which you can grow； either
through self study or more courses。 No claim is made that students will be fluent by the
end of one immersion weekend。 “We teach linguistic survival；” says Urbanski。 “After a
few immersion weekends our students can manage in the language。”
The New Paltz Language Immersion Institute has grown from immersion weekends
on campus to weekends at the nearby Mohonk Mountain House resort and in Manhattan。
A programme is now under way in Washington； D。C。 Anyone desiring information – no
qualifications necessary – may call the New Paltz Language Immersion Institute at 1…
800…LANGUAGE。
Tuition for the weekend ranges from 175 to 250； depending on location。 The two
week summer programme at the New Paltz campus costs 400。
In the words of one satisfied institute graduate； “I learned enough to continue to
learn more！”
Back to Basics
“Send the manager to this table immediately；” demanded the diner in the restaurant。
When the manager appeared； the diner railed； “This is the worst vanilla ice cream I’ve
ever had。”
“I’m sorry； sir；” said the manager。 “That’s not vanilla ice cream。 That’s butter
pecan。”
“Oh；” said the customer； suddenly placated。 “For butter pecan； it’s okay。”
This chapter on the basics of grammar should be read in that spirit。
“French verb changes are inaudible through the singular of the present tense。”
“The Spanish auxiliary verb ‘to have’ is completely different from the verb ‘to
have’ implying possession。”
“The Scandinavian languages； Romanian； and Albanian are among the languages
that place the definitive article after the noun。”
“Chinese has no case endings or verb inflections； and adjectives do not have to
agree with nouns。”
Do you understand all of the above； or most of it？ If so； you don’t need this chapter；
though some of it may come as a welcome refresher。 This chapter is offered as catch…up
for all of you who didn’t pay attention in English class。 Now you want to learn another
language and you realise suddenly that your teacher was right； you were wrong； and here
you are unable to understand the English you need to take command of another language。
I； like you； sat smugly through grade school English convinced that ignorance of all
those silly terms that went zipping by me would never interfere with any of my future
endeavours。 Nothing reforms the student who’s apathetic towards English like a sudden
desire to learn other languages。 I could have learned foreign languages more easily from
the outset had I sat down to learn just these bare bones I serve you now。
What follows is a rundown of some of the terms you’ll need to know to advance
easily through another language。 The synopsis may be misprioritised and incomplete； but
on the other hand it i