Cunning Linguists raise your hands - second language anyone?

I teach the beaver scouts that when we do about special needs!

And I also have their promise in Makaton on a sheet somewhere, they learn that too.

I've always thought Makaton was interesting. If it is used in the US, I've never heard about it. I don't know if there is anything similar that is used here, either.
 
I know German and English, can speak a bit of Spanish, cause I live in socal, and I took a bit of Japanese, but haven’t had time for more.

I think the coolest thing about language is that it is instinctual. Until age 5 kids learn language without any help, they just pick it up as it is spoken. Often kids will even create creole languages if they are exposed to multiples. They can learn several simultaneously. And the coolest think I think is, all those cute mistakes kids make, they are actually grammatically correct if it was not for exceptions. For example, “I just slided down the hill”. Have you also noticed how kids tend to invent their own words. Language is one of the few things that absolutely exists in all cultures. That’s pretty good considering that some isolated people have been discovered who do not even know how to make fire, yet they talk with each other just the same.

I always thought humans where lame for not having instincts, like birds naturally navigating by the stars, or cats burying their poop. Turns out we cool after all.
 
I know German and English, can speak a bit of Spanish, cause I live in socal, and I took a bit of Japanese, but haven’t had time for more.

I think the coolest thing about language is that it is instinctual. Until age 5 kids learn language without any help, they just pick it up as it is spoken. Often kids will even create creole languages if they are exposed to multiples. They can learn several simultaneously. And the coolest think I think is, all those cute mistakes kids make, they are actually grammatically correct if it was not for exceptions. For example, “I just slided down the hill”. Have you also noticed how kids tend to invent their own words. Language is one of the few things that absolutely exists in all cultures. That’s pretty good considering that some isolated people have been discovered who do not even know how to make fire, yet they talk with each other just the same.

I always thought humans where lame for not having instincts, like birds naturally navigating by the stars, or cats burying their poop. Turns out we cool after all.

I would recommend "The Language Instinct" by Steven Pinker. Utterly fascinating, along these lines. So good I read it twice.
 
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