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