Can a language learner acquire another language more successfully by delaying grammar study? That is the question I have been exploring in recent blog posts using examples from various languages. I wish I had a definitive answer for the world!

Traditionalists insist on a heavy dose of the study of structure before a learner begins to communicate in a new language. Innovators insist that grammar is best acquired gradually, as the learner is using the language. And many language educators ride the fence, debating how much grammar study to require and at what stage.

I have been trying to test the theory that calls for less explicit grammar study in my studies using the online language program Duolingo. Grammar explanations are included in the program if you choose to use them. But I have been scrupulously avoiding the explanations, trying instead to formulate and test rules by observing patterns for a new language.

Have I been tempted to sneak a peak at a verb conjugation or an explanation of word order? Of course. I am after all only human! But I have tried to develop what the linguist Stephen Krashen has labeled a “tolerance for ambiguity” and not insist on immediate answers to my grammar problems. Searching for patterns in language has been a big help. Here is what I discovered recently about the Welsh language, which, by the way, I find charming.

Dw i’n hoffi coffi. I like coffee.
Dw i’n hoffi Owen. I like Owen.
Dw i’n yfed cwrw. I drink beer.
Dw i’n hoffi yfed cwrw. I like to drink beer.

Several Welsh grammar points can be hypothesized from these sentences. To talk about oneself, begin the sentence with dw i’n. The verb follows, hoffi (like) and yfed (drink). The direct object completes the sentence, coffi (coffee), Owen (Owen) , and cwrw (beer).

The word order in Welsh, at least for declarative sentences at this point, appears to mirror English with subject first, then verb, then object. (This is a relief from another Gaelic language I have been studying, Irish, which puts the verb first in the sentence.) Any similarity between the new language and one’s native language is one less thing to think about.

Once your mind has absorbed these grammar facts, other questions begin to arise. How do you make a sentence negative in case you really don’t like something? How can you ask another person if they like something so you can exchange information in a conversation?

Dw i ddim yn hoffi bacwn. I do not like bacon. So the i’n of the affirmative Welsh sentence has been transformed into i ddim yn for a negative.

This discovery calls for a revision to my original hypothesis that to talk about oneself, you begin the sentence with Dw i’n. It appears that in some sentences, just Dw i is used.

I also came upon the sentence, “Ywd, dw i eisiau cath. Yes, I want a cat. Perhaps dw i is used in negative sentences and questions?

Dych chi’n hoffi Owen? Do you like Owen? We have discovered the subject and verb forms for “you” which are dych and chi’n.

The pattern can now be used to ask other questions.

Dych chi eisiau dysgu Cymraeg. Do you want to learn Welsh?

But here is another challenge to our hypothesis! Compare Dych chi’n hoffi Owen? (Do you like Owen?) to Dych chi eisiau dysgu Cymraeg ( Do you want to learn Welsh?). The first sentence uses chi’n and the second uses chi (as is the case with the form for “I”). Why? Is the answer structural or phonetic? Could it be that the added i’n is needed before certain sounds, like the “h” of hoffi or the “y” of “yfed”?

Unfortunately, we don’t know yet. Much patience is required at this point! We have to leave that question for the future until we find more examples to clear up the problem. Or if new examples don’t give us the definitive answer, there are always grammar explanations to fall back on.

Oh, no, did I really say that?

The month of February is just beginning in my home town of El Paso, Texas. I’m deeply troubled by the thought of at least two more dreary months of winter weather. But the morning newspaper promised a 70 degree day with no wind. Could Mother Nature truly be so kind as to give us a brief respite from winter weather?

I tentatively opened the back door to the porch where the feral cats find their daily food and water. Yes, a chill was definitely missing from the air. So I opened the kitchen door to the courtyard and left it open. Next I unlocked the bedroom door to air out the upstairs. My spirits were beginning to soar.

One of my greatest summertime joys is walking around the yard to admire each and every plant. But a month or so had passed since I had even ventured out of the house. A freak November hailstorm wrecked havoc on our property. I didn’t even want to look at plants with frayed leaves, broken pots, and dented and scarred stucco walls.

But the beautiful, warm, sunshiny day lured me outside. I wanted to find something that was blooming, if only to remind me that spring will be here again this year. Here is what I discovered.

The vinca major vine under a grape arbor is looking much healthier than it does in the blazing heat of summer. It even managed to put out several bright purple flowers.

Alyssum is another plant that seems to prefer winter weather. Several clumps of white alyssum are growing around the yard, and, on more humid days, you can catch their sweet aroma.

Hearts and Flowers is a hardy plant that is growing in many different locations in our garden. It is so easy to propagate that I have to laugh when I see it for sale in plant nurseries. Often I pull up large clumps of this plant and throw them in the trash because it becomes invasive. But this winter I was happy to see Hearts and Flowers flourishing and even putting on small pink blooms where the sunlight hits it.

The pyracantha bush that I bought on sale at a nursery that was closing has flourished through many years. In autumn, it is covered with orange berries that turn bright red in the winter. A welcome sight!

Rosemary is another plant that thrives in the winter months. When it is happy, it produces small blue flowers. Rosemary is great to use as a rub for pork chops or to bake with roasted root vegetables. The distinct aroma of fresh rosemary reminds me of the gypsy women selling sprigs of rosemary to tourists in Granada, Spain.

The spindly agarita bush in the front yard is also enjoying a respite from the scorching summer sun. It is putting on small red berries that can be used to make agarita jelly by more dedicated cooks than I.

Finding plants surviving under difficult conditions, and even prospering, gives me inspiration that we humans can do the same. Dark, cold, windy days may be ahead, but we know that sunlight and colors and soft breezes will greet us with the first days of springtime.

A rancorous argument continues to rage in the field of foreign language acquisition. What, you haven’t heard of the Great Grammar Debate? Traditionalists hold fast to their claim that grammar study must proceed acquisition of a new language. Other language educators maintain that grammar study should be delayed until the learner knows enough of the new language to apply grammar information. The Great Grammar Debate is a continuum, with methods and materials for foreign language study falling along a scale.

Because I adhere to the less grammar at the beginning contingent, when I began language study on Duolingo about four years ago, I made a vow to use only sparingly the “Tips and Notes” (grammar information) provided by Duolingo.

I wanted to challenge myself to work out the grammar of new languages in my own head.

As I began working with Spanish, then Portuguese, then French, I had no problem turning up my nose at grammar explanations. To be fair, years of classroom study in these three languages had already given me a hefty dose of traditional grammar in each of them. Then I decided to add Irish, Welsh and Romanian to my daily language study regimen. Instead of zipping through the Duolingo exercises in a few minutes, I found myself really having to concentrate and, heaven forbid, THINK!

No traditional grammar explanations for me! I was going to conduct my own mini-research in the new languages to discover grammatical patterns. After all, as much as new languages may seem random to us, all language is rule based. My job was to discover the rules.

IRISH

Exercises with Irish prepositions were driving me crazy. You see, Irish prepositions contain not only the preposition itself but also the object of the preposition, all within the same word. For example, “in front of him” is expressed in Irish by the one word “roimhe.” I was faced with the double task of translating the prepositions, which seem to take on unexpected meanings in Irish, with the more mundane task of recognizing the person referred to. As I wrote down sentences containing prepositions and their English translations, a pattern began to emerge.

Tá fáilte romhainn. We are welcome.

Tá muinín ag an múnteoir asainn. The teacher has trust in us.

Conclusion: the -asainn refers to the first person singular (we or us)

Baineann tú díot do hata. You take your hat off.

Dlíodóir atá ionat. You are a lawyer.

Conclusion: the -t ending mark the second person singular (you).

Tá an ceapaire roimhe. The sandwich is in front of him.

Is as Éirinn di. She is from Ireland.

Instead of comparison, contrast revealed an -e ending for third person singular masculine (he) and an -i ending for third person singular feminine -i (she), which is supported by the Irish words for he, se, and she, si.

Finally, I am fairly confident that the ending for prepositions referring to third person plural (them) is -bh because Bainimid na madraí díobh translates as “We take the dogs from them.”

Unfortunately, I have yet to discover the pattern for prepositions referring to first person (I). But isn’t that the way natural language works? We have no guarantee that normal conversation will provide us with every single grammar possibility. I can be patient.

Are you still awake, reader? Not everyone is quite as fascinated with the way languages are constructed as I am. But for those of you who enjoy puzzles and codes, discovering grammatical patterns is a bit of fun and a great help in deciphering new languages.

It’s that inevitable moment in early January when I realize the holidays are truly over. Grey skies mirror my mood, with no bright holiday decorations to dispel the gloom. I take out a 2017 calendar and contemplate the blank spaces waiting to be filled in with life’s new happenings.

Each year I order a calendar from the Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). I look forward to pictures of rescued cats and dogs and their heartwarming stories. My own special pet, my cat Bitsy, is curled up beside the computer keyboard, wishing I would rub her head instead of type on the keyboard.

So what does a Southwesterner do to beat the winter blahs? What can I write in those empty blocks on the January calendar? Fortunately, because I live on the Texas-Mexico border in El Paso, I have an opportunity to extend the holiday season until after January 6th by celebrating Día de los Reyes Magos,Three Kings Day. This year my husband, Wayne, and I splurged on a large rosca de reyes, a special cake offered by local bakeries for this occasion. Our cake was especially delicious because it was filled with cajeta, a thick caramel syrup. We took half of the cake to a friend’s house and devoured the rest over several days.

Bakers hide a small plastic Baby Jesus (or sometimes more than one) in the cake. Whoever finds the figure is supposed to host a tamale party on February 2, Candlemas Day. I wish someone would host a Candelmas party and invite me, because by February I will probably to be desperate for entertainment.

Three and a half long weeks in January loom ahead. Here are some things I may do to keep up my spirits:

*collaborate with Wayne to finish a mystery book we are writing — Forts, Farbs, and Phantoms;
*publish Seasons and Seasonings of the Southwest on Kindle;
*pay special attention to my 73 houseplants;
*catch up on language study on Duolingo;
*plan a May trip to Ireland to participate in a steam train tour;
*take classes at the local Osher Lifelong Learning Center;
*lose a few pounds added during the holidays and train vacation to Canada.

OR… I could curl up in front of the fireplace with a thick book and occasionally gaze out the window at the bare landscape. My 2017 calendar is as bare as that landscape, ready for whatever the future may bring.

Try as I may, I cannot make it through the end of the year holidays without indulging in some special foods. And living in the Desert Southwest, these foods usually have a special southwestern flair. Here are three dishes that my family enjoyed recently.

Tamales and winter holidays are made for each other. Tamale shops around El Paso, my home town, gear up in December for requests for large orders of tamales. Other more traditional families host tamaladas (tamale making parties) with family and friends forming a line to assembly the tamales before placing them in a large pot to steam. (As an ex-Spanish teacher, I am a bit bothered by not using the more correct Spanish version, tamal in the singular form, tamales for plural, but I am guessing most readers will recognize “tamale” over tamal.)

This year my husband, Wayne, and I opted for the easier route and stopped by a nearby Pepe’s Tamales shop to buy a few tamales for New Year’s Eve. Still, decisions had to be made. A half-dozen or a dozen? Red chile with pork, green chile with chicken, or green chile with cheese? We walked out of the shop with my favorite, six green chile with cheese tamales.

We heated the tamales in a steamer on the stove and served them with pinto beans, Spanish rice, a dab of guacamole, and mango salsa. The new plates that were a Christmas present were a perfect backdrop for a delicious meal.

Another special dish we prepared this holiday season was Eggs Benedict. Wayne is addicted to Eggs Benedict ever since he had a wonderful version of this dish in Dublin, Ireland. I bought him an egg poacher for Christmas so that the eggs would be a snap to prepare, and we could concentrate on making a tasty sauce. The egg poacher came with a sauce recipe. It was acceptable, but not as delicious as Wayne remembered. (Isn’t that often the case with food memories?) Eggs Benedict can be transformed into a southwestern dish by putting any number of sauces made with chile on them. The eggs were served on our old Mexican dishes, which were soon to be put away to make room for the new ones.

Red enchiladas were also on the menu at our house this holiday season. Of course, one can eat red enchiladas any time of the year, but somehow the rich red color of the sauce makes this dish especially appropriate around Christmas time. The quality of the red sauce is key. I sometimes spend an afternoon in the kitchen and make red sauce from scratch, that is, starting with the dried chile pods. This time, however, Wayne whipped up a sauce using red chile powder. He served the enchiladas with a side order of refried beans and a few leftover little sausages on some metal plates with wooden bases that we found at an antique shop many years ago.

All this talk of food is making me crave something spicy, but unfortunately the holidays have just ended, and the pantry is bare except for a large jar of peanut butter. I’ll have to have a slathering of it on an apple slice and dream about a great dish to celebrate Valentine’s Day, which seems very far away.

I recently added a sixth language to my daily study regimen on Duolingo. I know; it’s an obsession. But before I admit to being a bit quirky when it comes to language study, I would like to defend my choice to spend valuable time each day learning other languages. You see, I truly get a kick out of analyzing how other languages are put together.

Linguists will tell you that languages are more similar than they are different, and I agree. The common elements of nouns, verbs, questions, and negatives come to mind. But each language I study has differences in grammar that are important in the language acquisition process.

First, let’s explore up front why the word “grammar” gives some people the heebie-jeebies. I think it is because grammar in our native language (English for me) is fairly boring because we have already acquired it automatically. But once we start overlaying our English grammar patterns on new languages, ah! That’s when grammar becomes intriguing.

Let’s take a look at a grammar point in Spanish labeled “The Personal A.” Here is an example: Busco mi hotel (I am looking for my hotel); Busco a mi esposo (I am looking for my husband). Did you notice the extra “a” in the second sentence? Don’t bother trying to translate it. The personal a is a Spanish grammar requirement before direct object nouns that are specific people. Sounds easy enough, right? But how about Bitsy, my beloved pet cat? Isn’t she as important as any person? Yes! Busco a Bitsy. I am looking for Bitsy. Here is the link to a YouTube video that gives further explanation of the personal a in Spanish: The Personal A .

On to Portuguese, which may be my favorite other language. Portuguese creates combined words that make beginning Portuguese students tear their hair out. Take a simple phrase like “the girl’s book” which translates into Portuguese “the book of the girl” (o livro da menina). The English phrase has five words; the Portuguese phrase has four. The Portuguese word da combines the meanings of “of” and “the.” And the Portuguese language has many of these forms, which are usually prepositions combined with other parts of speech. Take a look here Chart of Portuguese combined forms to be completely overwhelmed by grammar rules. These forms are best acquired rather than learned!

Another of the languages I have studied for many years, French, still makes my mind work overtime with some unique grammar rules. To say, “She remembered” in French, you have to know that “to remember” is a reflexive verb, that is, a reflexive pronoun is required. Then the past tense of reflexive verbs in French is formed with the helping verb, être. And if that isn’t enough, the past participle must agree with the subject. Elle s’est souvenue is the result. ( I missed this translation recently on Duolingo!) Not easy, but fascinating.

For the next blog post, I am planning to tackle some sticky grammar points in Irish, Welsh, and Romanian, all languages that are fairly new to me, and therefore even more of a challenge.

Recently I read the headline of an article that ran something like “Forget Luminosity; Learn a Language.” Analyzing grammar may just make those neurons in our brains a little more active.

Our first stop was the newly renovated San Jacinto Plaza, located in the heart of downtown El Paso. It was a chilly Saturday evening (well, at least 50 degrees F!) when we joined the crowds to ooh and ahh over the holiday park decorations

and, of course, the giant Christmas tree.

And no El Paso celebration would be complete without mariachi music and traditional Mexican dances.

The visit to San Jacinto Plaza was a great excuse to break a diet regime and line up at the food truck selling churros, served warm and covered with sugar, with a delicious caramel filling. Every bite of churro was worth the extra calories.

Our next hometown holiday experience came on a tour of El Paso’s Lower Valley. We spent a few quiet moments in the Socorro Mission, a beautiful, welcoming church located on what is known as the Mission Trail. The simple exterior of the church contrasts with the ornate interior.

A few miles drive to the south took us to the historic town of San Elizario, where a traditional community celebration was in progress in the plaza.

Upon arrival, we headed straight for the booth selling homemade tamales and champurrado, a special warm drink made with cornmeal, cinnamon and brown sugar. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus arrived to greet the Amigo Man, an El Paso mascot.

I was especially impressed with the live animals that were waiting to take part in a posada, a reenactment of Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter on a long ago night. The young goats gamboled as their mother watched placidly.

The San Elizario Chapel overlooking the plaza provided just the right tone for the religious celebration.

Last night, we stopped in the L&J cafe, an iconic El Paso Mexican restaurant, for dinner. The atmosphere was lively, with a bar filled with holiday merrymakers and tables occupied with couples and families. Waiters and waitresses rushed around, making a valiant effort to make everyone happy.

Wayne looked out at the scene contentedly and said, “I love El Paso.” Yes, I do too. It’s a great place to spend the Christmas holiday season.

My husband, Wayne, is now my Duolingo buddy! This blog post is dedicated to him.

Readers who have read my previous blog posts probably know by now that I’m very impressed with a free online program for language learning called Duolingo. Yes, I’ll admit it up front. I am just a tad obsessive about learning other languages.

I follow other learners on Duolingo, mostly random people from all over the world that I don’t know personally. It’s interesting to compare my progress with theirs from time to time.

But now that Wayne has become seriously committed to Duolingo, I have someone in my own household to compare Duolingo notes with.

Wayne grew up in a Texas town bordering the country of Mexico, as did I, so we have heard Spanish spoken all of our lives. When Wayne finally tired of seeing me have so much fun with my daily language sessions on Duolingo, he made another attempt at learning Spanish on Duolingo (he had started and stopped a time or two before, as lots of people do). Now he is on an over two-month streak (earning Duolingo experience points every day) and very proud of his progress.

I also applaud his success, not only from a personal standpoint, but also because I want to learn more about how people acquire languages. This morning I asked Wayne to talk to me for a few minutes about his Duolingo study. Here are some observations he made about his learning process.

(1) He enjoys the “repeat after the speaker” questions and views them almost as a “gimme.” (I would like to add that he has a very authentic accent in Spanish. I am especially jealous of his ability to produce a perfect rolled Spanish “r.”)

(2) He feels the need to go back and study certain grammar points, for example personal pronouns. I try to discourage him from doing too much grammar in the early stages of language study, but I can sympathize with the urge to learn grammar rather than acquire it by use.

(3) He personalizes the Duolingo program to fit his needs. On a busy day, he may return to an easier exercise just to get point credits for the day. When life is more leisurely, he may challenge himself to a new grammar or vocabulary topic. When asked to match Spanish and English vocabulary words, he disciplines himself to try to match them without resorting to process of elimination to get the right answer.

(4) He likes the format change in Duolingo which allows the learner to continue an exercise, no matter how many tries it takes to reach the end. (Previous versions of Duolingo would only let you make a limited number of errors before you “lost” the round.)

(5) He isn’t sure if Duolingo study is translating into real world use of Spanish, but he believes it will when he advances in the program.

Although I realize that Duolingo is not the only language program available, I think it has a lot going for it: it’s free to all users; it’s available 24/7 on desktops, laptops, tablets and cell phones; and it’s user friendly and lighthearted in approach.

“Have you done your Duolingo today?” is now part of daily conversations in our household, and I enjoy talking about it!

A new nonfiction spy thriller featured on NPR, The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell, caught my attention. Two of my favorite topics — spies and language — are part of the title. The complete title, The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell: A Dyslexic Traitor, an Unbreakable Code, and the FBI’s Hunt for America’s Stolen Secrets, by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, reveals the main themes of the book.

Brian Regan, the spy in the new book, worked for the National Reconnaissance Office in the early years of this century, managing information on the US spy satellite system. For various personal and professional reasons, he decided to sell US military secrets to a foreign country. He was arrested two weeks before the events of 9/11, which probably accounts for the fact that his story did not reach the general public at the time of his arrest.

The narrative of how Brian Regan attempted to carry out espionage will probably be enough to encourage me to read the book. But the clues that the FBI put together to identify him will be especially intriguing. Beginning with my early reading of Agatha Christie mystery novels, with their carefully crafted clues and intricate plots, I have always loved a good puzzle.

It was a well-know fact that Brian Regan was dyslexic, a general term for a problem processing language in the brain. (Dyslexia is not related to general intelligence.)

Dyslexia shows itself in different forms in different individuals and in varying degrees of severity, but in Regan’s case, the dyslexia caused him to be a very poor speller. The spelling errors were one of the clues leading to his capture. An article in The Guardian, October 26, 2016, lists some of the misspellings: anonmus, alligations, reveil, precausion, and negotianalable.

This connection between criminal investigations and language issues reminds me of the usefulness of Forensic Linguistics, a field of applied linguistics. Forensic linguists apply linguistic knowledge to, among other areas of law, crime investigation. The premise used is that language varies at the level of the individual, causing each of us to have our own “idolect,” or particular pattern of use. These patterns may include the vocabulary we choose, which words we use together, how we pronounce words, our spelling, and our grammar usage.

An online guest post by John Olsson of the Forensic Linguistics Institute (click here for more information) sheds further light on the field of Forensic Linguistics. Mr. Olsson notes that the field of Forensic Linguistics is relative new, making a serious appearance in courts in the 1990s. He lists various type of language analysis he has done in crime investigations: plagiarism analysis, suicide notes, hate mail, product contamination, insurance fraud, forgery, and mobile phone texts.

Using language to solve crimes is yet another indication of how language, often taken for granted, plays a vital role in our lives. In these days of concerns about privacy, have you ever thought about what your language may reveal about you? Scary, huh?

The Fair was held at Young Park, a spacious, green area set up with numerous booths and pavilions. A dragon in the charming center lake put us in a festive, playful mood.

What to do first? We followed paths around the park to investigate offerings, giving food booths a wide berth so we could maintain our slimming plans. I had to avoid booths selling seductive funnel cakes, although I did give in and buy one small bag of cinnamon cashews.

I was impressed by the high quality of arts and crafts offered by local area artisans. We purchased an attractive French butter dish which allows butter to be kept out of the refrigerator for a whole month. You may be wondering how having softer butter supports our diet plan. Good question! We must have been carried away by the spirit of fun that the Fair offered.

One of the highlights of the day was the parade which wound its way through the park around noon. The sounds of bagpipes and drums sent our minds drifting to the Highlands of Scotland, one of our favorite vacation spots.

Well-dressed pilgrims, and especially their classy dogs, were getting attention from the crowd.

Some re-enactors were very serious about staying true to their characters.

Others risked life and limb by walking on stilts to provide a wow factor for the admiring crowd.

The jousting contest was another highlight of the day.

My champion was the gentleman standing with his hand on his sword, representing the side dubbed “Chaos.” He encouraged his supporters to yell unchivalrous phrases like, “Cheat to win, cheat to win.” Female counterparts of the jousters entertained the crowd as well, sparring vigorously with swords.

The crowd watched as the combatants raced menacingly down the field toward each other, mounted on beautiful horses.

As the day was drawing to a close, we reluctantly located the shuttle bus to take us back to our vehicle and modern day life. Often we seek escapism from the cares of daily life through travel to other places. The Las Cruces Renaissance Fair transported us not so much to another place, but to another time, centuries ago, which now lives in myth and legend. And it was a delightful, relaxing experience.