darkSpyro

Foreign languages should be taught at the elementary level for ALL school systems. It's been proven that you learn languages best when you're young (beneath the age of 12 if I recall correctly), and it's what practically every country with a decent education system does.

For the Euros, Aussies, and Cannadies out there, America's education system is very decentralized. Every state is allowed to set its own curriculum for public schools, so there's often a lot of inconsistency between students from different areas. Some places do teach foreign languages at the primary level, but for most, including mine, you won't learn any foreign language until middle or high school.

It sucks. Please, Congress, change this. Please.

keep dreaming
the american school system is awful and i don't see it changing anytime soon

Quote: Thunderdragon14

keep dreaming
the american school system is awful and i don't see it changing anytime soon

I wouldn't go that far.

My school starts teaching Spanish in Kindergarten.

Here in Brazil, English has been mandatory for a while and Spanish has recently became so as well iirc. Most people just cheese it and end up going to high school not even remembering the basics though, at least from experience.
But dunno about good changes to the system,either, I've seen some people say the overall system in the US makes public brazilian schools look good.

#Canton,Ohio.

If you know what I'm talking about, i've said enough.

I'm big on states rights, although I understand this and can somewhat agree with it. Many skills are actually best developed at a younger age.

It would be nice but the school system is really messed up.

Not to mention it's also usually only Spanish that's an option, and maybe French if you're lucky (or maybe a club dedicated to one language). At least over here. I understand the importance of Spanish over other languages but a little more variety wouldn't hurt.

I don't know. At least we have Duolingo which is free anyway and has loads of options at this point.

I absolutely agree.

I guess it may be because a lot of others are learning English, so perhaps some feel like we don't have to pretentious language and we expect everyone to know English. But don't get me wrong, I'm all for America making foreign languages part of its curriculum.

Quote: Metallo

Foreign languages should be taught at the elementary level for ALL school systems. It's been proven that you learn languages best when you're young (beneath the age of 12 if I recall correctly), and it's what practically every country with a decent education system does.

For the Euros, Aussies, and Cannadies out there, America's education system is very decentralized. Every state is allowed to set its own curriculum for public schools, so there's often a lot of inconsistency between students from different areas. Some places do teach foreign languages at the primary level, but for most, including mine, you won't learn any foreign language until middle or high school.

It sucks. Please, Congress, change this. Please.

mabey your school system will change if Bernie Sanders gets elected. Also here in Australia we learn Japanese in primary school and in high school.

I agree.

Quote: CAV

Not to mention it's also usually only Spanish that's an option, and maybe French if you're lucky (or maybe a club dedicated to one language). At least over here. I understand the importance of Spanish over other languages but a little more variety wouldn't hurt.

I don't know. At least we have Duolingo which is free anyway and has loads of options at this point.

The justification behind that is that Spanish is the most common language here after English, which is true, but I definitely agree.

agreed, and being bilingual (or knowing even more languages than that) does a lot of good for the brain too

If they would actually offer a diverse array of languages, then I would absolutely be for this.

Was rather happy to have the option for French in Jr High, which even then only 1 teacher taught making it so I had her all 3 years of Jr High. Thankfully, she was a teacher I liked. High school at least offered German, French, Sign Language, and added Mandarin Chinese after I graduated, but I know mine was bigger than average and it'd be nice to see these kinds of options in many other schools as opposed to just Spanish.

Quote: Metallo

Quote: Thunderdragon14

keep dreaming
the american school system is awful and i don't see it changing anytime soon

I wouldn't go that far.

^I would.


You know what America should do?

Stop sucking, generally.

Also being lazy and allowing certain things to happen/be the way they are.


'Murika.