Re: American Jingoism

From: "jogloran" <exponent@...>

| Count yourselves lucky!  In the US you rarely start a
| foreign language until you're 14 to 16.  Attempts to
| start younger are usually bilingual efforts in heavily
| Spanish-speaking areas, where it is highly
| controversial, because, *of course*, everybody should
| learn English. :P

I went to a parochial (Episcopal) elementary school, and they taught Spanish,
though in a half-assed way. In Texas (it was this way in the late 1980s, don't
know about now), the requirements for an advanced track or honors diploma is two
years of a modern language. I took French, since most people took Spanish. But
for the regular diploma, there is (or was) no foreign language requirement.

Here in Lufkin today, we have bilingual elementary schools that do something I
really like. The Spanish-speakers are immersed half the day in English, which
the conservative side of me supports. But then the English-speakers are immersed
half the day in Spanish, which pleases my liberal side.

~Danny~


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