Re: American Jingoism

----- Original Message -----
From: "jogloran" <exponent@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2002 8:04 AM
Subject: Re: American Jingoism


> <<
>
> 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
>
> >>
>
> Wow, that's strange... most schools here in Australia have compulsory
> language learning in primary school (which is Kindergarten to 6th
> grade here), and at my high school, you are made to do 1 term each of
> French, German, Japanese and Latin in Year 7, then in Year 8 you get
> to choose one of them. Year 9 onwards, it's on an elective basis (you
> can if you want).
>
> At my primary school we got taught French, and I'm taking Japanese at
> school now.
>

Hmm....in England, with a recently reformed foreign language system, you
start taking languages in Year 2 (1st Grade to americans) (Before, languges
were begun in year 7(6th Grade)) until Year 9 (8th Grade), after that, you
can drop any language.  The languages depend on the school.