American Jingoism

Siyo!
Bouncing off what Simen and Christophe say:

--- Simen Rustad <simen-r@...> wrote:

> > Christophe wrote:
> > > >
> > >
> > >On the contrary, it's exactly at the point. I had
> explained that I had
> > >begun
> > >English learning at that age too, and Dutch
> learning only now, 15 years
> > >later.
> > >Though I began learning English at the age of 10,
> it took me more than 10
> >
But then,
> we've only had English for between six and eight
> years ... I'm currently
> studying French on my third year, and struggling
> with vocabulary.
>
> Simen
>
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  No state requires a foreign
language to graduate high school (high school
graduation is usually a least-common-denominator sort
of priniciple, because how dare we set up different
conditions for different needs and circumstances).
And though maybe 40% of Americans have taken at least
one year of a foreign language (correct me if I'm
wrong--the number's floating in my head for some
reason), hardly anyone has a good recollection of it,
unless they've had maybe four or six semesters in
college (what programs that do require foreign
language generally require only two semesters).

Clint


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