Yeah, right. In Germany we start learning English in grade 4 or 5 and have to take it til we graduate. You can only drop classes when you're in grade 11, 12 or 13 but English, Math and German can't be dropped. You have to take those.
I think it's not a higher percentage since we have a lot of seniors who went to school in times where English wasn't considered that important and they did not go to school that long. We have more seniors than young people because we have a low birth rate at the moment but 60 years ago the birth rate was really high. I think the percentage will get higher with the years.
Its growing however in the border states the hispanic population in a few years will no long be a minority which isnt a bad thing its just interesting.
I live in America as well and we had to take 2 years of foreign language only if we were going for an honors diploma- if you were going for a regular diploma, you didn't have to take foreign language. But that 18% is people who can hold an actual conversation in a different language, and lets be honest, a lot of kids taking foreign language in high school probably can't hold a conversation in that language- even after graduating.
In texas it was a requirment for foreign language and I remember a fair amount and can hold a basic conversation i dont count myself in that 18%
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Edited 9 years ago
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· 9 years ago
the u.s. honestly is not very good about learning languages. My french teacher told us that other countries usually start a foreign language in elementary school, then add 1 or 2 more in middle and high school
I can testify to the % of France. Getting help as a tourist in Paris is nearly impossible. Even a guy that looked about 18-19 had to use Google Transelate to help us get the right train.
Yes, unfortunately we have a really low rate of english speakers here in France. It is not a priority for us at school, even in college! We are very conservative people (not me, but in general), it is almost impossible to watch a movie in english on TV. Theaters are just starting to play movies in english... It's a shame! I wish I could help you when you needed help in Paris, I love praticing my english :)
It's funny that it's so different from contry to contry. Here in Norway we speak Norwegian (ofc), learn English from first grade and in eight grade you have to choose to learn german, french or spanish. So that when you're done in school you should be able to make yourself understood in at least 3 languages, both verbal and in wrighting.
Unfortunatly my frenchteacher was horrible, so I can't speak it very well, but I understand a lot if it's spoken slowly :)
I think it's not a higher percentage since we have a lot of seniors who went to school in times where English wasn't considered that important and they did not go to school that long. We have more seniors than young people because we have a low birth rate at the moment but 60 years ago the birth rate was really high. I think the percentage will get higher with the years.
Unfortunatly my frenchteacher was horrible, so I can't speak it very well, but I understand a lot if it's spoken slowly :)