shopgirl 6 | 928 9 Apr 2007 / #1In the United States, Spanish is now frequently taught in schools beginning with the elementary grades. This is very different from when I was growing up-there was no foreign language until High School and University. So many of the people I meet from Poland are fluent in English. Is English taught all the way through school?
Ranj 21 | 947 9 Apr 2007 / #3I think you will find a lot of European countries offer foreign languages for younger students (America is certainly lagging behind in that aspect.) I was not offered foreign language until I was in 8th or 9th grade.
Szkola 1 | 17 9 Apr 2007 / #4I do not know about in the schools, but it is in there colleges. For example, if you are taking engineering, you have to take so much english. English is concidered to be the dominante language thru out the engineering world.
OP shopgirl 6 | 928 9 Apr 2007 / #5Well I suppose it is true that most of the people I have known are attending a university because that is connected to how they acquire the work visa to come here for the summer (through sponsor agencies like CCUSA). But I can't imagine anyone getting to the skill levels that that I have seen after only a few years of study. Unless those studies are rigorous and super intense!
Szkola 1 | 17 9 Apr 2007 / #6But I can't imagine anyone getting to the skill levels that that I have seen after only a few years of study. Unless those studies are rigorous and super intense!Of all the poeple I met in Poland, they say the hardest part of english is all the slang terminology we use in the states. After learning in school and then talking to an american it screws them up some.
OP shopgirl 6 | 928 9 Apr 2007 / #7the hardest part of english is all the slang terminology we use in the states.Yes, because no American talks like a text book and the slang evolves and then disappears so quickly its hard to keep track. My eight year old came home one day excited about something that happened at school and she says "MOM, that was awesome....it was totally off the hook!" I'm like.....whaaat? :(:
OP shopgirl 6 | 928 9 Apr 2007 / #9But I also notice that their English is very British: they say "Mum" instead of "Mom". And they say "loads" instead of "lots". Sometime I feel like Harry Potter is with us in the room! :) Maybe we can go hang out at the pitch and enjoy a bag of crisps!
Szkola 1 | 17 9 Apr 2007 / #10it was totally off the hook!" I'm like.....whaaat? :Yes the slang has evolved from my time also. I had no idea what my son was telling half the time.But I also notice that their English is very British:I believe that is called the queens english
Frank 23 | 1,183 9 Apr 2007 / #11But I also notice that their English is very British: they say "Mum" instead of "Mom". And they say "loads" instead of "lots". Sometime I feel like Harry Potter is with us in the room! Maybe we can go hang out at the pitch and enjoy a bag of crisps!Eeeeemmm...no Shopgirl.....its English.........not British English......in the USA you speak a "dialect" I suppose.......as Winston Churchill said..."Two great nations divided by a common language"
Szkola 1 | 17 9 Apr 2007 / #12as Winston Churchill said..."Two great nations divided by a common language"Well I will bet old Winston never talked to a redneck, or he would of never made that statement!!!
slwkk 2 | 228 10 Apr 2007 / #13Is English taught all the way through school?Yes, when I was in elementary school (~10yrs ago) English appeared somewhere near 6th grade. As far as I know, now English lessons start somewhere between 1-3th grade. It's not efficient learning... it's impossible to be efficient when in class there are 20-30 children. I would say that if somebody is fluent in English it's only his achievement... the second common foreign language in school is German.
seinfeld 11 Apr 2007 / #14In the United States, Spanish is now frequently taught in schools beginning with the elementary grades. This is very different from when I was growing up-there was no foreign language until High School and Universitykind of reflects the notion about USA attitude towards other countries and the world in general : that is - we have everything we want in our own country (USA);we don't need anyone else or to learn any other languages but our own etc.
