Do you have to learn a foreign language in the school?

@youless (112091)
Guangzhou, China
April 25, 2013 10:22pm CST
Here English has played a main role for us. We have to study it even in the kindergarten. We must learn it formally from the primary school and you still have to learn it until university. So is it a must for you to learn a foreign language in the school?
6 people like this
40 responses
• United States
26 Apr 13
We didn't have to but we knew we would get to go on a trip to Mexico is we took the class. That teacher sure was brave.
2 people like this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
Why the teacher is brave?
• United States
27 Apr 13
I think anyone is brave who takes on a group of teenagers and she pretty much did it by herself. She may have taken one other adult with us but I don't really remember any other adult except for a college student or two.
@ajithlal (14716)
• India
26 Apr 13
English was the main language we have to learn in school and also Malayalam and Hindi. There were no foreign languages available in school. We have option to learn foreign language in college and some people took foreign language as second language.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
Three languages is already good enough.
• United States
28 Apr 13
When I went to school I didn't get the opportunity to learn another language until I was a teenager1 I took French for a few years. Many years after school I started to learn Spanish and some, very little, Hebrew.
1 person likes this
• United States
28 Apr 13
I remember certain phrases in French. I can hear and understand most Spanish. And I can read, Hebrew. But I don't know the words I'm reading!
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
28 Apr 13
I just learned a little French but I can't communicate with it.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Apr 13
When I was in grade school we learn some spanish. It was fun. I still remember some of it.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
That's good.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (157563)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Apr 13
I think so. I enjoyed the class too.
• United States
26 Apr 13
I believe that it might've just been my International Baccalaureate upbringing, but foreign language was a required part of the curriculum. We chose from either French, German, Chinese, or Spanish.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
There are more choices for you.
• United States
2 May 13
@youless Yes, there are. I've never really had a chance to notice how lucky I am, being able to go to an IB school...
• China
26 Apr 13
with a incrediable development happening to the world economy, it is inevitable to be more communication approaching our daily life with talking in english . what a significant case that we ought to not be ingored is to find a proper method to make out essential problem that how to follow the mainstream---learing english ,even it is not a mother tongue for you . as we know , a perfect circumstance , including a comprehensive teachers , a partner trainer , a deserved chance,is very vatal for to learn english better. so it seem to give us an implication that we should regard english same treatment as the attitude toward our own language. so ,personally,no more a better measure which could produce a same influence that make whole people accept a systematic training ,than aksing him to follow steps of thier tutor ,later ,summarizing their own way to figure out what they spend on research.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
Even if here everybody learns English for so long time, but not many people can learn it well.
• China
27 Apr 13
in my mind , i believe in one truth that if you pay your attention to studing something ,even though it seems useless today , itwill influence your life and give you chance one day
1 person likes this
@jazel_juan (15747)
• Philippines
26 Apr 13
English is the main language used here in our schools and it is a must as it is used almost every where around the world.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
You are right.
• United States
27 Apr 13
When I was in high school I took 2 years of French and a semester of Spanish. I also took a semester of Spanish in college. As soon as I get more money I want to take a Sign Language class. I think it is great that people can learn more than one language.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
You study hard
@Cutie18f (9551)
• Philippines
27 Apr 13
In our country English is considered our second language. We study it at home and in school from Nursery to college to graduate studies. Majority of our people here, even those who did not go to high school or college can understand and speak English.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
Yes, English is important in Philippines.
@mythociate (21438)
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
28 Apr 13
Not fluently (unless you just pick it up as you study it), but 'we' (students of American public-schools) are required to take foreign-language courses ... I believe it was 1-class-out-of-12 per year (back when I was in high-school ... may be different nowadays )
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
28 Apr 13
At least it seems you have more freedom to choose a foreign language.
@Zer0Stats (1147)
• India
26 Apr 13
Yes English is very important because it is currently the language of international business and the most widely spoken language in the world once you include those who speak it as a second language.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
26 Apr 13
Yes, it is already a global language.
@Zer0Stats (1147)
• India
26 Apr 13
Yes it's the only one global language.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
26 Apr 13
Here in Mexico all high school students have to study english as a 2nd language.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
26 Apr 13
That's good. After all you are the neighbor to USA.
• Mexico
26 Apr 13
Yes we are, and I did live there 12-13 years. Sure helped me there.
@Mavic123456 (21898)
• Thailand
26 Apr 13
Yes, I see the essence of learning different language. It is just that it has just NOT TO LEARN. I mean learning doesn't end in the classroom and with the teacher. It has to be applied. In the Philippines, what's the goodness is that we were taught and we were reinforced to use English. Teachers taught subjects in English (I don't know if it is an advantage really to education) but in the language usage it was very effective. Regardless if the grammar was correct as long as the language used was in English. During the time, when I asked to conduct the English Camp here in Thailand. I was asked why Filipinos are articulate in the language among other Asean Countries. I don't like to boast so much, because I know that I have my flaws too. But I told them we were taught from Kindergaten up to the College and if we take Masteral Degrees and Philosophical Degree. Every learning time was spent in English. Even at work we use English to write our report. Every paper work is in English and we can't get away with that. Filipinos are not that articulate, (I humbly said) maybe we are just more CONFIDENT and COMFORTABLE with the language. Teaching English here in Thailand is a one man band. After I teach the students the language.. that's AFTER AND FOREVER. No one speaks the language... but they are eager to learn it. Thailand just opened their ENGLISH Literacy 10 years ago.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
I think it is good that the teachers teach all in English. And this is why your English is good and your certification will be approved all over the world.
@Mavic123456 (21898)
• Thailand
27 Apr 13
ahhhh not all over the world.... I am still not competitive to native English speakers. Native English speakers are still the best.
@dagami (1158)
• Rome, Italy
26 Apr 13
i had to learn english since first grade until i graduated from the university and i am glad. it wasn't really hard as english is the second most widely spoken language in my country. however, spanish was also mandatory during my univ days. i had to take 12 units of spanish courses. i felt it USELESS at that time since i couldn't see any reason why it was imperative to learn this. and i had a hard time too. all those conjugations... little did i know that the little things i learned during my spanish classes would guide and help me a lot in learning the italian language. the minute i got hold of the oxford italian-english dictionary, i realised the VALUE of those spanish lessons i had. if it weren't for those, i would have had a hard time with my italian. i learned quickly, without undertaking formal lessons.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
26 Apr 13
I checked your profile and learned that you come from Italy.
@dagami (1158)
• Rome, Italy
26 Apr 13
yes, i've been living here in italy for the last ten years but i come from the philippines.
1 person likes this
• India
26 Apr 13
Well its not necessary to learn English as primary language during your studies but these day specially in India if you know English then its a + point in your resume and almost every organisation prefer English speaking trainee. So we can say we don't have other choice and simply learn english.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
I know English is one of the official languages in India.
• United States
26 Apr 13
When I was in high school, you had to take at least 2 years of a foreign language. We only had french or Spanish to choose from so I chose Spanish. I ended up taking 4 years of it, but guess what? I can't speak it. The whole classes were too focused on remembering the irregular verbs and basically how to write it, that even right out of high school, I couldn't even really know how to speak it then, let alone now that its been 8 years. So I feel like it was just a waste of my time.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
That's so bad that you can not even speak it.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Apr 13
hi youless I did not in grade school or high school but I took Sanish in my first year in junior college and my second year too,I took latin in my two years later in University of CAlif at Irvine Calif. But I was in grade school in the thirties and high school in the forties so requirements in those schools have changed a lot. I think its good for s in the US to learn other languages.
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
Now I learn that Spanish is also an important language in USA.
@jambi462 (4576)
• United States
26 Apr 13
I'm not positive but I think that they just recently made it mandatory for high school students to take at least two years of a foreign language. When I was in high school that's the way it was but you could also take art credits to take care of your foreign languages. I ended up taking drama and culinary arts to take care of those credits instead of taking a foreign language. I think that we should have to learn a foreign language though especially because every other country is forced to learn english. I would have loved to learn a foreign language but none of the ones taught in my school really interested me. The ones I would like to learn most are Sanskrit or Indian, Greek, and probably Russian.
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
It is a fair that every country has to learn a foreign language
@scubapro (1051)
• Gifu, Japan
26 Apr 13
when i was at highschool,it was a private highschool,there was 2 foreign language that we had to learn, german and english. i hate always german,i love english,after that i went to university,and there was 2 foreign language too.and there were same. i think after the development of the world like today.everybody has to learn 2.language. for me its a must. i think especially english is really important. happy mylotting
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
It is much more difficult to learn two foreign languages at the same time.
• China
26 Apr 13
It is necessary for students to study English in the whole school,i think,fronm primary to college,i am from China,i am a student in the university,this is the first time that ernter this website,of course,the first time to anwser the qusetion,i hope you can help me to improve my English,but i want to be friend with you better,could i?
1 person likes this
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
27 Apr 13
I am from China and nice to see you here